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about

Four Eagles

A more esoteric song, about a vision of four eagles over the cliff, connected to an incident when young Princess Victoria witnesses a mass drowning on Hastings seafront.

I can find almost no references to Victoria witnessing this tragedy, apart from in local sources, it doesn’t appear to be a widely known part of her story, so it is interesting to include in song here.

lyrics

FOUR EAGLES Cm, 4/4, 139bpm, chords and percussion, solo and choir


CHORUS (CHOIR)

There are four eagles
High above the cliff
Soaring spirals in the sky
And so we live

V1 & 2 (SOLO – A SAILOR/CUSTOMS MAN SINGS)

Today four sailors drowned
Who set to shore
Customs men on the Camilla
Since the war
six men in all
Went in the sea
But only two survived
And one was me

My soul was rescued
By a smuggler
Though I’ve fought and I’ve arrested
Many others
His name was Beachen
So no more I
Will give my labour, that I swear
To the Excise

CHORUS (CHOIR)

There are four eagles
High above the hill
Soaring spirals in the sky
A sign of ill

V3 & 4 (CHOIR)

Princess Victoria
Stares at the sea
She’s here for Christmas,
She’s just 15
But then six coastguards
Right there capsize
She sees them drowning
With her own eyes

Trying to rescue
A boat from Rye
A sinking collier
She stood and watched them die
Just two years later
She rules us all
A callous mother
She watched them fall





CHORUS
And then four eagles
They dive for prey
But only three great eagles
Rise again

V5 & 6 (SOLO VOICE AGAIN)

They built a watch house
For navy men
To bring the free trade
To a bloody end

Well good luck to them
It’s not for me
I owe a smuggler
For his bravery

CHORUS (CHOIR)

There are four eagles
High above the cliff
Soaring spirals in the sky
And so we live

credits

from A Derelict Chorale, released May 21, 2020

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MSL Hastings Hastings, UK

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