Thursday, June 30, 2016

It seemed to be real like before on the last day of June 1934

The Last Day Of June 1934:



by Al Stewart
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4 comments:

  1. Bleubeard and Elizabeth8:31 PM

    That was a rather unique song. I was surprised because of the reference to France and also the Rhine, Bavaria, and Cambridge. Then there's the guy who dies? I'm not sure I understand what I was hearing. Maybe I need to get some sleep!

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    Replies
    1. Divers and Sundry8:15 AM

      It's a protest song, an anti-war song. There's an explanation of the meaning of the song and the history it explores here: http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=18708 The closing lyrics: "The couples pass by me, they're looking so good
      Their arms round each other, they head for the woods
      They don't care who Ernst Roehm was, no reason they should
      Just a shadow that hangs in the air

      But I thought I saw him cross over the hill
      With a whole ghostly army of men at his heel
      And struck in the moment it seemed to be real like before
      On the last day of June 1934"

      Delete
  2. Rita8:49 AM

    Okay--I had to google the lyrics. I'm still a bit confused, but that was the night of the long knives! Ernst Roehm was a former close associate of Hitler's who was known to like young boys and instead of being executed Roehm was supposedly given the option to commit suicide. (I had a semester on Hitler and the Nazis in college so some of this came back to me.) But what Roehm has to do with this song, I'm not sure. Appears to be that everyone thinks there will be no more wars and, in reality, things are just starting up again with Hitler and his brown shirts. It's a haunting song.

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    Replies
    1. Divers and Sundry6:13 AM

      That there are always wars is tragic. I'm surprised there aren't more anti-war protest songs these days.

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