WATER OF DREAMS    

Ralph McTell

Oh, the other day, I had the strangest dream
I was walking down the street
There was banners and headlines everywhere
I stumbled into Blair Peach  
And the first thing I said was
"Well, I thought you was dead."
"Bet you see me alive" says he.
"And who are these two men travelling with you?"
He said "this man's called Towers, 
And this man's name is Kelly."

Well the next thing I said was
"That wound to your head
It surely must get some attention."
He said "at least I got mine
Out here on the street
These two got theirs in detention."
And Kelly and Towers
Rolled up their shirts
And the pain was plain to see
And I looked away
I was lost for what to say
When somebody said to me,

If you can learn to live with your doubt
You will soon learn to live with a lie. 
But the questions will rise on the water of dreams
And be washed to the shore 
To be seen by your sleeping eye.  

Well, the next thing I said was
"But you three are dead,
You're only alive in my dream
And I never harmed you so why visit me?
I never did anything."
Then the three of them looked
At each other a while
And then they looked at me
"That's right," says Towers
"That's right," said Peach
"That's right, oh, that's right," said Jimmy Kelly.

Repeat chorus 

Note: Blair Peach was a teacher who was killed while taking part in an anti-racism demonstration in London in April, 1979.  Jimmy Kelly died shortly after being attacked by Liverpool police in June, 1979.  In 1976, Liddle Towers died as a result of wounds sustained in a police attack in northern England.