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Horsell Common and the Heat Ray Lyrics by Jeff Wayne

Jeff Wayne’s Musical Version of The War of the Worlds

1978

[Instrumental (0:00 - 1:08)]
[Narrator: Richard Burton ("The Journalist")]
Next morning, a crowd gathered on the Common, hypnotised by the unscrewing of the cylinder. Two feet of shining screw projected when suddenly, the lid fell off. Two luminous disk-like eyes appeared above the rim. A huge rounded bulk, larger than a bear, rose up slowly, glistening like wet leather. Its lipless mouth quivered and slathered, and snakelike tentacles writhed as the clumsy body heaved and pulsated...
[Instrumental (1:53 - 3:14)]
[Narrator: Richard Burton ("The Journalist")]
A few young men crept closer to the pit. A tall funnel rose and an invisible ray of heat leapt from man to man, and there was a bright glare as each was instantly turned to fire. Every tree and bush became a mass of flames at the touch of this savage, unearthly Heat Ray...
[Instrumental (3:33 - 5:26)]
[Narrator: Richard Burton ("The Journalist")]
People clawed their way off the Common, and I ran too. I felt I was being toyed with, that when I was on the very verge of safety, this mysterious death would leap after me and strike me down. At last I reached Maybury Hill, and in the dim coolness of my home, I wrote an account for my newspaper before I sank into a restless, haunted sleep...
[Instrumental (5:48 - 6:46)]
[Narrator: Richard Burton ("The Journalist")]
I awoke to alien sounds of hammering from the pit, and hurried to the railway station to buy the paper. Around me, the daily routine of life; working, eating, sleeping, was continuing serenely as it had for countless years. On Horsell Common, the Martians continued hammering and stirring, sleepless, indefatigable, at work on the machines they were making. Now and again a light like the beam of a warship's searchlight swept the Common, and the Heat Ray was ready to follow...
[Instrumental (7:36 - 9:51)]
[Narrator: Richard Burton ("The Journalist")]
In the afternoon, a company of soldiers came through and deployed along the edge of the Common, to form a cordon. That evening, there was a violent crash, and I realised with horror that my home was now within range of the Martian's Heat Ray. At dawn, a falling star with a trail of green mist, landed with a flash like summer lightning. This was the second cylinder...
[Instrumental (10:40 - 11:35)]
Credits
Jeff Wayne

Jeff Wayne

About “Horsell Common and the Heat Ray” by Jeff Wayne

Read the complete lyrics to "Horsell Common and the Heat Ray" by Jeff Wayne from the album "Jeff Wayne’s Musical Version of The War of the Worlds" in 1978. 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 Space Rock, Electronic, Progressive Rock.

"Horsell Common and the Heat Ray" is performed by Jeff Wayne. from the album "Jeff Wayne’s Musical Version of The War of the Worlds" in 1978 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 "Horsell Common and the Heat Ray", 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.

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Frequently asked questions

"Horsell Common and the Heat Ray" 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.

"Horsell Common and the Heat Ray" appears on "Jeff Wayne’s Musical Version of The War of the Worlds" in 1978.

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