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Enola Gay

Introduction

In 1980, Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD) made the song Enola Gay.

Enola Gay was the name of the aircraft which dropped the first atomic bomb. During the flight the Enola Gay was accompanied by The Great Artiste, an aircraft with and recording wquipment and by The Necessary Evil, a plane carrying photographers. Another B-29 Superfortress bomber, and reconnaissance aircraft flew half an hour ahead to check whether the weather was suitable.

Watch and listen to the song: Enola Gay (live).

Lyrics

Enola Gay
You should have stayed at home yesterday
Oh, it can't describe
The feeling and the way you lied

These games you play
They're gonna end it all in tears someday
Oh, Enola Gay
It shouldn't ever have to end this way

It's 8:15
That's the time that it's always been
We got your message on the radio
Condition's normal and you're coming home

Enola Gay
Is ‘mother’ proud of ‘little boy’ today
Oh, this kiss you give
It's never ever gonna fade away

Enola Gay
It shouldn't ever have to end this way
Oh, Enola Gay
It should've faded our dreams away

It's 8:15
Oh, that's the time that it's always been
We got your message on the radio
Condition's normal and you're coming home

Enola Gay
Is ‘mother’ proud of ‘little boy’ today
Oh, this kiss you give
It's never ever gonna fade away

Hiroshima

August 6, 1945 - It's a cool morning. The work in the factories and offices in the Japanese port of Hiroshima has just begun. Then flashed a blinding white light. The fishermen at sea and the farmers behind the mountain range that surrounds the city on three sides, hear a terrifying rumble. Above the city rises on a huge white cloud. Shortly thereafter ash and rocks obscure the Sun.

Victims

In the first atomic attack on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945 78,000 people were directly killed. By the after-effects from the radiation the death toll rose ultimately to about 140,000 at the end of 1945.