[Verse 1: Ozi Batla]
The command came, hold your fire
And if I ever meet that man I’ll ask him, why we're put on standby, while the scenario got dire?
Peacekeeper with no teeth, can inforce no peace and just becomes an eyewitness to grief
Number of times I wished to leave
Couldn't believe that we were here for nothing more than the lip service
Nothing more than the empire servants, trigger finger, oh so nervous
Number of times I almost let the bullets go, the footage shows
The day approached to the checkpoint, with hands raised, the civilian closed
Vince didn't shoot and he went home, awaiting an inquest, who's to know?
If the punishment could be worse, in his own thoughts when he's all alone
And I wish he could've been here, when we really needed a shooter
We stood by and watched as the town we protected was pillaged, raped and looted
We were hamstrung, the commands come from HQ
And blood on their hands is the last thing they wanna report the politicians that they answer to
So what am I supposed to do? Why am I here, dyin' of fear?
That the faces staring up at me will continue to appear
And the dreams that wake me up in fits and sweats, and all the counsellor has said
Won’t let me forget about Trebinje yet
[Instrumental Break]
[Verse 2: Urthboy]
Overnight trucks in convoy, butte red cross on the side and the back
Escorted by two junior officers on the off chance they’d be attacked
On a private contract, roads are gauntlet, trouble none yet reported
Guards get little commission as we ride the soldier and reach the border
Now he’s got medical supplies for a refugee camp, humanitarian mission
Held up a week at customs, took over a month to ship from Switzerland
He knows nobody were listening, and as the burials start increasing
So he keeps the frustration under wraps as seen that it’s self-defeating
And though he joined up to make a difference, good intentions can turn out vicious
As they helplessly provide aid for cancer disbanded militias
They got caches of illegal arms, hidden away in the country-side
Former colonial rules ensure they get yet more clandestine supply
Seeing they won’t as broken down to their former selves
Til they're not so afraid of death ‘cause they’ve already seen hell
The danger pay is good but every cent that he gets is earnt
And he’s alive, but burnin' out, driving through the scorched earth
Then all in all, it’s worth it even if it’s for the little victories
Standing by as a witness to the dark rumblings of history
[Instrumental Break]
[Verse 3: Berzerkatron]
We left home as heroes with photo ops and press releases
A handshake from the minister and a speech of freedom
Shining beacons of democracy, the monitors of freedom’s fair elections
Midwifes to assist the birth of a distant fledgling nation
As we taxied out of Williamstown, you could smell the nerves in the Hercules
Excitement and uncertainty, prestigious posting overseas
We deployed through the provinces, our project voter education
To dispel fears of retribution well to local staff and a Thai policeman
Campaign worked and ten months later
The battle was held and turned out greater than expected
The result unknown, then the call came through on the satellite phone
(Projectiles thrown in some locations, mobs attacking holding stations)
HQ called evacuation and ordered our withdrawal
We sheltered in the compound while militias torched the town
The glow of burning buildings as night fell, had tensions running high
The flow of refugees [?] to the protection of our presence
Automatic gunfire rang out premeditated menace
And calls for backup to Canberra were met with silence and indecision
Domestic interventions outside the mandate of this mission
And at dawn the order came, for all essential personnel
At 0900 the choppers would come to fly us out of hell
Now how can I meet the eye of this man that I’ve worked beside
And tell him that I’m free to leave today while he is sure to die?
I wanna hide, don’t understand how these people can be abandoned
And I wonder, if the minister will be there to meet us when we land
