Pete Atkin (& Clive James) - The Last Hill That Shows You All The Valley

On the last hill that shows you all the valley
Look back to see what little's to be seen
Burned books left over from the rally
A worker-priest left bleeding in the alley
And realise this place was never green
On the last hill that shows you all your travel
Look back to see your tepees disappear
A team of army dump-trucks full of gravel
Comes to fill the graves and tamp them level
The buffalo will not return this year
On the last hill that brands you as a dreamer
Look back to see the dreams were always true
The Persians went ashore at Iwo Jima
Christ was in the gold mines at Kolyma
Denounced because his mother was a Jew
On the last hill that shows you all the battle
Look back to everywhere you cried for joy
The killer-dogs run down your barren cattle
Your kid Cassandra walks collecting metal
And you'll see when those rows of dust-clouds settle
There are helicopters on the walls of Troy

[@tanfosbery1153]

First heard this song in hospital after a motorcycle crash in 1973 - great to finally hear it again

[@Trellis07]

Clive James. The last great philosopher.

[@robertgrimshaw9036]

Heard this years ago fresh now as it was then 😊

[@ivorbueb9862]

Thanks for this. It reminded me that I need to get my turntable fixed. I haven't heard any of my PA albums for years. Only two of them are on Spotify, and I just played one of them (Driving Through Mythical America) on my walk in the park.

[@kevinbrown3098]

We need far more Pete Atkin on youtube!

[@owenross1289]

Lyrics by the famous journalist Clive James btw. ‘There are helicopters on the walls of Troy’ . Match that Rihanna.

[@johnsalt1157]

RIP, Clive.

[@chrisapphillips]

I've got this on vinyl.
'The only wristwatch for a drummer' and 'The hypertension Kid' are great.

[@johnharold8682]

With the loss of Clive James a little more erudition has gone. Ave et vale.

[@judycorstjens]

So grateful to find this!

[@CinnAlla]

'A King at Nighfall' was a brilliant album, and unobtainable on iTunes as far as I can see. This is a fine track.

[@Daverotherham]

Thanks for putting this up. I love this song.

[@stuhouser2]

I like this right now the date being what it is 2/23/16 How fitting!

[@ivorbueb]

Reminds me I really need to digitize my vinyl.