Wars or Hands of Time
1966 · Astor A-7071 · Australia
- Artist
- The Masters Apprentices
- Title
- Wars or Hands of Time
- Release
- Undecided / Wars or Hands of Time
- Year
- 1966
- Label
- Astor # A-7071
- Format
- 7" · Single
- Language
- English
- Country
- Australia
- Songwriter
- Michael Joseph Bower
- Genre
- Garage Rock · Psychedelic Garage Rock
- Primary theme
- Home Front Perspective / Soldier's Perspective
Annotation
The well-known song "Wars or Hands of Time" (Astor # A-7071), by The Masters Apprentices, a psychedelic rock band, formed in 1965 in Adelaide. With a strong reverberating guitar and hard drumming, this song grew in popularity in Australia, reaching # 4 in the Australian charts, after 14 weeks in the top 40. Inspiration for the song came partly from the experience of the lead vocalist and guitarist Jim Keays, who had been selected in the Australian conscription for the Citizen's Military Force (the army reserve) in September 1966 - only two months before the release of this single. He did not serve in Vietnam. It is largely considered to be an anti-war song, although it is really about a soldier leaving for the war, and saying goodbye to his sweetheart: "at dusk we said goodbye". The soldier asked his girl to "wait for me, I'll be back some day". While away, the soldier would be "dreaming of your love".
Annotation by Justin A. Brummer
Lyrics
English: When I turn cold, I will be thinking of you / When I'm far away, try to remember what I said / The day I live, I'll still be dreaming of your love / Wait for the clouds to pass your way / Wait for me I'll be back some day / At dusk we said goodbye, you said you'd try hard not to cry / But I could feel a chill fall lonely on my shoulder / In the wind on a beach where someday I'll return / Wait for the clouds to pass your way / Wait for me I'll be back some day / Wars or hands of time will not destroy our dreams of days / That are to come, our tears were shed with understanding / Don't be sad, I'll catch the wind on home to you
Notes
B side of Astor A-7071; Apollo Music. Astor A-7071 (B), "Unbreakable", 45; "Wars or Hands of Time" (Michael Joseph Bower), (2.50), Apollo Music; vocal The Masters Apprentices. Astor company sleeve: "Pressed by the manufacturers of Astor Radio, TV, Appliances". [From the record sleeve and labels]
About the artist
Australian rock band formed 1965 in Adelaide, Australia. [Source: Wikipedia]
Themes
In collections
Australian & New Zealand Songs · Draft Songs · Garage Rock Songs · Peace, Protest, & Anti-War Songs [War Years]