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The Battle Is Done With

from Freeborn Man by Ewan MacColl & Peggy Seeger

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about

I used to take stock every time I fought. Before the fight I used to say, ‘If this is my last fight, what have I got in the bank?’ (Peter Keenan, ex-bantamweight champion of the British Commonwealth. Recorded in Glasgow in 1963)

alternative title: “After the Fight”
tune: traditional USA (“St. James’s Hospital”)
new words and trad arr.: Ewan MacColl

lyrics

The battle is done with, the fighters departed,
Leaving the litter and the spoils of the crowd;
The empty beer bottles, the torn silver paper,
The spent cigarette smoke that hangs like a shroud.

The champions have gone and the black squad takes over,
The ring is dismantled, the ropes lose the strain;
The cleaners are sponging the blood off the canvas,
The blood of the heroes is swilled down the drain.

The bars are deserted, the dressing rooms empty,
Stale with the smell of a thousand defeats;
The pain and the glory are already fading -
What’s left is the thrill when you count the receipts.

credits

from Freeborn Man, released September 20, 1983
Ewan MacColl - vocals
Peggy Seeger - vocals, guitar
Neill MacColl - guitar

Produced by Neill MacColl
Engineered by Nick Godwin
Recorded at Pathway Studios, London

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all rights reserved

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Ewan MacColl London, UK

This site is maintained by the MacColl family, aiming to make Ewan's catalogue available to download.
Ewan MacColl is known to most as a songwriter and singer, but he was also of significant influence in the worlds of theatre and radio broadcasting. His art reached huge numbers through the folk clubs, greater numbers through his recordings and untold millions through the radio. ... more

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