Phantom Piper in the Sky

[Uncle Paul]

A beautiful song by the great John Edmond, himself of Scottish origin. Even though the Scots were on the opposite side during the Boer Wars, they were brave soldiers with good hearts, and I have a lot of respect for them...a worthy opponent. A lot of the other wars mentioned in this song, I do support the British/Scottish side.

An excerpt of the lyrics to this song, lyrics that, in retrospect, make the song even sadder than it already was, since everything the British Empire fought for is gone now. While there are some areas that would have been better off if Britain had never gotten involved, I don't think anyone can deny that the British did a lot of good, for example, when they stopped the slave trade, or stopped Indians from burning widows.

They heard him in the American Independence War
And he was heard in battle in Spain's Peninsular
Napoleon's armies also heard him in their time
And balaclava Russians, when they fought with the Red Lion

In India, when Lucknow was besieged and freed again
And Zulu warriors heard him on an African plain
He was heard in Egypt, and down to the Sudan
In the Boer War battles, and in Afghanistan

At the Battle of the Somme, where the poppies now grow free
Again at the landings at Dunkirk and Normandy
On the barren rocks of Aden, Tyrone, Gibraltar
From Korea to Palestine, and the island of Malta

Wherever he came from, wherever he has been
He sometimes has been heard, but never been seen
Wherever kilted warriors have been sent to fight and die
There will always be a phantom piper in the sky​