In the year of '39 assembled here the volunteers
In the days when the lands were few
Here the ship sailed out into the blue and sunny morn
The sweetest sign ever seen

And the night followed day, and the story tellers say
That the score brave souls inside
Mmm... for many a lonely day sailed across the milky seas
Ne'er looked, never feared, never cried

Don't you hear my call though you're many years away
Don't you hear me calling you
Write your letters in the sand for the day I take your hand
In the land that our grandchildren knew

In the year of '39 came a ship in from the blue
The volunteers came home that day
And they bring good news of a world so newly born
Though their hearts so heavily weigh
For the earth is old and grey, little darling we'll away
But my love this cannot be

Oh so many years have gone though I'm older but a year
Your mother's eyes from your eyes cry to me

Don't you hear my call though you're many years away
Don't you hear me calling you
Write your letters in the sand for the day I take your hand
In the land that our grandchildren knew

Don't you hear my call though you're many years away
Don't you hear me calling you
All your letters in the sand cannot heal me like your hand
For my life, still ahead, pity me

Datorita alegerii anului '39 ca reper temporal, subiectul cantecului a fost adesea confundat cu o povestire despre un grup de soldati plecati sa lupte in Al Doilea Razboi Mondial. Insa ideea este mult mai originala si, pe deasupra, mai rar intalnita in repertoriul de tematici abordate de muzica rock: efectele "paradoxului Gemeni" in spatiul cosmic- "time dilation". Teoria stiintifica sustine ca, in spatiu, timpul trece mai incet decat pe Pamant, iar un astronaut care va petrece mult timp in spatiu va fi mai tanar decat daca ar ramane aici. Pesemne ca numai lui Brian i-ar fi putut veni o asemenea idee, data fiind marea lui pasiune pentru astronomie. Subiectul este tratat, insa, in cheie sentimentala: un grup de astronauti pleaca intr-o misiune spatiala ("the ship sailed out into the blue and sunny morn"), pentru mult timp ("and the night followed day"), dar, la intoarcere, desi sunt inca tineri, lumea lor nu mai exista, la fel si persoanele pe care le-au iubit. Ceea ce urmeaza este structurat ca o reflectie indurerata a unuia dintre astronauti, care a ramas fara femeia iubita, doar cu amintirea ei in ochii copilului lor ("your mother's eyes in your eyes cry to me"). Cheia spre intelegerea textului se afla in versul: "oh so many years have gone, though I'm older but a year". Melodia, lirica si trista, este interpretata numai la chitara rece. Ceea ce este cu adevarat important in viata, ajunge Brian la o concluzie, este totusi iubirea ("all your letters in the sand cannot heal me like your hand"). Si, revenind la anul '39, nu e poate exagerat sa remarcam ca nu este specificat secolul...

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Urmatoarea melodie: Seaside Rendezvous