He made his way to the border
In the shadow under the trees
Down by a stream in a hollow
Turn your head feel the breeze

And the red Queen was waiting for the news
For the white King to move
And the balance hung upon the head of one who tried
To stay within the shadows
And keep his undercover secret tight

They let him in by a back way
Into a chamber reserved for the Queen
She took the note that he gave her
Opened it slowly and started to read

Run to the treasury and bring me back some gold
Give it to the pawn who came, she cried
He says the white King thinks the game of chess is wrong
And all the courtiers crowded her
And this is what she told the gathered round

Go to the store by the dungeon
Take all the red paint take all the white
Make up a newborn color
Cover your neighbor we'll be all right

There will be no game today, she cried across the board
Everyday will be a holiday
And all the pieces cheered as tidings spread abroad
And the Pink Queen sat
And smiled at the cat who smiled back.


Lyrics submitted by reptile

Country Song Lyrics as written by James Poyser Jaguar Wright

Lyrics © O/B/O DistroKid, Peermusic Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.

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Country Song song meanings
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    My Interpretation

    I would agree with previous posters: there is a Alice In Wonderland feel to this song. Yet, given Roger Water's having lost his father to armed conflict in World War II*, his disdain for war is not surprising.

    Chess is a game of war, with the pawns being the enlisted infantry who bear the brunt of "dying". The White King's understanding and value of life and compassion to those who serve both him and the Red Queen lead him to voice his opinion and persuade the Red Queen to end the war games.

    • "When the Tigers Broke Free" is a Pink Floyd song by Roger Waters, describing the death of his father, Eric Fletcher Waters, during the Second World War's Operation Shingle. British contribution to the Anzio campaign's Operation Shingle, where Allied forces landed on the beaches near Anzio, Italy, with the goal of liberating Rome from German control. These forces included C Company of the Royal Fusiliers, in which Waters' father Eric served. As Waters tells it, the forward commander had asked to withdraw his forces from a German Tiger tank assault, but the generals refused, and "the Anzio bridgehead was held for the price / Of a few hundred ordinary lives" as the Tigers eventually broke through the British defence, killing all of C Company, including Eric Waters.
    tigerx2374on May 03, 2013   Link

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