Offtopicalia

In July 1863
A nation torn in tragedy
A trick of fate, two great armies merge
Gods of war at Gettysburg

Devastation lies ahead
50,000 bodies litter the land
Hell rages three full days
The reaper sows, there's the devil to pay

The pressure's on and the reb's attack
The yanks must hold, They can't fall back
Just two brigades, 2000 strong
Against 20,000 they can't hold long

General Reynolds makes his way
Expect no mercy from the iron brigade
Until he shows they're on their own
But Buford's men have a will of stone

Bayonets gleam in the morning sun
Smoke and fire belching from their guns
Another volley and again they strike
Thousands more comin' down Chambersburg pike

This tragedy and what it brings
All the devastation
(The reaper has his way)
Men will kill, Blood will spill
To preserve the nation
(There's the devil to pay)

South of town down the Emmitsburg road
The first corps are starting to show
For Buford's men, they're here just in time
The desperate need to strengthen the line

Bodies dropping the blue and the grey
Muskets fire and cannon blaze
The union fights defending the town
But they're outnumbered and losing ground

From the north and the west more rebels arrive
Thousands more and the fight multiplies
McPhearson's ridge and the black hats strike
A rebel sharpshooter takes Reynolds life

This tragedy and what it brings
All the devastation
(The reaper has his way)
Men will kill, Blood will spill
To preserve the nation
(There's the devil to pay)

Attack! Attack! General Lee gives command
They're overwhelmed, The situation demands
The federals retreat and rush out of town
But they have fortified and saved the high ground

The day ends in victory for the south
Lee's as convinced as God's will is profound
They are invincible and their cause is just
But Longstreet is cautious and lacking in trust

Across the way the union digs in
The round tops, Cemetery Ridge and out to Culps Hill
Their lines are strong, no denying they'll stay
When the confederates strike
There'll be the devil to pay

This tragedy and what it brings
All the devastation
(The reaper has his way)
Men will kill, Blood will spill
To preserve the nation
(There's the devil to pay)

Just a mile or so away
Is my dearest friend in this world.
He wears the Blue and I the Grey
And god it hurts me so
The last time we were together I grabbed his hand and I pledged
If I ever draw my sword on you may the good lord strike me dead

The union flank's in trouble
To the round top on the double
A bad decision, insubordination
Exposed our line in a dangerous way

The burden lies upon us
Surrender is not an option
We are the flank, and if we break, the union crumbles we could lose the war

Down below's the carnage
The rebels charging onward
Push the slaughter forward, the Peach Orchard.
Through the Wheat Field and Devil's Den

The valour of the Texans
And Alabama's best men
They're Unrelenting
And Devastating
The last full measure of devotion's clear

Chorus
We'll know what we're made of.
When up against all odds we hold our line
For the cause that we so love
We must hold at all cost
We'll know what we're made of
When our nation needs us
We'll stay the course, for the union we so love
We must hold at all costs!

Wave after wave, they are coming
Their power must be waning!
We're out of ammo, we can't fall back, no !
A desperate measure, a means to end

On their next wave we charge at them
There is no other option
Disconcert them, force submission, on my command, fix bayonets!

Repeat Chorus

We'll know what we're made of
The burden lies with us
When up against al odds we hold our line
We can't fail
For the cause that we so love
We must hold at all costs
We'll know what we're made of
With courage in our hearts
When our nation needs us, We'll stay the course
We won't fail
For the union we so love
We must hold at all cost!!

Lee:
"It was very close, yesterday,
I thought for sure, they would break
But this attack, that I have planned
A massive strike across open land
In the center, they will break (will they break?)
But plan it well, everything's at stake
We'll hit em hard, not a silent gun.
Before the infantry's begun"

"Execute it well, we risk everything"
"It's in Gods hands now"

Longstreet:
"General Lee, I must tell you straight
I beleive this attack will fail.
No 15,000 men ever made,
Will overtake that ridge today
A mile charge over open ground,
With yankee cannon gunnin' us down"

Lee:
"We do our duty, we do what we must
And in my plan, you will trust"

(Thousands die, On this day)

"Execute it well, we risk everything"
"It's in Gods hands now"

The rebel cannon break the silence
One hundred fifty guns make up their cannonade

They must destroy the union center
Before the infantry can launch their grand assult

The yankees are returning fire
(The earth shakes violently)
In Washington D.C. Lincoln feels the earth shake

What happens here this day
The fate of this nation
In the balance it will hang
Consumed with the pain
The courage of the blue
The valour of the grey
So very sad but true
Consumed with the pain

The virginians are the chosen
In wait behind the trees on Seminary Ridge

Longstreet's slow to give the orders
The lines emerged a mile, 15,000 men

The charge begins in all its granduer
(To the copse of trees)
For many of these men, they know it is their last

The slaughter now ensues
Bodies fall like rain
They valiantly pursue
Yet doomed to remain
At the double quick they charge
The canister rips through them
To the mouth of hell they march
Glory, the only gain

[Cannon Scene]

Armistead:
"We're almost there my boys
I've never served with finer
We must push forward boys
And bayonet the yankee tyrants
To the copse of trees we charge
To crush the union center
And when they turn and run
An open road leads us to freedom"

[Battle Ensues, Orchestra Solo, With people dying in the background]

Lee:
"It's over now we are retreating
I never thought that we'd be beaten
All this blood is on my hands
The thousands dead due to my plan
I am responsible, all of it is my fault
I thought us invincible
Is this gods will, after all?
I look across this blood soaked land
All this blood is on my hands
God forgive me, please forgive me
It's all my fault, the blood is on my hands"