Roads To Moscow
Al Stewart Lyrics

They crossed over the border, the hour before dawn
The soldiers sneaked across the border unseen, just before daybreak.

Moving in lines through the day
The soldiers moved in lines during daylight hours to avoid being spotted.

Most of our planes were destroyed on the ground where they lay
The enemy attacked and destroyed most of their planes while they were on the ground.

Waiting for orders we held in the wood
They waited for orders in hiding, in the forest.

Word from the front never came
They never received any updates about what was happening at the front lines.

By evening the sound of the gunfire was miles away
By evening, the sounds of the battle were far away, indicating that they had successfully infiltrated enemy territory.

Ah, softly we move through the shadows, slip away through the trees
The soldiers moved quietly and stealthily, slipping away through the shadows and using the cover of trees to avoid detection.

Crossing their lines in the mists in the fields on our hands and on our knees
The soldiers crawled on their hands and knees, crossing enemy lines in the foggy fields.

And all that I ever was able to see The fire in the air glowing red, silhouetting the smoke on the breeze
The only thing the soldier saw was the fiery glow of bombs and explosions, highlighting the smoke on the breeze.

All summer they drove us back through the Ukraine Smolensk and Viasma soon fell By autumn we stood with our backs to the town of Orel Closer and closer to Moscow they come Riding the wind like a bell General Guderian stands at the crest of the hill
The enemy drove them back through Ukraine all summer, taking control of key cities along the way. By autumn, they were backed up against the town of Orel, and the enemy was closing in on Moscow, their advance heralded by the sound of bells. General Guderian stood at the highest point of the battlefield.

Winter brought with her the rains, oceans of mud filled the roads Gluing the tracks of their tanks to the ground while the sky filled with snow
Winter brought heavy rain and mud, making the roads almost impassable, and immobilizing enemy tanks while snow covered the sky.

And far away behind their lines the partisans are stirring in the forest Coming unexpectedly upon their outposts, growing like a promise You'll never know, you'll never know which way to turn, which way to look you'll never see us As we're stealing through the blackness of the night You'll never know, you'll never hear us And the evening sings in a voice of amber, the dawn is surely coming The morning roads leads to Stalingrad, and the sky is softly humming
Far behind enemy lines, the partisans are banding together, growing in strength to take on the enemy outposts. They are stealthy and operate in the dark, singing quietly in anticipation of the coming dawn. The song of the evening turns to the song of the morning, leading to the battles at Stalingrad.

Two broken Tigers on fire in the night Flicker their souls to the wind We wait in the lines for the final approach to begin It's been almost four years that I've carried a gun At home it will almost be spring The flames of the Tigers are lighting the road to Berlin
Two tanks are burning in the darkness, with the flames representing the loss of life in the war. The soldier waits for the final battle to begin, knowing that he has been fighting for almost four years. He hopes to be home soon, as the season changes to spring. The tanks' flames light the way to Berlin.

Ah, quickly we move through the ruins that bow to the ground The old men and children they send out to face us, they can't slow us down And all that I ever was able to see the eyes of the city are opening Now it's the end of the dream
The soldiers swiftly move through the ruins of the city, even as old people and children are sent to face them. They don't slow down, determined to reach their goal. The city's eyes open, representing a realization that their dream of victory is coming to an end.

I'm coming home, I'm coming home, now you can taste it in the wind, the war is over And I listen to the clicking of the train-wheels as we roll across the border And now they ask me of the time that I was caught behind their lines and taken prisoner 'They only held me for a day, a lucky break,' I say they turn and listen closer
The soldier is ecstatic to finally be going home, as he can taste the end of the war in the air. He listens to the train whistle and the wheels turning, knowing that he is leaving the war behind. When asked about being taken prisoner, he explains that he was only held for a day, and his fellow travelers are intrigued by his story.

I'll never know, I'll never know why I was taken from the line and all the others To board a special train and journey deep into the heart of holy Russia And it's cold and damp in the transit camp, and the air is still and sullen And the pale sun of October whispers the snow will soon be coming And I wonder when I'll be home again and the morning answers 'Never' And the evening sighs, and the steely Russian skies go on forever
The soldier wonders why he was singled out and placed on a special train to travel further into Russia. He is in a cold, wet transit camp with no end in sight, and the approaching winter means snow is soon to come. He despairs of ever returning home, as the endless Russian skies stretch out before him.