[ti:England 1914] [ar:Ralph McTell] [al:Spiral Staircase] [by:] [offset:0] [00:00.00]England 1914 - Ralph McTell [00:08.81]Night stirs her inky finger in the water of the day [00:17.41]The tired sun drops slowly in the sky [00:25.29]And everywhere the gentle air hangs heavy with the day song [00:34.52]Evening calls the lamplight out to come [00:42.58]Children's wooden hoops go clattering down the street [00:50.76]Soon they're called inside it's getting late [00:58.80]The grand canal [01:01.08]Now splashed with red [01:03.42]Reflects on swallows wings [01:07.35]The lamplighter knows the song the evening sings [01:15.47]But the gas-lamps stand like soldiers [01:19.55]Hiss warnings to the wind [01:23.49]Their evening vespers prophicy a war [01:31.96]The world divides [01:34.23]And men take sides [01:36.91]The spark bursts into flame [01:40.91]Nothing can be quite the same again [01:49.20]Dog barks in the distance [01:53.15]Child cries in her sleep [01:57.49]Night waits for the dawn with baited breath [02:05.48]The old school the old rule [02:10.14]Rung out on a muffinman's bell [02:14.44]The lamplighter has made his nightly call [02:23.19]Dreams of hope and peace [02:26.77]Sent clattering down the streets [02:31.33]Empty like the promises they made [02:39.20]The wars rage on and different wrongs [02:43.66]Will someone please explain [02:47.85]That peace is not the lamplighter [02:52.06]'Cause he's not coming back again