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The Enemy Within (The Band) Lyrics by Ralph McTell

Sand in Your Shoes

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There was a time when the strike was on
I thought that we might win
Even after we'd been called
The enemy within
But the tide just turned against us
It seems that blood and coal
Were bound in hellish partnership
To keep us from our goal
To keep us from our goal

There was a moment as we marched back
With the colliery band in front
Some said we'd been defeated
But it felt as if we'd won
All on account of the cheering
The music and the crowd
Back to the pit with tears and smiles
Bloodied but unbowed
Bloodied but unbowed

There were months as the scars healed up
Things didn't seem so bad
Thursday nights in the band room
And a few beers with the lads
I told our lass it'd be all right
As hope replaced despair
And the band pumped reassurance
Into the summer air
Into the summer air

On Thursdays now I go to town
And spend most of the dole
Loading the shopping trolley
Instead of trucks with coal
I see the lads in the band room
But less of us meet there
While the band breaks up all around us
And nobody seems to care
Nobody seems to care

I've spent months now the music's gone
Gazing at the mine
The rust that creeps across the plant
Like a dullness in the mind
The gates are closed, the shops are shut
Our very jobs they stole
The band room's just a shell that keeps
An echo of our soul
An echo of our soul

About “The Enemy Within (The Band)” by Ralph McTell

Read the complete lyrics to "The Enemy Within (The Band)" by Ralph McTell from the album "Sand in Your Shoes". 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 Folk, Folk Rock, Pop.

"The Enemy Within (The Band)" is performed by Ralph McTell. from the album "Sand in Your Shoes" 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 Enemy Within (The Band)", explore more songs by Ralph McTell 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 Ralph McTell · Trending lyrics · Billboard Hot 100

Frequently asked questions

"The Enemy Within (The Band)" is credited to Ralph McTell. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"The Enemy Within (The Band)" appears on "Sand in Your Shoes".

Visit the Ralph McTell artist page at /artist/ralph-mctell for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.


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