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The Artilleryman and the Fighting Machine (2012) Lyrics by Jeff Wayne

Jeff Wayne’s Musical Version of the War of the Worlds: The New Generation

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[Journalist]:
The hammering from the pit and the pounding of guns grew louder. My fear rose at the sound of someone creeping into the house. Then I saw it was a young artilleryman, weary, streaked with blood and dirt
[Artilleryman]:
Anyone here?
[Journalist]:
Come in. Here, drink this
[Artilleryman]:
Thank you
[Journalist]:
What's happened?
[Artilleryman]:
They wiped us out. Hundreds dead, maybe thousands
[Journalist]:
The Heat Ray?
[Artilleryman]:
The Martians! They were inside the hoods of machines they'd made. Massive metal things on legs! Giant machines that walked. They attacked us! They wiped us out!
[Journalist]:
Machines?
[Artilleryman]:
Fighting machines! Picking up men and bashing 'em against trees. Just hunks of metal, but they knew exactly what they were doing
[Journalist]:
Mmm. There was another cylinder came last night
[Artilleryman]:
Yes. It looked bound for London
[Journalist]:
London! Carrie! I hadn't dreamed there could be danger to Carrie and her father, so many miles away. I must go to London at once
[Artilleryman]:
And me. Got to report to headquarters if there's anything left of it

[Journalist]:
At Byfleet we came upon an inn, but it was deserted
[Artilleryman]:
Is everybody dead?
[Journalist]:
Not everybody. Look! Six cannons with gunners standing by
[Artilleryman]:
Bows and arrows against the lightning. They haven't seen the Heat Ray yet

[Journalist]:
We hurried along the road to Weybridge. Suddenly, there was a heavy explosion. The ground heaved, windows shattered and gusts of smoke erupted in the air

[Artilleryman]:
Look! There they are! What did I tell you?

[Journalist]:
Quickly, one after the other, four of the fighting machines appeared. Monstrous tripods, higher than the tallest steeple, striding over pine trees and smashing them. Walking engines of glistening metal. Each carried a huge funnel and I realized with horror that I'd seen this awful thing before

A fifth machine appeared on the far bank. It raised itself to full height, flourished the funnel high in the air - and the ghostly terrible Heat Ray struck the town. As it struck, all five fighting machines exulted, emitting deafening howls which roared like thunder

[Martians]:
Ulla! Ulla!

[Journalist]:
The six guns we had seen now fired simultaneously, decapitating a fighting machine. The Martian inside the hood was slain, splashed to the four winds, and the body, nothing now but an intricate device of metal, went whirling to destruction. As the other monsters advanced, people ran away blindly, the artilleryman among them, but I jumped into the water and hid until forced up to breathe. Now the guns spoke again, but this time the heat ray sent them to oblivion

[Martians]:
Ulla!

[Journalist]:
With a white flash, the Heat Ray swept across the river. Scalded, half-blinded and agonized, I staggered through leaping, hissing water towards the shore, I fell helplessly, in full view of the Martians, expecting nothing but death. The foot of a Martian came down close to my head, then lifted again, as the four Martians carried away the debris of their fallen comrade... and I realized that by a miracle I had escaped

[Martians]:
Ulla! Ulla! Ulla!
Credits
Jeff Wayne

Jeff Wayne

About “The Artilleryman and the Fighting Machine (2012)” by Jeff Wayne

Read the complete lyrics to "The Artilleryman and the Fighting Machine (2012)" by Jeff Wayne from the album "Jeff Wayne’s Musical Version of the War of the Worlds: The New Generation". 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.

"The Artilleryman and the Fighting Machine (2012)" is performed by Jeff Wayne. from the album "Jeff Wayne’s Musical Version of the War of the Worlds: The New Generation" 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 "The Artilleryman and the Fighting Machine (2012)", explore more songs by Jeff Wayne 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 Jeff Wayne · Trending lyrics · Billboard Hot 100

Frequently asked questions

"The Artilleryman and the Fighting Machine (2012)" is credited to Jeff Wayne. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"The Artilleryman and the Fighting Machine (2012)" appears on "Jeff Wayne’s Musical Version of the War of the Worlds: The New Generation".

Visit the Jeff Wayne artist page at /artist/jeff-wayne for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.

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