And you say that the battle is over

And you say that the war is all done,

Go tell it to those with the wind in their noses

Who run from the sounds of the gun

And write it on the sides of the great

Whaling ships or on the ice floes

Where conscience is tossed

With the wild in their eyes it is they who must die

And we who must measure the loss.

And you say that the battle is over,

And finally the world is at peace

You mean nobody is dying and mothers don't weep

Or it is not in the papers at least

There are those who would deal in the darkness of life

There are those who would tear down the sun

For most men are ruthless but some will still weep

When the gifts we are given are gone.

And the blame cannot lie on the heads of a few

It has become such a part of the race

It is eternally tragic

For that which is magic

Be killed at the end of a glorious chase

From young seals to great whales from waters to wood

They would fall like reeds in the wind

With fur coats and perfumes

And trophies on walls

What a hell of a race to call man.

And you say that the battle is over

And you say that the war is all done

Go tell it to those with the wind in their noses

Who run from the sounds of the gun

And write it on the sides of the great

Whaling ships or on ice floes where conscience is tossed

With a wild in their eyes it is they who must die

And we who must measure the loss.