Children’s Crusade
Words and Music by Sting © 1985
Young men, soldiers,
Marching through countries they'd never seen
Virgins with rifles, a game of charades
All for a children's crusade
Pawns in the game are not victims of chance
Strewn on the fields of
Poppies for young men, death's bitter trade
All of these young lives betrayed
The children of
They're trapped on the wire and dying in waves
The flower of
And stained in the blood of a whole generation
Corpulent generals safe behind lines
History's lessons drowned in red wine
Poppies for young men, death's bitter trade
All of those young lives betrayed
All for a children's crusade
The children of
They're trapped on the wire and dying in waves
The flower of
And stained in the blood of a whole generation
Fixing in doorways, opium slaves
Poppies for young men, such bitter trade
All of those young lives betrayed
All for a children's crusade
Source: WFR Museum Sherwood Foresters
Collection: “The Story of
Poppy Day”
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