back cover
image link that also takes you to a decent review and more info about the album
I’m a big fan of Jethro Tull and have most of their albums. War Child is not one of them and I have yet to listen to it, strangely. I’ve come across the title track here and there and every time I hear it, its arresting nature stops me from what I’m doing at the time and makes me listen. I feel like I’m transported to an unnamed time and place and am caught between the preservation of life and falling prey to lust. The sound effects in the beginning of the song are like a portal and then the soft music once you’re through it lulls you in its spell. The horns could be the bars of a cage. The poetic mastery and use of metaphor, coupled with the haunting, off-key melody is brilliant in the title track.
War Child is the seventh studio album by Jethro Tull, released in October 1974. From reading wiki and allmusic reviews, the album, in comparison to the quality of 2 previous albums, “Thick as a Brick” (1972) and “Passion Play” (1973,) it didn’t measure up back then, per the reviewers. It isn’t the first time the critics were wrong and had to eat their words. I admit that, “Bungle in the Jungle,” is a terrible song compared to most of their music and AM radio loves to trot these insipid ponies out, almost in defiance of the quality of the bulk of some artists’ work. Think of “Lay Lady Lay” by Bob Dylan that got so much airplay. Do you think that song is representative of Dylan’s body of work? But I digress. But then you also have, “Skating Away on the Thin Ice of a New Day” on the album.
Planned movie
Per wiki, “War Child” was originally meant to accompany a film project … it was reinstated as a ten-song, single-length rock album after failed attempts to find a major movie studio to finance the film. The “War Child” movie was written as a metaphysical black comedy concerning a teenage girl in the afterlife, meeting characters based on God, St. Peter and Lucifer portrayed as shrewd businessmen…
Album cover art
The front cover is a composite photograph featuring a positive colour print of Melbourne at night, and a negative print of a studio photo of lead singer Ian Anderson.The back cover of the album contains images of people, including the five members of the band, friends, wives, girlfriends, Chrysalis Records staff, and manager Terry Ellis, all related to the song titles. Anderson’s personal touring assistant (and future wife) Shona Learoyd appears as a ringmaster, while Terry Ellis appears as a leopard skin-clad, umbrella-waving aggressive businessman.
Personnel
Ian Anderson – vocals, flute, acoustic guitar, alto/soprano/sopranino saxophones
Martin Barre – electric guitar, Spanish guitar
John Evan – piano, organ, synthesizers, accordion
Jeffrey Hammond – lead vocals, bass guitar, string bass
Barriemore Barlow – drums, percussion, glockenspiel, marimba
Additional personnel
Dee Palmer – orchestral arrangements
Robin Black – sound engineer
Terry Ellis – executive producer
I'll take you down
to that bright city mile ---
there to powder your sweet face
and paint on that smile,
that will show all, all of the pleasures
and none of the pain,
when you join my explosion
and play with my games.
War Child dance the days,
and dance the nights away.
War Child dance the days,
and dance the nights away.
No unconditional surrender;
no armistice day ---
each night I'll die in my contentment
and lie in your grave.
While you bring me water
and I give you wine ---
let me dance in your tea-cup
and you shall swim in mine.
War Child dance the days,
and dance the nights away.
Open your windows
and I'll walk through your doors.
Let me live in your country ---
let me sleep by your shores.
War Child dance the days,
and dance the nights away.
Repeat
Songwriter: Ian Anderson
Jim Adams is the host of Song Lyric Sunday. Jim says:
This week the theme is to find a song that became the title song of an album.
Tao Talk 
This makes me miss album covers so bad! Perfect choice and I would never have even thought about it. There is just something so theatrical about Jethro Tull. Love this.
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V, theatrical is a perfect description for them. I miss album covers also.
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Nice choice, Lisa and it has been way too long since I last listened to this. War Child delves into the aggressive nature of humans, which can be a driving force for success but also a destructive element. it seems like there has never been a point in human history where there wasn’t a war going on somewhere and this song will always be relevant.
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Thanks, Jim. Thank you for your commentary on it.
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Great post and pick Li!!! 🙌🏽
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Thanks for reminding me of that Jethro Tull album. The title track is all I’ve heard as well. While I’m familiar with music from most of their career, it comes down to specific songs rather than entire albums. I think their only albums I’ve listened to in its entirely are “Aqualung” and “The Zealot Gene,” their third-to-most recent release. Of course, nowadays, it’s Ian Anderson releasing music as “Jethro Tull.”
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Christian, if you follow the wiki link you’ll see how they squeeze every last penny out of these songs. Looking at another post in the footnotes, I know the 3 songs I mention and also one other one, so 4 out of 10 on WarChild ain’t bad. I should go to spotify and listen to the rest.
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I really like Jethro Tull, especially his early albums. I haven’t got ‘Warchild’ though…not yet anyway :)
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I need to hear it at least once all of the way through. I like their early albums also. The last couple of new ones are pretty good also.
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Jethro Tull will be playing in my city next September!
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Oh my goodness, Glyn. Are you going to see them?
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Jethro Tull has been in my top 5 favorite bands since my youth! I love Ian Anderson, his voice, and theatrics. And their super-great music and lyrics.
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Nothing more to add to your comment, Marina <3
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Great song/album, Lisa! The beginning always reminds me of traffic and big city noises, sirens and breaking glass. I enjoyed reading your different spin on those opening sounds. Wonderful choice.
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Glad you know and like the song, Nancy. Thank you for sharing your take on it.
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My pleasure, Lisa. I enjoyed hearing it again.
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I remember reading about that project when I wrote up a song by them. Cool song…I love the back cover of the album…a lot going on and it looks cool.
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It is song that makes you pay attention for sure. I had never seen that back cover befrore. Kind of reminds me of a Dylan & The Band album cover, maybe the basement tapes? Big Pink? I forget now.
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I haven’t seen it either…the front I have but not the back.
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I had the album back in the day – also a huge fan of the band and finally got to see them in concert around 2010!
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Clive happy you are a fan of the band and saw them live. I’ve added JT to my TMBL (time machine bucket list) and want to see a concert from their early days.
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I wish I’d been able to see them back then too. The one legged flute playing was a bit less frequent when I finally did!
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