First of all there was Victoria
Happy and glorious
She saw the 20th century in for us
Had no idea how severe the changes would be in the next 20 years
South Africa started with bitterness
Europe's young men were cut down for big business
Newsreels, cars, aeroplanes, real revolutions.
Yes Sir and No Sir were old institutions
Over... over my shoulder. Wave... wave goodbye
Next there was prohibition and the depression
And national radio Gangsters and fear, the jazz era
Black and white movies, failed Wall Street careers
The 30's kicked off with dictatorships
Hitler and Stalin the 'special' relationships
World War 2 came to a nuclear conclusions
And the women came back disillusioned.
Over... over my shoulder. Wave... wave goodbye.
First in line there was Elisabeth
Queen in the making
Came in with Korea and Cold War and Berlin,
Israel and Hungary
Nato security, rock and roll children.
The 60's ignited with Dylan
The Beatles, the space Race and civil rights killing
68 riots and Vietnam shame
Flowerpower promised but Flowerpower failed
Over... over my shoulder. Wave... wave goodbye
In the end there was Diana
A Princess designer
Fell foul of the system
And died by a chauffeur
Aids and ecology
Mines and pollution,
Fights against drugs and the Third World illusion
Shah out of Iran, more trouble in Ireland
Small wars with a good cause from the Gulf to the Falklands
Watergate, Chernobyl, Afghanistan
End of a century end of a symphony
Over... over my shoulder. Wave... wave goodbye