Al Stewart - Laughing Into 1939 Lyrics

Outstanding song

This song always made me think of a happy party with a bunch of upper class young college boys totally unaware that in the summer of the next year many of them would be dead, killed in their Hurricanes and Spitfires in the skies over southern England.

This song is quietly EPIC thanks AL

Al Stewart is easily my favorite songwriter of all time. I am so fortunate that he has been accessible through his several hundred person performances. I must have seen him 30 times now. Each show wonderful. BTW, I have come to believe that the girl whom everyone fancies is a metaphor for Hitler. Anyone agree?

As others have said, this is one of my favorite Stewart selections, an amazing composition, both musically and poetically. The poignancy of the lyrics is obvious, but Stewart uses the musical structure wonderfully to enhance the story he's telling. His main musical theme is a melancholy progression in a minor key (Dm), foreshadowing the coming war. In the bridge, he switches to a happier major key (F) to reflect the optimism (or perhaps blissful ignorance) of the party-goers. He returns to the minor theme, which brings us back to the dark reality that we now know they'll all face in a few months. One of the simplest but most beautiful musical elements comes on the very last chord of the song, which the Dm progression leads us to expect to be a minor chord leaving us on the long trail to the horrors of World War II. Instead, Stewart ends on a hopeful major chord (D), which to me says, "Yes, we endured some terrible times and suffered horrendous loss, but we eventually came through it all OK." Masterful!

"Blissful ignorance" is not quite correct. I talked with my father about the thirties a lot and most people, he told me, knew in late 1938 that war was inevitable. Today abandoning Czechoslovakia in September 1938 is seen as a mark of terrible weakness, and appeasement has become a dirty word. But in autumn 1938 it was seen as a year gained to re-arm. Aircraft production soared, and in March 1939, following the occupation of Bohemia, the Government ordered the doubling of the Territorial Army (first line of reserves), I believe the party in the song is a wake, a farewell to care-free peace. They know. They know.

Feels just like 1939 now.

I agree. I fear that we are also dancing in 1939 again. In our schools history has been rewritten and/or removed and no one is paying attention.

What a chilling song. Al Stewart is on my personal top three list of all time singer-song writers. I never tire of listening to him. His songs paint pictures for those that have eyes to see and ears to hear.

I hate to make any political references with this song, but I can't help but think the parables are there for our future under a trump Presidency. I sure hope not.

Came here to say the same thing.

@Paul Thomas What's odd here is he's the first president to NOT get us into a war in both your and my lifetime(I'm a 62 year old veteran). He's up against those who want to CONTINUE perpetual war for profit.

We stare into the abyss. I watch the King and Queen, who don't give a thought for us. Some of us see the future. Some of us are just laughing in to 1939.

Isn't that the way it always is? The ones that can see the future stream of coming events are ignored..even by the ones who have an "awareness". Much easier to stick the head in the sand and live only for the moment.

I've personally been a fan of Al Stewart since the mid-1970s. I've purchased pretty much every CD and album he's created. Overall, this is my favorite Al Stewart song. For some reason it reminds me of the movie Heaven's Gate; the contraction and expansion of the flow of the song is haunting. Sadly, I find way too many parallels to today's current events to that of 1939. God help us all. 

John Lindsey , I agree with your comment. You made that 3 years ago too. Now we are practically in political Armageddon. Peace

Even by Al Stewart's stratospheric standards, this is a shockingly brilliant song.
It is also profoundly disturbing. A carefree party at the start of 1939, little do the revelers know that in a matter of months, many will be wiped out. 

I had the thrill of hearing Al and Dave Nachmanoff playing Laughing into 1939 in Phoenixville in April. Now, Al never plays this masterpiece, but that night, he did! I believe that the tantalizing woman in the song is purely figurative, but still, it's hard not to fall in love with her, the way Al describes her. One of the greatest songs by my favorite singer/songwriter ever!

Al and Dave actually played it a few months ago here in New York City at The City Winery. This song is epic.

I was at that show! ( he exclaimed two years later)

Marcus, I believe that the damsel that everyone is pursuing is a metaphor for Adolf Hitler. This came to me recently. The song is so far beyond brilliant. Sparks of divinity reside in this tune.

It's about the irony of the celebrations in 1939... the start of the year in which 9 months later the most brutal war in human history began.

This is about the beginning of World War II, right? What makes me sure is that it began in 1939.

September 1st, 1939.  Yes.

For Europe, yes.