Joe Glenton by Ewan McLennan Lyrics
He joined the forces when he was young
And fell right into their hands
The story was spun, a steady wage and adventures
Fighting terror in foreign lands
This life of a soldier it thrilled and enticed him
As no other job had done
He’d read and was told of the beauty of freedom
That’s spread by our planes and our guns
After two years of service in Colchester barracks
Transporting bullets and shells
Through the ranks ran a murmur as the orders were given
The excitement rose and it fell
But as they descended to Kandahar city
A grim silence fell over the plane
Shots of the mortars rang in the distance
Like threats from the sky turning grey
Chorus:
Joe Glenton, he has been sentenced
For refusing to fight and to kill
The sharp eyes of the judge and the cold cuffs were on him
As he was led away to the cell
The days and the weeks stumbled into each other
The months were soon passing him by
The only thing leaving the compound were coffins
And rockets tore through the night sky
Reports came daily of villages bombed
To frighten insurgents away
Reports came daily of villages bombed
Only bones and ashes remained
While these embers were smouldering the story unfolding
Led him to question the cause
All we have brought here and all we will leave
Are the scars and the tissues of war
And as their mission drew to a close
He vowed that he’d never return
He told his captain who threatened and screamed
That these thoughts were not a soldiers concern
Chorus:
Joe Glenton, he has been sentenced
For refusing to fight and to kill
The sharp eyes of the judge and the cold cuffs were on him
As he was led away to the cell
On returning home he was faced with a choice
To resist or return to the front
But the villagers’ cries and the generals’ lies
He’d made up his mind to confront
And on the day he walked out of the barracks
To the squaddies shouts of support
In the face of treason he laid down his reason
And threw off the terrors of war
Soon the military tried to throw him in jail
And banned him from speaking his mind
But Joe Glenton continued to follow his conscious
Through the sharp days, the grit and grind
Armed with only his story and all he had witnessed
He travelled and gave his account
Under threat of arrest as he rose to address
The crowds soon gathered around
Chorus:
Joe Glenton, he has been sentenced
For refusing to fight and to kill
The sharp eyes of the judge and the cold cuffs were on him
As he was led away to the cell
After months of dispute and hounding pursuit
They caught him and brought him to trial
The judge rose to address the military court
And sentenced Joe Glenton to jail
No medals or crosses of gold or of bronze
Are pinned to Joe Glenton’s lapel
No handshakes or service for his courage and conscience
Instead condemned to rebel
So he’s served his time to the prison clock’s chime
Of nine months that were buried and gone
Back out on the streets, unrepentant, unbroken
Still determined to take the fight on
He wasn’t the first and he won’t be the last
To stand up and utter those tones
Still the words of a rebel shake and unnerve them
As other young soldiers look on
Chorus:
Joe Glenton, he has been sentenced
For refusing to fight and to kill
The sharp eyes of the judge and the cold cuffs were on him
As he was led away to the cell
Joe Glenton, he was sentenced
But the criminals dance free today
They were many before him, there’ll be many after
Who question instead of obey
And fell right into their hands
The story was spun, a steady wage and adventures
Fighting terror in foreign lands
This life of a soldier it thrilled and enticed him
As no other job had done
He’d read and was told of the beauty of freedom
That’s spread by our planes and our guns
After two years of service in Colchester barracks
Transporting bullets and shells
Through the ranks ran a murmur as the orders were given
The excitement rose and it fell
But as they descended to Kandahar city
A grim silence fell over the plane
Shots of the mortars rang in the distance
Like threats from the sky turning grey
Chorus:
Joe Glenton, he has been sentenced
For refusing to fight and to kill
The sharp eyes of the judge and the cold cuffs were on him
As he was led away to the cell
The days and the weeks stumbled into each other
The months were soon passing him by
The only thing leaving the compound were coffins
And rockets tore through the night sky
Reports came daily of villages bombed
To frighten insurgents away
Reports came daily of villages bombed
Only bones and ashes remained
While these embers were smouldering the story unfolding
Led him to question the cause
All we have brought here and all we will leave
Are the scars and the tissues of war
And as their mission drew to a close
He vowed that he’d never return
He told his captain who threatened and screamed
That these thoughts were not a soldiers concern
Chorus:
Joe Glenton, he has been sentenced
For refusing to fight and to kill
The sharp eyes of the judge and the cold cuffs were on him
As he was led away to the cell
On returning home he was faced with a choice
To resist or return to the front
But the villagers’ cries and the generals’ lies
He’d made up his mind to confront
And on the day he walked out of the barracks
To the squaddies shouts of support
In the face of treason he laid down his reason
And threw off the terrors of war
Soon the military tried to throw him in jail
And banned him from speaking his mind
But Joe Glenton continued to follow his conscious
Through the sharp days, the grit and grind
Armed with only his story and all he had witnessed
He travelled and gave his account
Under threat of arrest as he rose to address
The crowds soon gathered around
Chorus:
Joe Glenton, he has been sentenced
For refusing to fight and to kill
The sharp eyes of the judge and the cold cuffs were on him
As he was led away to the cell
After months of dispute and hounding pursuit
They caught him and brought him to trial
The judge rose to address the military court
And sentenced Joe Glenton to jail
No medals or crosses of gold or of bronze
Are pinned to Joe Glenton’s lapel
No handshakes or service for his courage and conscience
Instead condemned to rebel
So he’s served his time to the prison clock’s chime
Of nine months that were buried and gone
Back out on the streets, unrepentant, unbroken
Still determined to take the fight on
He wasn’t the first and he won’t be the last
To stand up and utter those tones
Still the words of a rebel shake and unnerve them
As other young soldiers look on
Chorus:
Joe Glenton, he has been sentenced
For refusing to fight and to kill
The sharp eyes of the judge and the cold cuffs were on him
As he was led away to the cell
Joe Glenton, he was sentenced
But the criminals dance free today
They were many before him, there’ll be many after
Who question instead of obey