Listen to the track:
đ” "German Hands"
German POWs working on a Wembury farm after WWII. They ploughed, mended, built toys, ate with the family. One sadly died in a tractor accident.
Verse 1
They came one day, boots in mud
Spoke few words, earned their grub
Fixed the fence, tied the gate
Sat for tea, cleared the plate
Chorus
German hands, Devon clay
Worked the land, earned their stay
No salute, no grand parade
Just quiet men, debts repaid
Verse 2
Made us carts, painted boats
Rode to town in borrowed coats
Filed the saws, stitched the seams
Built us windmills powered by dreams
Chorus
German hands, Devon clay
Moved like clockwork, day by day
No marching songs, no orders barked
Just steady hands that left a mark
Bridge (Kurt)
Kurt went out to cut the field
Steel gave way, the tyre peeled
We dug the ground, rang the bell
Sent him off, and wished him well
Final Chorus
German hands, Devon clay
Some moved on, some chose to stay
Flags can burn and borders bend
But work like theirs still finds an end