Empire of the Clouds

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

Drum roll 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 weather glass

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 30 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 engine's 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

3,000 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

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 40 souls who came to die in France