The sands of the desert were cruel and stark
They burned in the day and they chilled in the dark
On that vast battleground, on the eve of the fight

The candle that burns inspired them that night
The brine of the ocean was freezing and cold
The boys became men and the men became bold

But they died just the same in the damp and the wet
The candle that burns will not let us forget

The candle that burns in the chapel will be
Left to burn where it stands in a world that is free
Do not cry little one, for no one will take
The candle that burns on your first birthday cake

The sky was not meant to be shattered that way
With shells that exploded the night into day.
And each time they returned on a wing and a prayer
The candle that burns was a welcoming there

The beaches remained and the red poppy blooms
The signs they have shifted and covered the tombs
Of the boys resting there in the earth and the sea
The candle that burns is to their memory

The candle that burns in the chapel will be
Left to burn where it stands in a world that is free
Do not cry little one, for no one will take
The candle that burns on your first birthday cake