When The War Came

With all the grain of Babylon

To cultivate, to make us strong

And hidden here behind the walls

Are shoulders wide and timber long

‘Til the war came

‘Til the war came

A terrible autonomy

Has grafted on to you and me

Our trust put in the government

They told their lies as heaven sent

‘Til the war came

‘Til the war came

And the war came with a curse and a caterwaul

And the war came with all the poise of a cannonball

And they’re picking out our eyes by coal and candlelight

When the war came, the war came hard

We made our oath to Vavilov

We’d not betray the Solanum

The acres of asteraceae

To our own pangs of starvation

When the war came

When the war came

And the war came with a curse and a caterwaul

And the war came with all the poise of a cannonball

And they’re picking out our eyes by coal and candlelight

When the war came, the war came hard

With all the grain of Babylon