This Above All Page #8

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bear talking about.

It's just there,

and nothing can ever change it.

You can't get away with it.

It's getting tougher every day...

with the military police stopping everyone

on the road for his papers.

Sure as I'm sitting here,

they'll pick you up.

The pleasure's all mine, miss.

See you later, gents.

- Right, laddie.

- What were you saying, Monty? Who'll pick who up?

Oh, uh, those motorists on the road.

If a man's in uniform, they always

pick him up and give him a lift.

Yes, the war has made

people more generous, hasn't it?

- Will you dance with me, Clive?

- Yes, of course.

# Old soldiers never die #

# Never die

Never die #

# Old soldiers never die #

# They simply fade away ##

Quiet, please. Quiet!

Ladies and gentlemen, just a moment.

Everyone in this room

is singing but one man. One man!

Go ahead, Monty. Don't worry

about me. You know I can't sing.

Ladies and gentlemen,

he says he can't sing.

I've known the man for two years,

and he can sing.

We sang this song together

before every rank in the army...

from field marshal

to sanitary squad.

- Is that the truth, or not?

- Oh, go on, Monty. Get along with it.

If you can sing it for all of them,

can't you sing it for me, Clive?

- All right.

- Aye, that's better.

Now then, all together.

# Old soldiers never die #

# Never die

Never die #

#Old soldiers never die #

- Double brandy, please.

- Righto, governor.

- No more. Not tonight, Clive.

No more. Not tonight.

You're all the same.

The reforming urge-You go halfway

and then you start to preach.

Give me another one.

- Clive.

- Yes?

- Nothing.

#Keep the home fires burning #

#While your hearts are yearning #

#Though your lads are far away #

#They dream of home #

- # There's a silver lining #

- Shall I put a head on it, lady?

- No, thank you.

- # Through the dark clouds shining #

# Turn the dark clouds

inside out #

- #Till the boys come home #

- Come on, miss.

Let's see if you can sing as well as

you can dance. Now then, off we go.

# Keep the home fires burning #

#While your hearts are yearning #

# Though your lads are far away #

# They dream ofhome #

#There's a silver lining #

# Through the dark clouds

shining #

#Turn the dark clouds

inside out #

# Till the boys come home #

Closing time, everybody.

Closing time.

Time, ladies and gentlemen.

Please, time.

- #While your hearts are yearning #

- Closing time.

Ladies and gentlemen, please.

#Though your lads are far away #

# They dream ofhome #

# There's a silver lining ##

Well, good night, Miss Prue.

Thank you for them dances.

Good night, Monty.

Thank you for a lovely evening.

- Monty- - Do you mind, Miss Prue?

I'd like to have a word with Clive.

- Of course.

- There's just one thing I want to say to you.

I had to come back to it again, nipper.

You know how the captain feels about you.

When he first heard you were

overstaying your leave...

he thought you were sick

and couldn't write.

After weeks tryin' to find you, he was still

hoping it was something you couldn't help.

It was noble of the captain

to be troubled about me.

Well, one night he sent for me

to come to his room.

"Monty," he said, "he's your pal.

"Find him. Get him here

before it's too late.

"If he's not here by midnight Monday...

"he'll be posted as a deserter,

and after that there's nothing we can do.

He's too good a man to have his life

ruined. " Those are the captain's very words.

"Too good a man

to have his life ruined. "

That's why I want you to

come back with me, nipper.

Monty, I'm sorry. I've tried to explain.

There's nothing more to say.

What are you going to do?

I don't know. Good night.

- Is that you, Clive?

- Yes, it's me.

The unfailing Mr. Ramsbottom.

Barley water.

- Have some?

- No, thanks.

- Help me, will you?

- Yes, of course.

Monty looked so worried

when you said good-bye to him.

All evening you've both

seemed so mysterious and strange.

- Please, Prue.

- No, really.

While I was dancing,

I saw you two leaning across the table...

whispering together

like a couple of conspirators.

Have you two got

some horrible secret?

Did you rob the church box

when you were little boys?

Or has one of you a wife

and six babies hidden away somewhere?

Come on. What is it?

It was about a- a friend of Monty's

who joined the army the day the war began...

because he believed that he was going to

fight for something that really mattered.

He was ready to fight and willing to die

if there was any sense and reason to it.

But he didn't find any.

He found his leaders stupid,

complacent and out-of-date...

with no claim to leadership

but birth and class and privilege.

They weren't leading him

in a struggle for a better England.

They were leading him in a struggle to preserve

the same, rotten, worn-out conditions...

that kept their class in comfort

and his in poverty.

They were asking him to give his life

for something that he hated and despised.

Is Monty expected to answer

this man's problem?

Monty had nothing

to offer in reply.

He might ask him whether

it's time to doubt and argue...

when his country's

fighting for its life.

No one believes

that England's perfect.

We all know we were badly

guided and unprepared.

But what's the use of whining about the past

when we're fighting to survive?

What we're fighting for

is bigger than he is...

bigger than his leaders,

bigger than you, Clive, or me.

If we lose our faith,

what's the alternative?

To be beaten in this war would-

would be terrible, unthinkable.

That's what he's trying to see clearly

through this awful confusion.

He keeps asking himself, if England

were to lose, could we be worse off?

Or weaker?

Or more shameful?

But doesn't he understand? That right or

wrong, it's too late to doubt or question.

We're in it now,

and we've got to go on.

Monty should tell his friend there are bigger

things to fight for than his conscience.

He's told him that.

He's told him that he must

fight for England.

Do you know what England

means to this man?

It means poverty, hunger, begging for work,

no matter how cruel and humiliating.

And if our armies did win this war...

what share will this man have

in the England that he's helped to save?

They'll give him nothing!

It'll return to the men

who have owned it and disgraced it...

so that they can go on disgracing it

until the next war comes.

I don't think that will happen.

I hope it won't.

But whatever does happen,

let us decide it, not the enemy.

But you've only told me

the things this man's brain...

tells him he shouldn't fight for.

What about all the things

his heart tells him he should fight for?

What things?

- He must ask his heart.

- He doesn't think with his heart.

Go ahead.

Tell me just a few.

All right. I'll-I'll try.

If anyone asks me

what England is...

he-he robs me of an answer because

everything it is can't be spoken about.

If you do, it's like tearing apart

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