Well I never met my grandad
I heard he died in the second war
I don't believe he was a hero
At least he ain't one anymore any more
And I had an in-law uncle
Who told me tales of gallantry
Sober stories of his good friends
Whose spirits lay beneath the dirt and haunt in graves across the sea
I reach out my hands but I can't touch them
I reach out my hands and clasp the air
I reach out my hands
To touch the shadows I've never met
Well a short walk from the boardroom
A faded picture on the wall
Crying out to be remembered
For reasons why I don't recall I don't recall
Now I know an old man sailor
Who fled the war in forty-three
Sharing memories of the mountains
And fellow patriots who sought to find a land they could be free
I reach out my hands but I can't touch them
I reach out my hands and clasp the air
I reach out my hands
To touch the shadows I've never met
I reach out my hands but I can't touch them
I reach out my hands and clasp the air
I reach out my hands
To touch the shadows I've never met