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Night Witch (single)

by Dave Banks

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Bjorn Frengstad
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about

A squadron of women pilots (the 588 Night Bomber Regiment) were recruited into the Soviet air force during WWII. They were given the rattliest, flimsiest outdated Polikarpov biplanes - but somehow, these pilots, led by Seraphima Tarasovna Amosova, made them work. In fact, the planes were so slow that the fast German fighters couldn't stay on their tail, and they flew so low that they avoided detection. The pilots got into the habit of cutting their motors and gliding silently into their final bombing run - this scared the bejesus out of their victims... and gained them the name "Nachthexen" - or "Night Witches".

I can't help wondering if Philip Pullman named his "night witch", Serafina Pekkala, after Ms Amosova....

If you want to read more - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Night_Witches, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serafima_Amosova

lyrics

Seraphima - Seraphima Tarasovna
rides the night on gliding wings of canvas, wire and wood.
Seraphima Tarasovna, conjured from Siberia:
The 588 night witches are whistling up no good

From Kuban to the Caucasus, from Crimea to Poland,
The four-winged Polikarpovs haul bomb and Shpitalny gun.
Too slow to tail them, skimming barns and treetops,
Hansel and Gretel leave their cottages and run.

We come Joe Stalin, Russia calls;
Night witches glide and Berlin falls.
These engines foul, these woman fair;
Glide through the fog and filthy air.

Flying without parachutes, flying without mercy,
The motors cut, the broomsticks start their final bombing glide.
The mortals creep below, not knowing whence the danger comes:
No crooked cross protects them, from silence amplified.

Rudder’s fork and cannon’s sting,
Steel strut and canvas wing.
Bathe it in some Nazi blood and
Then the charm is firm and good.

When the hurly-burly’s done,
When the battle’s lost and won,
I’ll go and find some bold young lad
And settle down near Ashkebad;
And raise with Vanya girls and sons
And forget the bombs and night and guns.
By the pricking of my thumbs, Seraphima’s war is done.

Music and lyrics © David Banks 2022

credits

released December 16, 2022
Vocals, synthesisers and guitars: Dave Banks
Music and lyrics © David Banks 2022

Instruments: All guitar tracks from a single Takamine G-series cutaway electro-acoustic with use of Fender Champ 25 amplifier.
Synthesiser: Korg Volca keys and beats

Track ISRC: UK-DVB-22-00008

Mixing and mastering: Tom Nash

Cover image: Polikarpov Po-2, Ferté Airshow 2019, by Tibboh, 9th June 2019 and licenced under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 international license. commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Polikarpov_Po-2,_Fert%C3%A9_2019_2.jpg

Released by Trousers! records under catalogue number Tro-021

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Dave Banks Chesterfield, UK

Dave Banks is a songwriter and musician from Chesterfield, UK. He has also played in "The Sedatives". "Me and Mr Jones" and "Poke O'Swedgers"

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