Scarlet Snow

Jimmy stood in the centre of the town,

said 'come one, come all I've news to tell,

All men of age and fit, are asked to do their bit,

for duty binds us all to king and land'

Setting off, on the train to Melbourne Town,

word said this would end by Christmas day,

And fixing bayonet, up to knees in mud and shit,

those words had never seemed so far away,

Well the night was bitter cold, and the white had fallen thick,

As they climbed the wall and charged towds the line

Through the smoke and thunder, as the shells hit the ground

Was a moment in the madness where neither heard a sound

For frozen men and metal, that littered all the field,

Were covered for a moment by the winters soft white yield

And Clem had fallen down in all the noise and rapid rain,

Time stopped for a moment, and would never start again

Lay down your guns and be brothers once again, they said

Lay down your guns, lay down your guns,

They lay there in each others arms in that shell hole in the field,

The snow below them turned a scarlet red

Not a word was spoken, but his eyes had turned to grey

One last breath of mist drew out, and gently blew away

Lay down your guns boys, head the ships for south across the sea