Little Bombardier
The Journey of Little Bombardier: Life, Loss, and Redemption
Lyrics
War made him a soldier
War transformed him into a soldier
Little Frankie Mear
Refers to the person named Little Frankie Mear
Peace left him a loser
After the war, he became a loser in times of peace
The little bombardier
Describes Frankie as a small bombardier (soldier involved in bombardment)
Lines of worry appeared with age
Worry lines became evident as he aged
Unskilled hands that knew no trade
He lacked skills and had no specific trade
Spent his time in the picture house
Spent time in the cinema
The little bombardier
Reiterates that Frankie was a little bombardier
Frankie drank his money
Frankie spent his earnings on drinking
The little that he made
Frankie made very little money
Told his woes to no man
He kept his troubles to himself, sharing with no one
Friendless, lonely days
Frankie experienced friendless and lonely days
Then one day, in the ABC
Describes a moment in the ABC (presumably a cinema)
Four bright eyes gazed longingly
Four eyes (possibly two people) looked longingly
At the ice-cream in the hand of
Refers to someone holding ice-cream
The little bombardier
Reiterates that the person is the little bombardier
Sunshine entered our Frankie's days
Sunshine enters Frankie's life, worries disappear
Gone his worries, his hopeless maze
Frankie's life becomes joyful and free from hopelessness
His life was fun and his heart was full of joy
His life is now fun, and his heart is full of joy
Two young children had changed his aims
Two children change Frankie's goals and aims
He gave them toffees and played their games
Frankie shares toffees and plays games with the children
He brought them presents with every coin he made
He uses his earnings to bring them gifts
Then two gentlemen called on him
Two gentlemen question Frankie about his relationship with the children
Asked him for his name
They inquire about his name
Why was he friends with the children
The gentlemen question the nature of his friendship with the children
Were they just a game?
They speculate whether the children are just a game to him
Leave them alone or we'll get sore
Warning to leave the children alone or face consequences
We've had blokes like you in the station before
Reference to similar individuals in the past causing trouble
The hand of authority said no more
Authority intervenes, ordering no further interference with the little bombardier
To the little bombardier
Frankie faces the consequences of authority's decision
Packed his bags, his heart in pain
Frankie leaves town, packing his bags with a heavy heart
Wiped a tear and caught a train
He wipes a tear and departs by train
Not to be seen in the town again
Frankie disappears from the town
The little bombardier
Reiterates that Frankie is the little bombardier
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