To ride the storm
to an empire
of the clouds
To ride the storm
they climbed aboard
their silver ghost
To ride the storm
to a kingdom
that will come
To ride the storm
and damn the rest
oblivion
Royalty and dignitaries
brandy and cigars
Grey lady giant
of the skies
you hold them
in your arms
The millionth chance
they laughed
to take down his
majesty's craft
To India they say
Magic carpet float away
An October fateful day
Mist is in the trees
stone sweats
with the dew
The morning sunrise
red before the blue
Hanging at the mast
waiting for command
His Majesty's airship
the R101
She's the biggest vessel
built by man
a giant of the skies
For all you unbelievers
the Titanic fits inside
Drumroll tight
her canvas skin
silvered in the sun
Never tested
with the fury
with the beating
yet to come
The fury yet to come
In the gathering gloom
the storm rising
in the west
The coxswain stared
into the plunging
weatherglass
We must go now
we must take our
chance with fate
We must go now
for a politician
he can't be late
The airship crew awake
for thirty hours
at full stretch
But the ship is
in their backbone
every sinew every inch
She never flew
at full speed
a trial never done
Her fragile outer cover
her Achilles would become
an Achilles yet to come
Sailors of the sky
a hardened breed
Loyal to the king
and an airship creed
The engines drum
The telegraph sounds
Release the cords
that bind us
to the ground
Said the coxswain
Sir she's heavy
she'll never
make this flight
Said the captain
Damn the cargo
We'll be on
our way tonight
Groundlings
cheered in wonder
as she backed off
from the mast
Baptizing them her water
from the ballast
fore and aft
Now she slips
into our past
Fighting the wind
as it rolls you
feeling the diesels
that push you along
Watching the channel
below you
lower and lower
into the night
Lights are passing
below you
Northern France
asleep in their beds
Storm is raging
around you
A million to one
that's what he said
Reaper standing
beside her
With his scythe
cuts to the bone
Panic to make a decision
experienced men
asleep in their graves
Her cover is ripped
and she's drowning
Rain is flooding
into the hull
Bleeding to death
and she's falling
Lifting gas is
draining away
We're down lads
came the cry
bow plunging
from the sky
Three thousand
horses silent
as the ship began to die
The flares to
guide her path
ignited at the last
The empire of the clouds
just ashes in our past
Just ashes at the last
Here lie their dreams
as I stand in the sun
On the ground
where they built
and the engines did run
To the moon
and the stars
now what have we done
Oh the dreamers may die
but the dreams live on
Dreams live on
Dreams live on
On
Now a shadow on a hill
the angel of the east
The empire of the clouds
may rest in peace
And in a country churchyard
laid head to the mast
Eight and forty souls
who came to die in France
