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1917 Lyrics by David Olney

Through a Glass Darkly

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[Intro]
The French prostitute, 1917

[Verse 1]
The strange young man who comes to me
A soldier on a three day spree
Who needs one night's cheap ecstasy
And a woman's arms to hide him

[Verse 2]
He greets me with a courtly bow
He hides his pain by acting proud
And he drinks too much and he laughs too loud
But how can I deny him?

[Chorus]
Let us dance beneath the moon
I'll sing to you "Claire de Lune"
The morning always comes too soon
But tonight the war is over

[Verse 3]
He speaks to me in schoolboy French
Of a soldier's life inside a trench
Of the look of death and the ghastly stench
I do my best to please him

[Verse 4]
He puts two roses in a vase
Two roses sadly out of place
Like the gallant smile on his haggard face
Playfully I tease him

[Chorus]
Hold me 'neath the Paris sky
Let's not talk of how or why
Tomorrow's soon enough to die
But tonight the war is over

[Verse 5]
We make love too hard, too fast
He falls asleep, his face a mask
And he wakes with the shakes and he drinks from his flask
I put my arms around him

[Verse 6]
They die in the trenches and they die in the air
In Belgium and France the dead are everywhere
And they die so so fast there's no time to prepare
A decent grave to surround them

[Chorus]
Old world glory, old world fame
The old world's gone, gone up in flame
Nothing will ever be the same
And nothing lasts forever

[Verse 7]
Oh, I'd pray for him, but I've forgotten how
And there's nothing, nothing that can save him now
But there's always another with the same funny bow
And who am I to deny them?

[Chorus]
La la la, la la la la
La la la, la la la la
La la la, la la la la
Tonight the war is over
Credits
David Olney

David Olney

About “1917” by David Olney

Read the complete lyrics to "1917" by David Olney from the album "Through a Glass Darkly". On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Pop.

"1917" is performed by David Olney. from the album "Through a Glass Darkly" This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "1917", explore more songs by David Olney using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

View all songs and biography for David Olney · Trending lyrics · Billboard Hot 100

Frequently asked questions

"1917" is credited to David Olney. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"1917" appears on "Through a Glass Darkly".

Visit the David Olney artist page at /artist/david-olney for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.

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