I’m gonna get lit up when the lights go up in London
I’m gonna get lit up as I’ve never been before
You will find me on the tile
You’ll find me wreathed in smiles
I’m gonna get so lit up I’ll be visible for miles
—“I’m Going To Get Lit Up When The Lights Go on in London,”
by Hubert Gregg
I can hear a thousand things at once.
Amazing, really.
I can hear it all.
Every sound.
There are sounds at 22,000 feet you’d never imagine.
I didn’t.
My mask is on.
I’m breathing.
Helmet’s loose for a minute.
Gloves on.
Always, always keep your gloves on at altitude.
Even if.
The air is ice crystals, and I hear them, too.
Never noticed.
Simon’s in the glass house.
Machinegun Kelly.
Give ’em Hell, Simon.
Sit up.
Sit. up.
Sit. Up.
Pete took my ammo box.
Make with the bullets, Benny
Flak was bad on this run.
Bad’s we’ve seen.
Could get out and walk on it.
Fort took a direct hit a hundred yards away.
Dear Christ I hope I never see that again as long as I live.
Don’t want to look at the ball turret.
Don’t want to look at Andy.
Sit up.
Andy’s a good gunner.
Was a good gunner.
Is, was, they don’t matter up here.
Should but don’t.
Make with the bullets, Benny
I’m gonna get lit up when the lights go up in London
Thing I didn’t appreciate is how frail we are at 22,000 feet.
How could I?
In the Quonset we say, We’re gonna bring Hell. Righteous fire.
We say it in the pubs and restaurants. The cafés, too.
Raindrops on the roofs, we said.
Righteous fire.
I’m gonna get so lit up I’ll be visible for miles
On the ground Marvelous Meryl looks like Hell waiting to be brought.
Put another nail in Hitler’s coffin.
The kids from the village think it’s the greatest thing:
Marvelous Meryl’s four engines spittin’ fire and twelve crew pissin’ acid
We give them candy and little flags and spent shell casings.
They wave when we take off.
I’m gonna get lit up when the lights go up in London
I’m gonna get lit up as I’ve never been before
You will find me on the tile
You’ll find me wreathed in smiles
I’m gonna get so lit up I’ll be visible for miles
They wave.
Been bringin’ Hell almost six months now.
Bringin’ Hell 7,000 pounds at a time.
Twenty-two missions.
Two-three hundred Forts per sortie.
Once there were a thousand bombers.
Imagine the Hell we’ve brought.
Make with the bullets, Benny
I got six confirmed.
More like fifteen, but who’s counting.
Some things you don’t boast about.
Fate has good ears up here.
(There’s four more, coming out of the sun)
(Watch ’em)
I can hear a thousand things.
I can hear the airplane.
I think she’s as scared as we are.
I’m gonna get lit up when the lights go up in London
I’m gonna get lit up as
Sons of bitches.
Son of a bitch Hun sons of bitches.
In gunnery school we learned not to shout on the intercoms.
Strange to hear, I’m hit, I think I’m done, like a weather report.
Stranger still, B-seventeen out of control, three o’clock
Calm as an Essex sunset,
C’mon you guys, get out of that plane, bail out
There’s one, he came out of the bomb bay
Yeah, I see ’em
There’s the tail gunner coming out
That’s Joey for sure
(Watch out for fighters)
See any parachutes, Pete
Come on, guys
There’s three
Four
Five
Six
(Watch out for fighters)
Six left inside
Come on get out of there
Now damn it
Goddamn it get the Hell out get out get out get out
That’s it
All right cut the chatter
Watch out for fighters
There’s nothing heroic in it, nothing desperate.
I said, Cap’n, left waist down, like I was ordering coffee.
Quiet as a Kansas afternoon amid the thousand sounds.
Cap’n, left waist down
Said the radioman to the gunner
Well how are we fixed for lead
I’m gonna get lit up when the lights go up in London
I hate Messerschmitts.
Hate them to goddamn Hell.
Two second bursts, don’t hold the trigger
But this time I saw his eyes.
I held the trigger.
I had to.
Because I saw his eyes.
They were smiling.
He was smiling.
see me wreathed in smiles
You don’t smile when you’re killing Marvelous Meryl.
When you kill Andy in the ball turret.
When you’re trying to kill me.
(Watch out for fighters)
I blew it because of his eyes.
And now I can feel the air.
At 22,000 it feels so very lonely.
My legs don’t work.
I’ll be visible for miles
It smells like cordite.
Oil and asbestos.
Something else, too.
Meryl’s as afraid as we are.
(That got him, he’s smoking)
Hang in there, girl.
Hang in there.
Cap’n’ll get us home.
Simon’s still shooting.
Give ’em Hell, Simon.
Tailgunner Drew’s out of ammo.
Best card shark in the squadron.
Won us plenty.
Counts cards.
How’s that work?
(Watch out for fighters)
How’s any of it work.
Never wondered.
War’s the strangest thing.
Hadn’t thought about it.
You don’t until you have time.
There’s time at 22,000 feet.
We do what has to be done.
That’s all there is.
He saw the target and locked the target
And suddenly bombs away
(Black smoke black smoke)
(That’s a good hit)
(Good run)
(Flak’s stopped again)
(Watch for fighters)
I’m at that strange brink.
I could imagine myself back to the farm.
That would do it.
I’d cry, for sure.
(Here they come)
(Two o’clock I see ’em)
(I’ve got about a hundred rounds left)
(Chose your shot)
(Three more coming from twelve o’clock high)
(They got Pete)
(Pete)
Don’t lie yet.
Could be on the farm.
In my room with my brother James.
Don’t lie.
I could be in Mama’s arms.
Don’t lie.
I’d cry into Mama’s arms.
Autumn Kansas sun is like warm melted butter.
Warm.
The adrenaline’s off.
Cold through my jacket.
Cold in this bomber.
That means something.
When it gets cold.
Cap’n, we’re bad back here.
I know. Hang on, Johnny. Twenty-five minutes.
I’ll hear a thousand things in twenty-five minutes.
Cap’n’s talking to the other planes.
Make with the bullets, Benny.
I can hear them, too.
Out of a thousand sounds, the bombers.
Said the bombardier to the pilot
Call it a day, and then
Sit up.
Sit the Hell up.
We’re making the turn, now.
Means we’re past Belgium.
Make believe little country.
Supposed to prevent all of this.
Lot of good Belgium did for Andy.
Fat lot of good Belgium did for Pete.
I’m gonna get lit up when the lights go up in London
There’s our halo on a cloud.
Blessed Meryl.
Blessed be.
Sometimes a Fort looks like a cross.
Something in that.
Reminds me:
O most merciful
O most merciful
Jesus wash my blood in the sins
Wash my sins in blood
I live for thee
Amen
Can’t remember.
Hell of a time to forget.
Pete’s got one hand on his .50.
God bless him.
Andy, too.
They lived for thee
Don’t know if Andy’s still there.
They lived for thee
the bombers
Johnny
Yeah, I think. Yeah, Johnny.
Sun’s out.
Now we’re clear for sure.
Damn that feels good.
The weather’s fine for flying
The fog has gone to bed
There’s such good visibility
You can see victory ahead
No foolin’ Johnny
No foolin’, Cap’n. I’m all right.
I am all right.
I am all right.
I’m doin’ just fine.
I’m gonna get lit up
Let’s fill the air with eagles
Let’s fill the clouds with men
It’s beautiful up here, when the air isn’t trying to kill you.
It’s beautiful, the blue,
and I hear a thousand things.
Meryl’s halo on the white clouds.
Singing
fill the air with eagles
We’re descending.
Meryl will descend.
Pete will descend.
So will Andy.
Simon.
Me.
Maybe the Cap’n.
We’ll descend
then climb.
There’s the cliffs.
Good.
Rest.
Let’s fill the air with eagles
Let’s fill the clouds with men
And we shall see a world that’s free
When we fly home again
Johnny you’re gonna make it
Damn right, skipper.
I’m pissin’ acid.
Let’s fill the air with eagles
Let’s fill the clouds with men
a thousand things at once
the beginning and end
my heart beat
Let’s fill the clouds with men
(Stagecoach Nine turning final)
(We’ve got five wounded souls aboard)
(Clear the field clear the field he’s going to belly in)
(Stagecoach Nine field is yours)
(Godspeed fellas)
lead the target two seconds
my heart
beat
Mama
the bombers Mama
watch for fighters
watch his eyes
visible for miles
for thee
the bombers
for thee
clouds of men
it’s me Mama
home again
(going to help you, son)
home again
clouds of men
clouds of men