A song inspired by the book 'A Perfect Hell' by John Nadler - which chronicles the first 'special forces' group of WWII - a joint Cdn/American force sent to help liberate Italy.

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I was inspired to write a "war song" after starting to read "A Perfect Hell" by John Nadler - I tried to write lyrics while imagining what is was like for the individual soldier...while keeping the music "unadorned" and desperate.

A Perfect Hell

Verse 1:
My darling -
When I wrote before I thought it was adventure
We trained and laughed and joked and drank and smoked
And now
A sniper’s bullet killed Syd Rath about an hour ago
He didn’t die so much as cease to be

Bridge:
I wonder what I’ll say
If they ask me was it worth it
When we finally took Defensa
With the snow turned red from young mens’ blood

Chorus:

Verse 2:
Don’t worry -
I’ve survived this long my angel’s watching over me
More than half my friends are gone – I don’t know how
I still go on ‘cause that’s what soldiers do
Some die and some go on…

Bridge:
Well we hit the beach today
Near the village of Anzio
Will we break the Winter Line?
Will we be broken on the shore?

Chorus:

Verse 3:
And some day
If - God willing – I’ve got children when I’m older
Do I tell them ‘bout my angel who was there for me?
Do I tell them ‘bout the friends who didn’t make it?
Although it breaks my heart?

Bridge:
When we walked the streets of Rome
As the victors not the vanquished
The people cheered and cried and waved
All I could do was cry

Chorus

(May 2, 2007