Jon Brooks

Lyrics

The Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery and Memorial is located about 3 km north of the village of Groesbeek, Netherlands, where 2,338 Canadian soldiers of WWII are buried.


It’s been a life of fighting my fears,
85 winters and 84 years.
No words of wisdom could outlast a beer
and for anything that’s worth it
the price, it will be dear.
I’ll never forget my commander who said that
'the bullets only hit men who are scared.'
And so over my brothers at Groesbeek I ran,
straight into shell fire as if a brave man.
And for a moment I was free.
But for a moment I've been free.


And there is a place on this hard earth to rest
amid the violence of heartlessness;
I have been there and I have seen.
And for a moment I've been free.


Soon after the War I found wife and small town
where it hurt me to smile, where it hurt me more to frown.
Like all great homeruns, yeah, we lived by a guess
and for every fear beaten, a new one was blessed;
and not much of it's been clear,
no not much of it’s been clear.
Now all of my children have also grown old
and Angie, my sweetness, God adopt your soul.
Ah, since your fair cruelty, I’ve traveled it ‘round;
I’ve been to most places that have been found.
And for a moment I was free.
But for a moment I’ve been free.


And there is a place on this hard earth to rest
amid the violence of loneliness;
I have been there and I have seen.
And for a moment I've been free.


I’ve been to China on a Siberian train,
I’ve seen the cities of Europe
before they all looked the same.
My family is certain that I am senile;
I've drank the water in Mexico and swam in the Nile,
and for a moment I was free.
But for a moment I’ve been free.


Ah, but there is a place on this hard earth to rest
amid the violence of worldliness;
I have been there and I have seen.
And for a moment I've been free.