The Bishop tells us: "When the boys come back
They will not be the same; for they'll have fought
In a just cause: they lead the last attack
On Anti-Christ; their comrade's blood has bought
New right to breed an honourable race.
They have challenged Death and dared him face to face."

"We're none of us the same!" the boys reply.
"For George lost both his legs; and Bill's stone blind;
Poor Jim's shot through the lungs and like to die;
And Bert's gone syphilitic: you'll not find
A chap who's served that hasn't found some change."
And the Bishop said: "The ways of God are strange!"

I was just a young man back then, full of hope and dreams 
Thought I could give my little girl the world, or so it seemed
I warned her 'bout that no-good husband, told her he was bad news
But she wouldn't hear it, said he was the one, her heart he'd never lose

But life had other plans in store, that man brought naught but strife
He hurt my daughter, broke her heart, almost took her life
So I had to step in, to protect my precious child
Didn't mean for it to go so far, but in that moment, I ran wild

I'm a father, I'm in prison, 
For protecting my little girl
She married the wrong man, I warned her from the start
He brought her nothing but pain, he made her world fall apart

Our Father who art in prison
I'd do it all again, in a heartbeat
To save my precious angel, my whole world
I'd trade my freedom, for the safety of my little girl

I remember when she was just a toddler, so carefree and sweet
Pushing her dolls in a pram, by the old canal, 
I swore I'd keep her safe, from the darkness of this world
But that monster she married, made my daughter's life unreal

She visits me every week, tears streaming down her face
Saying I shouldn't have done it, that I should have walked away
But a father's love is boundless, there's no price that I won't pay
To protect my little angel, 'til my dying day

We've been spending most our lives,
With our father locked away inside
We've been spending most our lives, 
In our father's prison paradise
We keep spending most our days, 
Visiting him behind those gates
We keep spending most our days,
In our father's prison paradise
We'll be spending all our lives,
'Til the day he's free again 
We'll be spending all our lives,
In our father's prison paradise

Behind these bars, I see her smile fade
Walls closing in, memories replay
Courtroom silence turned my world upside down
Judge's gavel slammed my dreams into the ground

I hear the yard call, echoes of the street
Brothers in a hard place, life's on repeat
From the cell block, I dream of better days
Where my angel smiles, and these nightmares fade