 At Your Birthday Party (1983) [ larger cover art ] |
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The sun hangs low in the western sky
I bow my head and remember now
Someone's lips pressed close to mine
Her cool hand upon my brow
Hell burns hot for a killer 's heart
A shallow grave in an unmarked plot
Crack of gunfire in the dark
Hand in hand we'll walk at daybreak
One wore black (x3)
The trail of tears is winding on
Many pass along the road
Dusty soldiers march along
As they file one by one
One wore black (x3)
Trail of tears is winding on
Frightened soldier run no more
Arm and arm with lovers gone
No one passes on the road
Two girls wait at the railroad track
For their soldiers to come back
Knowing this will be their last
One wore blue and one wore black
One wore black...
I bow my head and remember now
Someone's lips pressed close to mine
Her cool hand upon my brow
Hell burns hot for a killer 's heart
A shallow grave in an unmarked plot
Crack of gunfire in the dark
Hand in hand we'll walk at daybreak
One wore black (x3)
The trail of tears is winding on
Many pass along the road
Dusty soldiers march along
As they file one by one
One wore black (x3)
Trail of tears is winding on
Frightened soldier run no more
Arm and arm with lovers gone
No one passes on the road
Two girls wait at the railroad track
For their soldiers to come back
Knowing this will be their last
One wore blue and one wore black
One wore black...
| PaulBJCorsaro (Folsom, CA) | Posted: Jan 31, 2013 - 13:17 this song disturbs my thought processes ... dont care for it at all. Not the words, the music is annoying. |
| R7-12 (Abbotsford, BC) | Posted: Dec 31, 2012 - 05:16 Speaking of R.E.M. Guadalcanal opened for them on October 5, 1986 at the War Memorial Gym, University of BC, Vancouver. R.E.M. were fans and supported them with back-up gigs. The G. Diary highlight for me was their cover of "I Can See For Miles" by the Who which they slipped into the middle of "Kumbaya". The transition from one song to the other was seemless and the jangly guitar sound was awesome. An excellent evening of music that will not be soon forgotten! |
| jstrait | Posted: Nov 29, 2012 - 20:23 Damn, haven't heard this since I was a DJ at my college radio station in Miami (WVUM 90.5 1988-1992)  For a short time I though they were from Miami since they were playing gigs locally nearly year-round for a spell. |
| namp | Posted: Sep 28, 2012 - 00:38 I thought this was one more REM repetitive song, but it turned out that this came from their mentors... |
| Ghiaap (Haarlo, The Netherlands) | Posted: Sep 28, 2012 - 00:34 Got all their stuff on vinyl back in the eighties. Love to hear them on RP! >8 |
| magnum-uk (Warwickshire, UK) | Posted: Aug 27, 2012 - 12:16 Never heard this band before - love the song. Now need to check out some more from them! |
| Bobert_ParkCity (Park City Utah) | Posted: May 24, 2012 - 19:35 I read the book, an actual war correspondent diary, when I was a teenager. The Pacific campaign was some messed up stuff. Good band though. |
| Tippster (Washington, DC) | Posted: May 24, 2012 - 19:25 Man, the studio version on Walking in the Shadow... of this song is so much better. Will upload. |
| patricks (Brackenheim, Germany) | Posted: Mar 22, 2012 - 08:52 The song is good but some of the pictures do not pass to Guadalcanal Diary. As a Marine it could have been different. |
| (former member) (hotel in Las Vegas) | Posted: Mar 22, 2012 - 08:49 This song puts a spring in my step this spring morning... |
| dingusbother (Silver Spring, MD) | Posted: Mar 22, 2012 - 08:48 Hmmm .... this version doesn't stand up to the studio version. |
| (former member) (hotel in Las Vegas) | Posted: Feb 19, 2012 - 14:46 Everybody in my hotel room loves this song... |
| (former member) (hotel in Las Vegas) | Posted: Jan 18, 2012 - 20:44 absolutely awesome song... love it... |
| dingusbother (Silver Spring, MD) | Posted: Nov 16, 2011 - 11:15 Man, I haven't heard this in years! Great song ... too bad I wasn't online at the time.  |
| Phototrekker | Posted: Nov 16, 2011 - 10:39 Yeah, living in Atlanta now and during the 80's this bring back some fond memories. I may have seen them also with Fishbone.... getting into a grey zone of memories - 20 + years and whole lot of beers. Anyway, wow yes, Fishbone...hadn't thought of them in awhile. |
| JoepKoperdraat | Posted: Sep 14, 2011 - 08:00 Now you know where REM gets tthe mustard from!! |
| cc_rider (Austin Texas. Y'all.) | Posted: Sep 14, 2011 - 07:51 Seahunt wrote: I saw these guys with some other bands and Fishbone headlining. Wild show! Loved Fishbone back in the day. I bet that was a great show. |
| Seahunt (Parent's Basement) | Posted: Sep 14, 2011 - 07:49 I saw these guys with some other bands and Fishbone headlining. Wild show! |
| sronis | Posted: Aug 13, 2011 - 22:52 wow, I was actually amazed this wasn't early REM. The singer sounds so much like Stipe... |
| olivertwist (Atlanta GA) | Posted: Jul 13, 2011 - 14:05 I've read that this band (whose members live in my town) is still carrying on. Would be great to see them live — hint hint, guys, in case you're listening. |
| cc_rider (Austin Texas. Y'all.) | Posted: Jul 13, 2011 - 14:02 Cynaera wrote: VERY much liking this song, although the lyrics are sad... With a name like 'Guadalcanal Diary', it's GOT to be sad... What a song. |
| hencini | Posted: Jun 11, 2011 - 21:42 BWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Who plays Guadalcanal Diary!?!?!?!?!?! Can. Not. Believe. Bill, you are a genius. Moremoremoremoremoremoremoremore!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! |
| (former member) (hotel in Las Vegas) | Posted: Jun 11, 2011 - 21:42 Otomi wrote: How did we live without wireless keyboards? Like bow-legged gypsy mule-skinners... we be dancing... love it... |
| Otomi (La orilla de la civilización) | Posted: May 11, 2011 - 07:55 romeotuma wrote: Soooo groooovy... we be shagging... How did we live without wireless keyboards? |
| vandal (arriving somewhere, but not here. . .) | Posted: May 11, 2011 - 07:04 Two girls wait at the railroad track For their soldiers to come back Knowing this will be their last One wore blue and one . . . wore black |
| Cynaera (South of Neanderthal) | Posted: Apr 09, 2011 - 16:39 VERY much liking this song, although the lyrics are sad... |
| Propayne (Richmond VA) | Posted: Mar 09, 2011 - 04:37 leathepea wrote: This sounds like "House of Freaks", anybody have any info on that? House of Freaks - know them well. From Richmond. R.I.P. Bryan.... This is a very loosely based on an old Civil War song. |
| treatment_bound (Duluth to Madison) | Posted: Oct 28, 2010 - 10:57 romeotuma wrote: Soooo groooovy... we be shagging... This song is actually the first cut on this album:  Kudos to you Mr. Tuma, as I never seem to get lucky w/The Mrs. when I throw this on the "hi-fi". |
| lemmoth (NYC) | Posted: Jul 30, 2010 - 14:54 liking this very much |
| (former member) (hotel in Las Vegas) | Posted: Jun 28, 2010 - 17:50 This is cool... |
| Stefen (West Hollywood, CA) | Posted: Mar 25, 2010 - 14:20 So, I guess we can conclude that one wore black. |
| (former member) (hotel in Las Vegas) | Posted: Mar 25, 2010 - 14:17 Soooo groooovy... we be shagging... |
| Mrcsltry (Puebla, Mexico) | Posted: Jan 21, 2010 - 14:35 Awesome transition!!! Hey Bill, great change from "Eagles - Hotel California (live acoustic)". Thanks for all the good music 24/7 |
| paulmack (the hissing swamps) | Posted: Nov 19, 2009 - 18:22 Wow! Bill, I had no idea that you even knew of this band. I had albums of theirs from the 80's onward thanks to a friend who tipped me off. In the mid-90's I moved to Athens, GA where I was fortunate to see them live at the 40 Watt Club twice - one of those two shows was especially notable, one of the top 10 of the 100's I've seen in my life. I feel very lucky to have seen them at all despite their lack of recognition. Thank you! |
| (former member) (hotel in Las Vegas) | Posted: Nov 19, 2009 - 18:20 love it... |
| (former member) (hotel in Las Vegas) | Posted: Oct 19, 2009 - 07:50 very groovy... |
| lophrequa (the very edge of the land) | Posted: Sep 17, 2009 - 18:07 NickDanger wrote: GD's bass player is the web designer in our department. Whodathunk. I stop by her office and tell her every time Bill plays one of their cuts. She's always amazed. Keep it up Bill! give her our love! |
| NickDanger (Athens - not that one, the music one) | Posted: Aug 17, 2009 - 06:28 GC's bass player is the web designer in our department. Whodathunk. I stop by her office and tell her every time Bill plays one of their cuts. She's always amazed. Keep it up Bill! |
| sonofpick (SoCal, Small College, My Office) | Posted: Jul 16, 2009 - 15:24 SYG |
| rdo (DC) | Posted: Apr 12, 2009 - 11:21 Thought I was hearing Hüsker Dü. |
| Tim_in_N_FL (Florida) | Posted: Feb 08, 2009 - 09:09 Thanks for playing this. I saw these guys back in the 80s in Athens, GA. Hearing it now reminds me they are probably influenced by Stipe & friends (R.E.M.). Cheers!  |
| Stefen (West Hollywood, CA) | Posted: Jan 07, 2009 - 17:33 I hope I'm not jumping to conclusions, but I surmise that one wore black. |
| (former member) (hotel in Las Vegas) | Posted: Aug 02, 2008 - 18:47 The band originated in Marietta, a suburb of Atlanta, but they were often billed as being "from Athens, Georgia" in the early 1980s... |
| mirland (Denmark) | Posted: Jul 02, 2008 - 05:32 pedrock77 wrote: Nice tune, but wait...oh my ooooOOOOh OOOOH MY GOD, what an awful cover art!!
 seconded!  Oh wait... the tune isn't that great either. |
| natanz (jerusalem, Israel) | Posted: Apr 30, 2008 - 07:25 the vocals remind me a lot of barenaked ladies. a band i hate with a passion, but i didn't hate this, so that's good. |
| E_A_D_G (DC) | Posted: Apr 30, 2008 - 07:23 Like to hear that again. |
| pedrock77 (Belgium and/or Spain) | Posted: Feb 27, 2008 - 07:03 Nice tune, but wait...oh my ooooOOOOh OOOOH MY GOD, what an awful cover art!! |
| Monster (Shittown Kentucky) | Posted: Jan 26, 2008 - 20:17 woozurdaddy wrote: These guys listened to a lot of early REM, I'd wager...
From the same wonderful town of Athens GA...along with B-52's...Pylon....Drive By Truckers...and a host of other good'ens |
| vandal (arriving somewhere, but not here. . .) | Posted: Jan 26, 2008 - 20:13 ". . . Hell burns hot for a killer's heart. . ." |
| kindermanltd (American, man.) | Posted: Dec 26, 2007 - 09:52 Vocals sound like a mix between REM and Jethro Tull. |