I was so pissed with that. They had Harry Melling (Dudley Dursley's actor) as the artillery man (My favourite character) then just kill him instantly, then they go to the beach and its like "Oh shit, this is the Thunder Child bit!" and NOPE. Then George gets himself killed for literally no reason... I now kind of despise you for reminding me of that series, considering I was doing a great job forgetting it existed... It did have Robert Carlyle in it though, and he lived so silver linings
I would have been about 4 when my stepdad would play this record for me and I'd always try and hide my tears during this track (despite it being my favourite track). When I was in my early 20s I took my stepdad to see a live stage show of WotW and once again I'm trying to hide my tears whilst sitting in the audience. Now I'm 35 and still wiping tears away. Thunderchild and her crew bravely rushing towards danger against the odds. Her brief victory giving the characters (and the listener) a glimmer of hope before being crushed almost instantly and with ease. The sudden loss of the Thunderchild/hope increases the amount of despair for the characters/audience seeing humanity's greatest war machine being destroyed standing no real chance. At the end you learn of the heroics of their sacrifice having saved the civilians in the steamer. I always felt like the story took a much darker tone after this. It's a very powerful moment. Glad I'm not the only one who gets teary from it I always felt a bit silly as it's just a story.
@@TheHortoman Ships, especially warships, have always been humanized. In contrast to most other machines, they carry a name and in many languages ships are female. So to many sailors, their ship always has a special place in their hearts, like a living being. They care for the ship and in turn she cares for them. Combine that with a heroic stand against the odds and it's not hard to understand, why people feel passionately about it. My personal favourite example from history will always be lucky destroyer Shigure of the IJN under Captain Tameichi Hara. No matter how fierce the fight, she always brought her crew home, despite taking a torpedo to her rudder or being shot up so badly she was almost written off and only saved because the crew bribed the dock workers.
@@ElChipsFiestaBuffet All Tripods are actually named Rachel. Makes it a very bad idea to yell that particular name. All joking aside, while they would realistically have names (in the 2005 film, the one that takes Rachel and Ray seems to have *something* written on it; it's short enough that it definitely looks more like a title than technical info), communication with their pilots isn't possible. They don't speak English, and would have no interest in a conversation regardless. Ultimately, they were written to be an even more extreme version of 19th century Imperialists, and likely have even less interest in learning about human cultures than Europeans did in learning about the native civilizations they violently displaced. Whatever they call their machines/biomechanical steeds (in the 2005 film, there's apparently something living to them), it's unknown. Even "Tripod" is a name applied by humans, to whom their walking gait stands out. It's more likely that the aliens use a name related to their role in fighting and/or harvesting, since the way they walk would seem normal to their creators. In theory, thanks to the buildup of static in Martian dust storms (which almost certainly releases as enormous lightning storms), the Tripod could in fact be named "Thunderchild". So, I'm going with it. It's...it's very unlikely that any are actually named Rachel.
I thought there was only one fighting machine left because of these 2 separate lines "cannons blazing as she came, Brought a mighty metal war lord crashing down in sheets of flame" implying that the thunderchild has took done 1 of the 3 tripods and "but the ship sped on cutting down one of the tripod figures." Implying the ironclad had took down 2 of the 3. So it should be "instantly the other one raised its heat ray and melted the thunderchilds valiant heart."
@@BritBattler your right cos the lyrics do say a "fighting machine appeared then another and another moving far out to sea and blocking the exit of the steamer" see 0:027 to 0:31 for the words
And did it in one take. The man had the voice and charisma that made one ready to follow him to storm the gates of Hell armed with a plastic spoon and an athletic support.
@@alanaspinall7147 The flaming wreckage of the torpedo-ram crashes into a second fighting-machine, however, destroying it, and furthermore when the black smoke and super-heated steam banks dissipate both the Thunder Child and the third fighting-machine are gone. We know it ranmed it and too it down with it.
The thing about it is that they start cheering for their last hope seemingly succeeding against incredible odds, just to watch it get instantly obliterated is just so... Scary, I guess? It's always gotten me.
@@tobiasburke9495 How does it get obliterated? The thunderchild takes out all 3 tripods, sacrificing itself in the process, but ultimately succeeding in defending the ferry. I don’t believe that’s having their hopes obliterated, if anything it shows that the Martians are not this untouchable force that can’t be stopped. I’d argue that it’s more bittersweet, as whilst they know they can fight the Martians, it’s shown that it will still be costly and even then victory would still be uncertain.
@@falkturm8893 While yes, this was a small victory for mankind, it was also a final victory. This ship was the pinnacle of combat technology, and it could only take out three. With seemingly endless Martians being sent, and only a select few of such powerful ships being ever made, the battle, still, was lost. Yes we could fight, but we could not survive anyway.
@@tobiasburke9495 The thunderchild is stated to be a torpedo ram, which were often used as coastal defence ships. This is far from being the pinnacle of human technology, as these boats were designed to mainly perform sneak attacks, using their torpedoes to sink boats that were stationary in docks before running back to enemy territory, using the cover of darkness to evade the enemy. Their offensive capabilities were not particularly amazing, and by the time the book was published they were a somewhat old idea, being brought about in the 1870’s. All of this is to show that the Thunderchild, a somewhat old design, was able to take down 3 tripods. The thunderchild ultimately offers a glimmer of hope within the otherwise dark setting of WotW, showing humanities capability to fight back against seemingly impossible odds.
@@falkturm8893 While you have a pretty good point in that the ship was not a big battleship, I still remain unconvinced. Why send that ship instead of a far stronger vessel? Either a) all other ships are already in pieces, or b) there is no longer enough organisation left to get enough crew for a small vessel. Either way, humanity is still a spent Empire. Maybe we can agree to disagree? I don't see either of us being swayed.
@@excrono but with the spirit of man you see a priest at his lowest questioning his own spiritual and moral beliefs, while I agree thunderchild has that going for it, the spirit of man I believe is a reflection of the inner turmoil we'd all experience in this scenario
This was such an excellent chapter in War of the Worlds. It made the aliens such a tangible threat. If I remember correctly the Thunder Child took 3 tripods down with her. The fact that the tripods were simply very strong and not invincible gave them an overbearing sense of power instead of blank plot armor. When all hope seemed lost we became an iceberg to their unsinkable Titanic. There was still a tiny glimmer of hope, and our protagonist had reason to fight.
What I've always loved about this chapter of the book is the implied threat of the Martians... In the late 19th century, the British Empire was THE superpower of the time- and they were powerless. Yes a few tripods were destroyed but the heart of the empire was helpless- London fell with little effort. Thunderchild was a last, final attempt to assert and protect it's place at the time...and while glorious it was doomed to fail... A fantastic read :)
Why the British Navy has yet to comission an HMS Thunderchild is a complete mystery to me. They could blast the shit out of this song everytime they came to port.
@@LukeGreensmith The closest any movie adaptation comes, to my knowledge, is the 2005 adaptation's name of the military operation against the Tripods (Operation Thunderchild). It would actually make more sense to prove their mortality by having some "unusual" force take one down through sheer surprise. To keep it as a ship, they could frankly just use an aircraft carrier. It doesn't attack directly, so they wouldn't know what to make of it at first and might just try to poison it like the Martians in Wells' novel. It's the same sort of one-time-thing that doesn't suggest they can actually be defeated, but does prove that they can die. After they encounter one ship that launches a nuclear-capable F-22, they'd know not to let it happen again, but the audience would still see that it was possible to kill one (without resorting to an unlikely combination of events). It's a good indicator, too, of the fact that they haven't really planned things out too well. After all, in the end it's always the unknown-unknowns that take them down.
I've always kept secret that this song somehow always manages to move me to tears, I guess I find it a bit embarrassing. Humanity holding the line against the night, going out swinging against impossible odds. Come on Thunder Child!!
I hadn't thought of this before, but in a different genre, in the TV sci-fi series Babylon 5 you have a similar storyline. The alien Minbari are on the verge of attacking Earth, of wiping out humanity. The President broadcasts a desperate plea to the few remaining military personnel, and any ships capable of fighting, to hold the line. It's a suicide mission, but the longer they can delay the Minbari, the more transport ships can get away to save some remnant of humanity. The surviving military people are exhausted and beaten, but despite the hopelessness of the situation they all go into battle for what they know is one last time. Babylon 5: The Minbari War - Battle of the Line speech
This song makes me tear up. I imagine Thunderchild's crew, heading to port, likely weary, likely wanting to find loved ones and get to safety, just as the protagonist does, but seeing the steamboat heading out, and the tripods moving to block them, they realize to give them a chance, indeed their ONLY chance, they had to come about. I imagine the captain giving a galvanizing speech of grim determination on deck and, every one of them knowing that this is likely a suicide mission, they heroically come about and engage the tripods at full steam, so to speak. ;_; Thank you Thunderchild.
The Thunderchild represents so much more than just a ship. The Thunderchild represents Humanity's will to fight against their destiny, to put everything on the line to give the Martians a black eye and a message: "We will not go quietly into that good night."
She's also important from a storytelling perspective, since at the time TWOTW was written, a ship like the Thunderchild was the most powerful manmade thing in the world. This battle doesn't just show Humanity's defiance, it also shows that even our most powerful weapon couldn't stand for long against the might of the Martians. I could go on about how that plays into the themes of the story, but I'll leave it at this, the fact that no modern interpertation of TWOTW seems to include the Thunderchild and its battle is a disservice to the story.
@@kpmh2001 sadly since its the beggining of the genra most seem like tropes when its the actual first inspiration for such tropes. so they use a nuke which were just desensitized to right now
@@TheHortoman Yup nukes are our most powerful weapon now so this is what they use, but this is still missing some of the soul of the Thunderchild. Humanities best minds might have built that ship but it was not the best and brightest manning it. The futility of elitism. The best of humanity is found throughout humanity. The highschool educated, down in their luck so they joined the armed forces people who when death was certain but they could buy a few more minutes to save strangers hold their ground, buy that time and pay the expected price. The story rings true. Heroes that pluck people from burning buildings are not usually the Bill Gates of the world. Just some random bastard. It has parallels to Leonidas and his 300. They too knew they were going to die. It is deep.
For me, the most powerful line of the song is: Standing firm between them, There lay Thunder Child The odds stacked against them the crew of the Thunderchild put themselves between the tripods and civilian ships. She may have gone to the bottom, but she was victorious in protecting the other ships. They reached the other side. Carrie was safe.
The thing is, the Thunder Child could have played it safe. They could have waited for reinforcements from the Channel Fleet, more powerful ships better able to challenge the Fighting Machines. But that would have meant sacrificing the civilians. And the crew of the Thunder Child damn sure weren’t going to let that happen. “Then with a deafening roar and whoosh of spray, it swung about and drove at full speed towards the waiting Martians.” Right there a choice was made.
@@dylanmckenzie8566 That might be the most accurate depiction of the Royal Navy's captains at the time the book was set, where most captains would put their ship in the jaws of death to let civilians escape, and the Channel Fleet to return seeing the legacy
she also took all three tripods with her, one via her guns, another by ramming its legs, and the last when her boilers overheated and had a catastrophic steam explosion that also set the ships magazine off. The resulting explosion took out the third tripod.
I was introduced to it by my father who still owns it on cassette, In fact I was there in person in the 2010 Dublin live show. If you're enjoying the music that's wonderful to hear, remember War of the Worlds was originally a radio broadcast in 1938, if you want more content and more information on the War of the Worlds here's the original broadcast: ua-cam.com/video/Xs0K4ApWl4g/v-deo.html
@@DarraghMontgomeryThe War of the Worlds was originally a novel by H.G wells, the radio broadcast is the one that made the listeners think that there was an actual invasion
Ah the Thunder Child, quite possibly my favorite ship in all of sci-fi. Hell she and her crew are one of the most badass ships ever if you ask me. I always love picturing it as she plows at full speed through the ocean and taking the Martians by surprise. And the crew, I can just imagine how they did their best even as the Martians brought the Heat Rays down upon the Thunder Child. Hopefully, one day, we'll see her glorious last stand in live action.
YESSSSS as each 3 of the fighting machines I imagine the brave gunners and crew letting out cries of absolute elation. Bless the crew of the Thunderchild.
The first time I had listened to this album in the 70's, I'd eaten 3 grams of psilocybin mushrooms... the twitch of the aliens sounding at the very end, penetrated my soul.
The Thunder Child in the book did better, killed one walker with it's guns and managed to destroy another one by slamming into it after being melted by the heat ray (it was a Torpedo Ram Ironclad so kind of designed to smash into things). Only thing in the book man made to give the Martian tripods a run for their money.
@@MatthewT394 I think it was implied that the boiler explosion took out the third walker along with Thunderchild herself. The powerplants on those ships had some serious power contained within them.
all we need is a Thunderchild scene in the next adaptation/movie of wotw, there was at least a beach scene in BBC's series where the navy takes down two-three tripods but they weren't thunderchild
I don't know how this would look in a movie. In a book it works because its a description, you get the sense of heroism and drama from the words and the circumstances presented, plus the passage of time isn't really defined. If portrayed on a screen; well, Thunderchilds a late 1800 Ironclad. She's slow, her charge probably starts miles away from the martians, and as a result this battle would seem a lot slower than it does in the story and, by extension, perhaps less dramatic. Not sure it'd have the same effect.
@@whispofwords2590actually given the story takes place in the late 1890s she would've been what is more commonly known as a pre-dreadnought albeit they were still called ironclads in the 1890s cause the term battleship still had yet to arise and the dreadnought had yet to be built. The top speed of most pre-dreadnoughts was about 33-35kph.
@@niallfarrell720 I don't know if she would've been a pre-dreadnaught. Mainly because of her being described as a ram. Shes also alone during the story despite squadrons of other large ships operating nearby, which makes me think perhaps by the time of the story shes an outdated second line ship left to her own devices due to her speed whilst the more modern predreadnaughts fly together.
I grew up listening to this with my dad on car rides, its a memory I'll always cherish. Luckily my dad is still with us, but I know that even after he passes I'll always be thankful for the memories we made while listening to this masterpiece. RIP ❤
I never been able to listen to this part without tearing up. Such strong emotion attached to this part. The first time I listened to War of the worlds I was only 8yrs old and I'm now 49 and it still gets me everytime. Thunderchild is such a powerful name and as short as its time in the story is, it is the most impactful.
Thunderchild is the story of a defiant and valiant last defence, knowing ultimately all will be lost, but giving a small chance to those defenceless women, children and men on board of the steamer.
I once had a vision of ending this plot .. a steamer passing the battlefield and suddenly an amazing picture emerges from behind a veil of smoke .. Thunder Child stuck in a tripod, the front of the ship burns and slowly plunges into the water with the Martian. A second tripod with a broken emitter of hot rays and a damaged one leg tries to keep its companion afloat. Meanwhile, amidships, the only visible, alive but badly injured sailor sits next to the gun that has just fired the last volley before it was damaged, pulls out his pipe to inhale one last time of smoke. The Martian and the sailor seem to be staring at each other on the last journey that lies ahead.
The book is set in 1890s Victorian Great Britain.The country was the worlds only superpower, it’s empire stretched around the world. The Royal Navy could crush anything of this world. To the Victorian mind Thunderchild being beaten would be unthinkably unbelievable and demoralising. Hence Thunderchild represents the Royal Navy in my eyes. With that gone the earth belongs to the Martians. Also Thunderchilds crew know that they have a snowballs chance in hell of winning this action and yet drove at full speed into it.Scots , English, Welsh and Irish, we were the Crazy gang we would attack anything. The modern interpretations have never worked for me because now we could just explode earth.
A lot of people forget that in the book the Thunder Child was only the first skirmish of a larger battle. In the book after the Thunder Child sinks and the sun below the horizon the rest of the Home fleet arrives and engages in a major naval battle at night which we are not told the conclusion of.
This paints a picture in my mind of a epic naval battle between Englands final military asset, a pre WW warship, and three highly advanced alien robots along the shore. With the Thunder Child just kamikaze-ing straight into one of em to draw away attention from the exodus. And while those on the boats escaped, they are the last to do so. As the now total extermination of Englands military means the aliens have gained total control.
ua-cam.com/video/-yV1IVLp2E0/v-deo.html There are 2 versions of the live concert the 1st featured a lot of the original cast. There was a large animated head of a young Richard Burton, which was weird. The second version is with a new cast with Liam Neeson taking the narrator role is a better stage show
Not only this is my favorite among all great tracks on this album, this is one of my top favorite songs. I love how the orchestra was used and who can forget Mr. Burton's voice. Genius. Amazing. Everything is Perfect.
Still listening on...for the thousandth time...and still cannot fault a single element of this album. NOT ONE. It is the absolute peak of combined human artistic achievement. I now listen with the ears of a producer, engineer and creator...and it simultaneously enriches my soul, inspires, amazes, and evokes tears of joy. Jeff Wayne was a visionary on a level that I feel the latter producers will NEVER equal. If you want to be the best musician or artist you can ever be, you HAVE TO START HERE! THIS is the benchmark for all creativity. It is the epitome of the roots of all existing works now.
Whats intresting to me is how the fate of thunderchild really does spell an *apparent* martian victory. As at the time a battleship was the pinnacle of military technology of the time. Like if a warship cant defeat them then whats left that can? What a great story, brought to life through this music
@@hmshood319 The vessel Thunder Child is based on was primarily armed with torpedoes and had very small guns, designed to fight off torpedoes destroyers if they were encountered
@@shroom6766 1890's if i remember correctly. So 100% HMS ThunderChild was using a steam engine. which tend to make a hell of an explosion once the boilers hit the cold water.
The smoke of battle clearing - farewell Thunder Child. Every time I hear this I hope it ends differently. Just perfect music! Jeff Wayne is such a legend.
I was 13 when i first heard this on an album and also a reel to real.My dad was happy and so was i ,just sitting and listning durring a thunder storm.oh how i wont forget a happy moment in time like that!!!Miss you dad erik!!! where ever you went?im now turning 50 this year HAHA!I made it...
-"The human resistance is shattered, their persistent insurgency terminated. We are now preparing for the migration. Soon we shall farm and feast upon these animals, and a new era of peace and plenty will follow." -"The humans are running... disorganised... their society collapsed. The Earth is ours to take."
You listen to this song, over and over again with that tiny voice in the back of your head screaming out for Thunderchild to overcome through tri-pods even though you know how it's gonna end
Can you imagine, that after hearing that song, ive decided the became a warship constructer. Happy childhood with Jeff Wayne and Pink Floyd. Ever greatest masterpiece!!!!
New type of armored warships could keep Martians at bay, but the more they fired at them from a distance, the less chances they hit. Thunder Child did not use his advantage because it would be too late to save the steamer and he had to attack from a direct distance to focus the attention of the Martians.
Plus they were fighting in the Thames Estuary which is a knife fighting range for any ship really. Plus I see the heat ray as an anti infantry weapon mostly at best I think it could penetrate weak deck armor if a tripod is taller than a ship. And probably at point blank range as thermal blooming comes into effect the farther away a target is so the ray starts to defocus. The channel fleet can engage from several kilometers away in much deeper waters. And the legs of a tripod are only so long until they are submerged in deeper water. At the ranges battleships can engage the heat rays would just burn the paint and black smoke canisters might just fall into the water all from the safety of deeper waters.
Thunder Child, was a torpedo ram, in a time when they were (very briefly) believed to be the future of naval warfare. The point is that Thunder Child is supposed to be the most advanced and powerful form of weapon available to mankind, and that it was still destroyed very quickly.
@@hmshood9212 In the book the fate of the Channel Fleet is left rather nebulous, but it is implied that the Thunderchild only managed what it did due to the element of surprise, as it was the Martians’ first encounter with large warships. The other ships of the Fleet lacked this advantage and with the potency of Martian weapons (and the appearance of Martian flying machines around this point) the conclusion that can be drawn is grim.
@@hmshood9212 the heat ray at least in the book went clean through the ship with it only surviving because it didnt hit anything important. the second shot hit its boiler and detonated it
Love the comments on here. I couldn't have put it better myself. This song packs a particular emotional wallop for me for all the reasons given below. A stirring tribute to the men of the Royal Navy - "Engage the enemy more closely!"
I wanna see a movie based on Thunder Child and its crew from the day it was built to its finest hour taking on three tripods. As long as it involves Duncan Jones.
Not surprisingly, the "iron clads" were Britain's most advanced warships of the time. Not surprising then that an iron clad would pit itself against the most advanced fighting machine imaginable by mankind. Also not surprising then that it didn't end well. With mankind's most powerful weapon now out of the running, the scene is set for our destruction, and yet, another of mankind's adversaries comes to our aid. What poetic twist of fate.
Not really, by the end of the 1890s when the book is set, ironclads were kind of an outdated concept. It was novel back in the days of the American Civil War but by the time of the Martian Invasion pre-dreadnought battleships were well established. Notably the Thunderchild is described as a torpedo ram, an incredibly outdated concept by the time this was set. Assuming she was laid down during the final years of the torpedo ram era she would have been at least four decades old or more. In the song it makes sense to picture her as the best and finest of the Royal Navy but in the book this was a desperate suicidal charge by an old rustbucket.
@@tomaspabon2484 Im going to disagree with you the battle of Lissa made the ram look good the book is written in 1898 and the Hms Polythemus was built in 1881 which appearently is the only torpedo ram the Royal navy had.
@@Lumotaku the book was written in 1898 but its set an undeterminate ammount of time in the future, some time in the early 1900s. Also while Lissa showed the effectiveness of ramming attacks, it waz also a gigantic clusterfuck where neither side could utilize their gunnery to its full extent. Even then it was recognized that battleships would be fighting mostly in long range gun duels. Lissa was just kind of a bizarre artifact of like...literal Roman Period naval warfare.
@@tomaspabon2484 your speaking out your ass. Look up the gunnery accuracy at manila bay for example sure when gun directors were improved in the early 1900 it led to the dreadnought but in 1898 there was no move to long range gunnery.
If i ever win a lot of money on the lottery i will make a film based on this album....... Actors to play the parts but the soundtrack dubbed over the top so it's EXACTLY how all is fans of this album have probably imagined it looking!!!! No changes.....
My favourite show. I was lucky enough to do an official amateur production of this show in Cornwall. I put the set together as well as portraying carries father
Haha…yes my amateur local theatre production did this too in Perth. However one of the guys fell though the prop’s thunderchild’s hull, and aroused laugher. It was funny as fuck
There were ships of shapes and sizes scattered out along the bay and I thought I heard her calling as the steamer pulled away the invaders must’ve seen them as across the coast they filed standing firm between them there layed thunder child. Moving swiftly through the waters cannons blazing as she came brought a mighty metal warlord crashing down in sheets of flame, sensing victory was nearing thinking fortune must have smiled people started cheering “cmon thunder child x2” lashing ropes and smashing timbers flashing heat rays pierced the deck dashing hopes for our deliverance as we watched the sinking wreck with the smoke of battle clearing over graves in waves defiled slowly disappearing farewell thunder child x2. Farewell thunder childx2. Uuulaaaaa. Thanks to my amazing dad he performed this at school farewell thunder child
A lot of people, me included, dismissed the recent BBC version of War of the Worlds because they had removed Thunderchild entirely.
Personally, I dismissed it because it was a piece of *crap*.
Eh, fair enough.
In the ferry scene they could've at least had some sort of destroyer, cruiser or large civillian ship ramming a tripod as a reference.
I was so pissed with that. They had Harry Melling (Dudley Dursley's actor) as the artillery man (My favourite character) then just kill him instantly, then they go to the beach and its like "Oh shit, this is the Thunder Child bit!" and NOPE.
Then George gets himself killed for literally no reason...
I now kind of despise you for reminding me of that series, considering I was doing a great job forgetting it existed...
It did have Robert Carlyle in it though, and he lived so silver linings
typical BBC then, garbage ideas from clueless people in suits
Never. Ever. Underestimate the Thunderchild. Always brings me to tears every time I hear this song.
I would have been about 4 when my stepdad would play this record for me and I'd always try and hide my tears during this track (despite it being my favourite track).
When I was in my early 20s I took my stepdad to see a live stage show of WotW and once again I'm trying to hide my tears whilst sitting in the audience.
Now I'm 35 and still wiping tears away.
Thunderchild and her crew bravely rushing towards danger against the odds. Her brief victory giving the characters (and the listener) a glimmer of hope before being crushed almost instantly and with ease. The sudden loss of the Thunderchild/hope increases the amount of despair for the characters/audience seeing humanity's greatest war machine being destroyed standing no real chance. At the end you learn of the heroics of their sacrifice having saved the civilians in the steamer.
I always felt like the story took a much darker tone after this. It's a very powerful moment.
Glad I'm not the only one who gets teary from it I always felt a bit silly as it's just a story.
@@originalAoitora i feel silly aswell but i suppose its the name child in it that humanizes the ship so much. its such an emotional thing overalll
@@TheHortoman Ships, especially warships, have always been humanized. In contrast to most other machines, they carry a name and in many languages ships are female. So to many sailors, their ship always has a special place in their hearts, like a living being. They care for the ship and in turn she cares for them. Combine that with a heroic stand against the odds and it's not hard to understand, why people feel passionately about it.
My personal favourite example from history will always be lucky destroyer Shigure of the IJN under Captain Tameichi Hara. No matter how fierce the fight, she always brought her crew home, despite taking a torpedo to her rudder or being shot up so badly she was almost written off and only saved because the crew bribed the dock workers.
@@TheHortoman I have a couple of relatives who died in sea battles. it really hits me hard.
Me too!
"COME ON THUNDERCHILD!!!"
FAREWELL THUNDERCHILD
@@garbhanbyrne8132 Tragically, the Tripod was also named Thunderchild.
@@NyanCatHerder really
@@ElChipsFiestaBuffet Well it the only explanation. Only a god can kill another god
@@ElChipsFiestaBuffet All Tripods are actually named Rachel. Makes it a very bad idea to yell that particular name.
All joking aside, while they would realistically have names (in the 2005 film, the one that takes Rachel and Ray seems to have *something* written on it; it's short enough that it definitely looks more like a title than technical info), communication with their pilots isn't possible. They don't speak English, and would have no interest in a conversation regardless. Ultimately, they were written to be an even more extreme version of 19th century Imperialists, and likely have even less interest in learning about human cultures than Europeans did in learning about the native civilizations they violently displaced.
Whatever they call their machines/biomechanical steeds (in the 2005 film, there's apparently something living to them), it's unknown. Even "Tripod" is a name applied by humans, to whom their walking gait stands out. It's more likely that the aliens use a name related to their role in fighting and/or harvesting, since the way they walk would seem normal to their creators.
In theory, thanks to the buildup of static in Martian dust storms (which almost certainly releases as enormous lightning storms), the Tripod could in fact be named "Thunderchild". So, I'm going with it. It's...it's very unlikely that any are actually named Rachel.
"And melted the Thunder Child's valiant heart..." *sick ass guitar solo*
Best part of every song, is the heat ray guitar solo.
Pink Floyd:”society”
Sick ass guitar solo
That's like... Motorhead levels of distortion. It's great
@@blatantblasphemer7317 That’s just the entirety of Animals and The Wall, among others
@@badbeardbill9956 Pink Floyd is a masterpiece.
"Instantly the others raised their heatrays and melted the Thunderchild's valiant heart" 😭
I guess it was just very very hot. Also it sounds like it took multiple heat rays at once.
I cri everytim
I thought there was only one fighting machine left because of these 2 separate lines "cannons blazing as she came, Brought a mighty metal war lord crashing down in sheets of flame" implying that the thunderchild has took done 1 of the 3 tripods and "but the ship sped on cutting
down one of the tripod figures." Implying the ironclad had took down 2 of the 3. So it should be "instantly the other one raised its heat ray and melted the thunderchilds valiant heart."
@@BritBattler Probably re-enforcements that just reached the area.
@@BritBattler your right cos the lyrics do say a "fighting machine appeared then another and another moving far out to sea and blocking the exit of the steamer" see 0:027 to 0:31 for the words
Richard Burton was the perfect narrator for this piece.
And did it in one take. The man had the voice and charisma that made one ready to follow him to storm the gates of Hell armed with a plastic spoon and an athletic support.
@@GordonHouston-Smith poetically put.
indeed
Lol. Jock strap and a plastic spoon. 🤣😁
Agreed
How many times have I listened to this song, each time I hope that Thunder Child last fight will end up more optimistically ..
"It takes three years to build a ship, and three hundred to build a tradition. The evacuation will continue'
Exactly the same here! Gets me every time.
In the book it killed three walkers
@@annastasijaspellman2536 well 2 confirmed, one maybe, still a respectable count, and the battle is seen as more of a victory for humanity
@@alanaspinall7147 The flaming wreckage of the torpedo-ram crashes into a second fighting-machine, however, destroying it, and furthermore when the black smoke and super-heated steam banks dissipate both the Thunder Child and the third fighting-machine are gone.
We know it ranmed it and too it down with it.
"Sensing victory was nearing,
Thinking fortune must have smiled.
People started cheering,
Come on, Thunder Child!"
Chills. Every time.
The thing about it is that they start cheering for their last hope seemingly succeeding against incredible odds, just to watch it get instantly obliterated is just so... Scary, I guess? It's always gotten me.
@@tobiasburke9495 How does it get obliterated? The thunderchild takes out all 3 tripods, sacrificing itself in the process, but ultimately succeeding in defending the ferry. I don’t believe that’s having their hopes obliterated, if anything it shows that the Martians are not this untouchable force that can’t be stopped. I’d argue that it’s more bittersweet, as whilst they know they can fight the Martians, it’s shown that it will still be costly and even then victory would still be uncertain.
@@falkturm8893 While yes, this was a small victory for mankind, it was also a final victory. This ship was the pinnacle of combat technology, and it could only take out three. With seemingly endless Martians being sent, and only a select few of such powerful ships being ever made, the battle, still, was lost. Yes we could fight, but we could not survive anyway.
@@tobiasburke9495 The thunderchild is stated to be a torpedo ram, which were often used as coastal defence ships. This is far from being the pinnacle of human technology, as these boats were designed to mainly perform sneak attacks, using their torpedoes to sink boats that were stationary in docks before running back to enemy territory, using the cover of darkness to evade the enemy. Their offensive capabilities were not particularly amazing, and by the time the book was published they were a somewhat old idea, being brought about in the 1870’s. All of this is to show that the Thunderchild, a somewhat old design, was able to take down 3 tripods. The thunderchild ultimately offers a glimmer of hope within the otherwise dark setting of WotW, showing humanities capability to fight back against seemingly impossible odds.
@@falkturm8893 While you have a pretty good point in that the ship was not a big battleship, I still remain unconvinced. Why send that ship instead of a far stronger vessel? Either a) all other ships are already in pieces, or b) there is no longer enough organisation left to get enough crew for a small vessel. Either way, humanity is still a spent Empire. Maybe we can agree to disagree? I don't see either of us being swayed.
Tripods: "Why can we hear boss music?"
My favourite track from The War of The Worlds.
Must say the spirit of man gives it a run for its money
@@jaybudz1620 No, Jay, No. It’s a good song but this has everything going for it; suspense, action, sacrifice and an awesome solo.
@@excrono but with the spirit of man you see a priest at his lowest questioning his own spiritual and moral beliefs, while I agree thunderchild has that going for it, the spirit of man I believe is a reflection of the inner turmoil we'd all experience in this scenario
@@jaybudz1620 @Excrono maybe you can like both songs? Or maybe you can enjoy it without trying to convince the other
@@adzxyz1950 I do enjoy both songs, this is just a discussion as to why we enjoy these songs
The book: dark, foreboding, existential.
The album: *g* *r* *o* *o* *v* *y*
Sounds about right
idk the horsell common bassline is dark and forboding. also a groovy af earworm, but still
The albums both it's the best thing about it
The guitar solo and crescendo absolutely kicks ass
This was such an excellent chapter in War of the Worlds. It made the aliens such a tangible threat. If I remember correctly the Thunder Child took 3 tripods down with her. The fact that the tripods were simply very strong and not invincible gave them an overbearing sense of power instead of blank plot armor. When all hope seemed lost we became an iceberg to their unsinkable Titanic. There was still a tiny glimmer of hope, and our protagonist had reason to fight.
They did take one out prior with land based artillery
What I've always loved about this chapter of the book is the implied threat of the Martians...
In the late 19th century, the British Empire was THE superpower of the time- and they were powerless. Yes a few tripods were destroyed but the heart of the empire was helpless- London fell with little effort.
Thunderchild was a last, final attempt to assert and protect it's place at the time...and while glorious it was doomed to fail...
A fantastic read :)
'Taking with her man's last hope for victory....no-one and nothing was left to fight them..'
The fall of Empire 😂
@@danielgoodwin4407They took out the redcoats, they ignored their colonies, other nations, other nations colonies, etc.
Make a god bleed and people know they are not gods.
Why the British Navy has yet to comission an HMS Thunderchild is a complete mystery to me. They could blast the shit out of this song everytime they came to port.
There is an American 17ft vessel used by the coastguard called Thunderchild.
@@LusciousTwinkle And I bet it's valiant (and defiant).
@@LusciousTwinkle wait 17ft? Like one of those RHIB cutterboats? Those get a name comissioned?
@@tomaspabon2484 All boats have names. Even my dads dinghy...
Why would you ever want to be aboard a ship called the Thunderchild knowing the best you can do is take out a single bad guy!
Bless the Thunderchild, and every man who sails in her
*sailed
Yeah bless the thunderchild the savior
I still can't believe that nowhere, not in direct adaptations or just general pop culture, have we had a proper Thunder Child moment on screen.
✊
@@LukeGreensmith The closest any movie adaptation comes, to my knowledge, is the 2005 adaptation's name of the military operation against the Tripods (Operation Thunderchild).
It would actually make more sense to prove their mortality by having some "unusual" force take one down through sheer surprise. To keep it as a ship, they could frankly just use an aircraft carrier. It doesn't attack directly, so they wouldn't know what to make of it at first and might just try to poison it like the Martians in Wells' novel.
It's the same sort of one-time-thing that doesn't suggest they can actually be defeated, but does prove that they can die. After they encounter one ship that launches a nuclear-capable F-22, they'd know not to let it happen again, but the audience would still see that it was possible to kill one (without resorting to an unlikely combination of events). It's a good indicator, too, of the fact that they haven't really planned things out too well. After all, in the end it's always the unknown-unknowns that take them down.
No captain can do very wrong when he places his ship alongside that of his enemy. - Nelson.
Or ramming into his enemy either
"England expects that every man will do his duty."
Oh eye 👀
March to the guns.
Nelson's official toast was, "A willing foe, and sea room!"
I've always kept secret that this song somehow always manages to move me to tears, I guess I find it a bit embarrassing. Humanity holding the line against the night, going out swinging against impossible odds. Come on Thunder Child!!
Why would you find it embarrassing? It should be a source of pride to be moved by the media you love
Every time, I am now 😢😢😢
Farewell Thunder child.
Me too! Always puts a lump in my throat.
I just heard this for the first time tonight and my eyes are blinded by tears, magnificent!
I hadn't thought of this before, but in a different genre, in the TV sci-fi series Babylon 5 you have a similar storyline. The alien Minbari are on the verge of attacking Earth, of wiping out humanity. The President broadcasts a desperate plea to the few remaining military personnel, and any ships capable of fighting, to hold the line. It's a suicide mission, but the longer they can delay the Minbari, the more transport ships can get away to save some remnant of humanity. The surviving military people are exhausted and beaten, but despite the hopelessness of the situation they all go into battle for what they know is one last time.
Babylon 5: The Minbari War - Battle of the Line speech
This song makes me tear up. I imagine Thunderchild's crew, heading to port, likely weary, likely wanting to find loved ones and get to safety, just as the protagonist does, but seeing the steamboat heading out, and the tripods moving to block them, they realize to give them a chance, indeed their ONLY chance, they had to come about. I imagine the captain giving a galvanizing speech of grim determination on deck and, every one of them knowing that this is likely a suicide mission, they heroically come about and engage the tripods at full steam, so to speak. ;_; Thank you Thunderchild.
The crew should be remembered as the most heroic people in the entire book and musical, nobody comes close to the hereoics of the HMS Thunderchild.
What speakers lol this is 1891? I guess he could use a megaphone
@@Lumotaku Good point. Perhaps meeting them on deck? Changed the post.
It's a bit hard to imagine "Thunderchild's crew, men and woman", being as it was a XIX century Royal Navy warship which would have an all-male crew.
@@notfeedynotlazy lol exactly. Women brought bad luck to ships.
The Thunderchild represents so much more than just a ship. The Thunderchild represents Humanity's will to fight against their destiny, to put everything on the line to give the Martians a black eye and a message:
"We will not go quietly into that good night."
We didn't climb through the endless mountain of corpses that is evolution to be taken down by some alien squid things
She's also important from a storytelling perspective, since at the time TWOTW was written, a ship like the Thunderchild was the most powerful manmade thing in the world. This battle doesn't just show Humanity's defiance, it also shows that even our most powerful weapon couldn't stand for long against the might of the Martians. I could go on about how that plays into the themes of the story, but I'll leave it at this, the fact that no modern interpertation of TWOTW seems to include the Thunderchild and its battle is a disservice to the story.
@@kpmh2001 sadly since its the beggining of the genra most seem like tropes when its the actual first inspiration for such tropes. so they use a nuke which were just desensitized to right now
@@TheHortoman Yup nukes are our most powerful weapon now so this is what they use, but this is still missing some of the soul of the Thunderchild. Humanities best minds might have built that ship but it was not the best and brightest manning it. The futility of elitism. The best of humanity is found throughout humanity. The highschool educated, down in their luck so they joined the armed forces people who when death was certain but they could buy a few more minutes to save strangers hold their ground, buy that time and pay the expected price. The story rings true. Heroes that pluck people from burning buildings are not usually the Bill Gates of the world. Just some random bastard.
It has parallels to Leonidas and his 300. They too knew they were going to die. It is deep.
@@christopherboyle2403 to be fair a modern analogue isnt viable against the same aliens since i assume we would defeat them at the moment
Best album of all time
A salute to the crew of HMS Thunderchild
One of the most heroic songs ever.
facts
Thunderchild's heroic sacrifice always makes me cry like a little boy.
Keep listening. One day Thunder Child will win. One day.
For me, the most powerful line of the song is:
Standing firm between them, There lay Thunder Child
The odds stacked against them the crew of the Thunderchild put themselves between the tripods and civilian ships. She may have gone to the bottom, but she was victorious in protecting the other ships. They reached the other side. Carrie was safe.
The thing is, the Thunder Child could have played it safe. They could have waited for reinforcements from the Channel Fleet, more powerful ships better able to challenge the Fighting Machines.
But that would have meant sacrificing the civilians. And the crew of the Thunder Child damn sure weren’t going to let that happen.
“Then with a deafening roar and whoosh of spray, it swung about and drove at full speed towards the waiting Martians.”
Right there a choice was made.
@@dylanmckenzie8566 That might be the most accurate depiction of the Royal Navy's captains at the time the book was set, where most captains would put their ship in the jaws of death to let civilians escape, and the Channel Fleet to return seeing the legacy
she also took all three tripods with her, one via her guns, another by ramming its legs, and the last when her boilers overheated and had a catastrophic steam explosion that also set the ships magazine off. The resulting explosion took out the third tripod.
2:15 that solo is the climax of the entire album for me.
it’s just so good
Lol @ Layla references
yup
@@yrockerboy wow! i never heard it until now, but yeah that's totally the layla riff. both kickass
2:40
One of if not the absolute greatest last stands ever created by man
I got into war of the world a few months ago and let me just say...
This musical...
Is a...
MASTERPIECE!
Very true. Classic or new gen? 👀
Absolutely
I was introduced to it by my father who still owns it on cassette, In fact I was there in person in the 2010 Dublin live show.
If you're enjoying the music that's wonderful to hear, remember War of the Worlds was originally a radio broadcast in 1938, if you want more content and more information on the War of the Worlds here's the original broadcast:
ua-cam.com/video/Xs0K4ApWl4g/v-deo.html
@@Robert10075both
@@DarraghMontgomeryThe War of the Worlds was originally a novel by H.G wells, the radio broadcast is the one that made the listeners think that there was an actual invasion
Jeff Wayne played that Guitar solo
Ah the Thunder Child, quite possibly my favorite ship in all of sci-fi. Hell she and her crew are one of the most badass ships ever if you ask me. I always love picturing it as she plows at full speed through the ocean and taking the Martians by surprise. And the crew, I can just imagine how they did their best even as the Martians brought the Heat Rays down upon the Thunder Child.
Hopefully, one day, we'll see her glorious last stand in live action.
The movies portrayal of this scene was one of the biggest let downs in cinematic history imo.
YESSSSS as each 3 of the fighting machines I imagine the brave gunners and crew letting out cries of absolute elation. Bless the crew of the Thunderchild.
The first time I had listened to this album in the 70's, I'd eaten 3 grams of psilocybin mushrooms... the twitch of the aliens sounding at the very end, penetrated my soul.
First time I listened to this in the 70s I was a little kid whose parents were hippies... this ALWAYS fucks me UP.
Am I the only one who has always and will always cry during this song? Yes, even when I saw the show live!
No
Not the only one.
Gets you right in the heart that part does
Nope I cried just now and I'd be right there crying with you too. such emotion to this piece.
@@leesaunders1930reading this made me feel a bit better about crying about it on the way to work 😅
In Civilization 6, whenever a unit reaches Veteran status, you can give it a name. I always, always name my first veteran ironclad Thunderchild.
Our pets are all named after battleships - one of the cats is Thunderchild
Isn't that weird I just downloaded civilization VI Today.
I named one of my horses in Red Dead Redemption II Thunderchild .
"If this is to be our end, then I would have them make such an end, as to be worthy of remembrance."
“If we are to burn, let us burn together”
God-damn right, Theoden!
Honestly war of the worlds should get more recognition and popularity
I mean, it's basically part of the classical sci-fi canon at this point. But I agree, more people should read it.
Indeed. It's quite sad how the kickstarter for most of the elements we see on sci-fi is pretty much quite niche nowadays
the thunderchild was born a warship... but it died a hero...
Thunderchild…… most probably the BEST track on the album
The Thunder Child in the book did better, killed one walker with it's guns and managed to destroy another one by slamming into it after being melted by the heat ray (it was a Torpedo Ram Ironclad so kind of designed to smash into things). Only thing in the book man made to give the Martian tripods a run for their money.
how many did it kill?
@@MatthewT394 Two confirmed, with the third tripod also missing after the smoke of battle clears.
@@superyogsothoth8594 I give it the third, too.
It does the same in this version too though? Two Martian war machines sent to the oceans hungering depths.
@@MatthewT394 I think it was implied that the boiler explosion took out the third walker along with Thunderchild herself. The powerplants on those ships had some serious power contained within them.
I love how Jeff Wayne’s musical personifies Thunderchild with the grim line “…melted her valiant heart”.
Since as a young boy reading Wells , War of the Worlds, when I was older I started building drag cars, everyone named Thunder Child.
The ultra-distorted guitar they use to represent the Heat Ray is the most wonderful sound in the world.
Thunder Child's valiant effort, will not be forgotten!
It is unfathomable to me why this has never been made into a movie.
all we need is a Thunderchild scene in the next adaptation/movie of wotw, there was at least a beach scene in BBC's series where the navy takes down two-three tripods but they weren't thunderchild
I think only Duncan Jones can do it. Call it Thunder Child and its about the ship and crew from its beginning to its heroic sacrifice.
I don't know how this would look in a movie. In a book it works because its a description, you get the sense of heroism and drama from the words and the circumstances presented, plus the passage of time isn't really defined. If portrayed on a screen; well, Thunderchilds a late 1800 Ironclad. She's slow, her charge probably starts miles away from the martians, and as a result this battle would seem a lot slower than it does in the story and, by extension, perhaps less dramatic. Not sure it'd have the same effect.
@@whispofwords2590actually given the story takes place in the late 1890s she would've been what is more commonly known as a pre-dreadnought albeit they were still called ironclads in the 1890s cause the term battleship still had yet to arise and the dreadnought had yet to be built. The top speed of most pre-dreadnoughts was about 33-35kph.
@@niallfarrell720 I don't know if she would've been a pre-dreadnaught. Mainly because of her being described as a ram. Shes also alone during the story despite squadrons of other large ships operating nearby, which makes me think perhaps by the time of the story shes an outdated second line ship left to her own devices due to her speed whilst the more modern predreadnaughts fly together.
I’m not crying. The heat ray is just really hurting my eyes…
Yeah man me to
Farewell Thunder child ------🎵🎶♪
Me:😭😭😭
Unironically 😭😭😭
How could anyone give a thumbs down to this.
Must be Martians
People who don't like the song obviously
@@peanut4507 No shit.
its impossible
Martians !
Thank you for being awesome, Dad.
Miss you.
I grew up listening to this with my dad on car rides, its a memory I'll always cherish. Luckily my dad is still with us, but I know that even after he passes I'll always be thankful for the memories we made while listening to this masterpiece. RIP ❤
I never been able to listen to this part without tearing up. Such strong emotion attached to this part.
The first time I listened to War of the worlds I was only 8yrs old and I'm now 49 and it still gets me everytime. Thunderchild is such a powerful name and as short as its time in the story is, it is the most impactful.
A masterpiece. And Richard Burton’s voice is just so dynamic
Thunderchild is the story of a defiant and valiant last defence, knowing ultimately all will be lost, but giving a small chance to those defenceless women, children and men on board of the steamer.
Still remember dad playing this in the living room, as my sister and I listened in rapt awe and fear to the events unfolding...
Among the most moving pieces of song I have ever experienced
I always get hyped when he says " come on thunder child"
I once had a vision of ending this plot .. a steamer passing the battlefield and suddenly an amazing picture emerges from behind a veil of smoke ..
Thunder Child stuck in a tripod, the front of the ship burns and slowly plunges into the water with the Martian.
A second tripod with a broken emitter of hot rays and a damaged one leg tries to keep its companion afloat.
Meanwhile, amidships, the only visible, alive but badly injured sailor sits next to the gun that has just fired the last volley before it was damaged, pulls out his pipe to inhale one last time of smoke.
The Martian and the sailor seem to be staring at each other on the last journey that lies ahead.
Excellent.
Love it.
Nice
One of my favorite tracks ever.
There's no reason to tear up over this, but I do every time
REAL
The book is set in 1890s Victorian Great Britain.The country was the worlds only superpower, it’s empire stretched around the world. The Royal Navy could crush anything of this world. To the Victorian mind Thunderchild being beaten would be unthinkably unbelievable and demoralising. Hence Thunderchild represents the Royal Navy in my eyes. With that gone the earth belongs to the Martians.
Also Thunderchilds crew know that they have a snowballs chance in hell of winning this action and yet drove at full speed into it.Scots , English, Welsh and Irish, we were the Crazy gang we would attack anything.
The modern interpretations have never worked for me because now we could just explode earth.
A lot of people forget that in the book the Thunder Child was only the first skirmish of a larger battle.
In the book after the Thunder Child sinks and the sun below the horizon the rest of the Home fleet arrives and engages in a major naval battle at night which we are not told the conclusion of.
My gamertag has been Thunderchild since 1999. Long Live THUNDERCHILD!
This paints a picture in my mind of a epic naval battle between Englands final military asset, a pre WW warship, and three highly advanced alien robots along the shore. With the Thunder Child just kamikaze-ing straight into one of em to draw away attention from the exodus. And while those on the boats escaped, they are the last to do so. As the now total extermination of Englands military means the aliens have gained total control.
Iirc in the book the rest of the fleet arrives after the Thunder Child makes its stand, it was the only one close enough to help those steamers
@@badbeardbill9956 and it didn't kamikaze either, while the book upto this point was people always running away, Thuderchild Charged towards them!
What i would give for a modern film depicting Thunderchild in all of her heroism and glory.
I used to listen to this every night for months when I was a kid. I really wish they would make a movie from this album.
An animated film was announced a few years back, but nothing has been heard from it since
Well that's just disappointing
ua-cam.com/video/-yV1IVLp2E0/v-deo.html
There are 2 versions of the live concert the 1st featured a lot of the original cast. There was a large animated head of a young Richard Burton, which was weird.
The second version is with a new cast with Liam Neeson taking the narrator role is a better stage show
Not only this is my favorite among all great tracks on this album, this is one of my top favorite songs. I love how the orchestra was used and who can forget Mr. Burton's voice. Genius. Amazing. Everything is Perfect.
Still listening on...for the thousandth time...and still cannot fault a single element of this album. NOT ONE. It is the absolute peak of combined human artistic achievement. I now listen with the ears of a producer, engineer and creator...and it simultaneously enriches my soul, inspires, amazes, and evokes tears of joy. Jeff Wayne was a visionary on a level that I feel the latter producers will NEVER equal. If you want to be the best musician or artist you can ever be, you HAVE TO START HERE! THIS is the benchmark for all creativity. It is the epitome of the roots of all existing works now.
One thing i will say is that i wish jeff wayne's version included more sfx like the steam whistles
Whats intresting to me is how the fate of thunderchild really does spell an *apparent* martian victory. As at the time a battleship was the pinnacle of military technology of the time. Like if a warship cant defeat them then whats left that can?
What a great story, brought to life through this music
To be fair, the Thunderchild was a relatively small if well armed ship. Not a Battleship by any means, but still a formidable fighting machine.
@@hmshood319 The vessel Thunder Child is based on was primarily armed with torpedoes and had very small guns, designed to fight off torpedoes destroyers if they were encountered
NAFO mentioned this song, I had never heard it before today, and I didn't know I needed it in my life, but I did!
Chris Thompson, one of the great voices of rock.
One of my fav albums, I also have the original 1938 version told by Orson Wells,now is something else.
Thunderchild is the best track I love it
Most def. should be listen to with headphones!
The 25 dislikes are the family of the one tripod that the Thunderchild hit.
or the one shot down
He took down 2 confirmed and one possibly due to the gas explosion of the fuel tank and ammunition
@@shroom6766 Don't mean to nitpick but it would have been a steam explosion, gas wasn't generally used in naval warfare back then
@@codyyoung5946 yeah I right. I thought this took place back during WW1 era.
@@shroom6766 1890's if i remember correctly. So 100% HMS ThunderChild was using a steam engine. which tend to make a hell of an explosion once the boilers hit the cold water.
Burton is absolutely brilliant
The smoke of battle clearing - farewell Thunder Child. Every time I hear this I hope it ends differently. Just perfect music! Jeff Wayne is such a legend.
I was 13 when i first heard this on an album and also a reel to real.My dad was happy and so was i ,just sitting and listning durring a thunder storm.oh how i wont forget a happy moment in time like that!!!Miss you dad erik!!! where ever you went?im now turning 50 this year HAHA!I made it...
Come on thunderchild still sends shivers down my spine and i have listed to this story for over 40 years.
The ending gives me chills everytime without fail
-"The human resistance is shattered, their persistent insurgency terminated. We are now preparing for the migration. Soon we shall farm and feast upon these animals, and a new era of peace and plenty will follow."
-"The humans are running... disorganised... their society collapsed. The Earth is ours to take."
"Ayo why I got a fever-"
The comment above killed me😂
Weird way to say "ULLAAAAAA", but w/e
You listen to this song, over and over again with that tiny voice in the back of your head screaming out for Thunderchild to overcome through tri-pods even though you know how it's gonna end
It’s defeat is irrelevant, the statement is showed everyone watching *is*.
They passed on, hope. Survive another month, another year, live through.
If I was living in London, this would be my dream role: The Voice of Humanity.
I'd just settle for Richard Burton's smooth barritone
It's got to be the Artillery man surely? It always seems like such a fun role to play.
Can you imagine, that after hearing that song, ive decided the became a warship constructer. Happy childhood with Jeff Wayne and Pink Floyd. Ever greatest masterpiece!!!!
That's amazing congrats
New type of armored warships could keep Martians at bay, but the more they fired at them from a distance, the less chances they hit.
Thunder Child did not use his advantage because it would be too late to save the steamer and he had to attack from a direct distance to focus the attention of the Martians.
Plus they were fighting in the Thames Estuary which is a knife fighting range for any ship really. Plus I see the heat ray as an anti infantry weapon mostly at best I think it could penetrate weak deck armor if a tripod is taller than a ship. And probably at point blank range as thermal blooming comes into effect the farther away a target is so the ray starts to defocus. The channel fleet can engage from several kilometers away in much deeper waters. And the legs of a tripod are only so long until they are submerged in deeper water. At the ranges battleships can engage the heat rays would just burn the paint and black smoke canisters might just fall into the water all from the safety of deeper waters.
Thunder Child, was a torpedo ram, in a time when they were (very briefly) believed to be the future of naval warfare. The point is that Thunder Child is supposed to be the most advanced and powerful form of weapon available to mankind, and that it was still destroyed very quickly.
If you wanna know what the HMS Thunder Child would've looked like with historical context, this is it: ua-cam.com/video/pQBund8uLmo/v-deo.html
@@hmshood9212 In the book the fate of the Channel Fleet is left rather nebulous, but it is implied that the Thunderchild only managed what it did due to the element of surprise, as it was the Martians’ first encounter with large warships. The other ships of the Fleet lacked this advantage and with the potency of Martian weapons (and the appearance of Martian flying machines around this point) the conclusion that can be drawn is grim.
@@hmshood9212 the heat ray at least in the book went clean through the ship with it only surviving because it didnt hit anything important. the second shot hit its boiler and detonated it
Jeff Wayne's WAR OF THE WORLDS is a pop music masterpiece!
A bad day to be a tripod.
Do you see torpedo boats?
@@moritamikamikara3879 *ensuing klaxons and panic*
Or a battlecruiser.
LOAD THE BINOCULARS!
that chord change at the end gives me goosebumps every time. especially following those crazy WOW WOW WOW noises
ULLAAAAAAAAAA
@@l3dz3bra66 They literally just said it right as I read your comment
One of my favourite bits of the whole audiobook is The sick guitar solo.
My favourite song from the album.. Chris Thompson from Manfred Mann's Earth band!!! There should be an HMS Thunderchild how cool would that be
The world's darkest hour...was their finest!
based pfp
This was its brightest hour, it gave people hope, its sacrifice was not in vain.
My God Richard Burton’s voice ❤
He could read the phone book and it would be exciting. On Parkinson he once did do just that
Love the comments on here. I couldn't have put it better myself. This song packs a particular emotional wallop for me for all the reasons given below. A stirring tribute to the men of the Royal Navy - "Engage the enemy more closely!"
The fight is yet to come. God bless 😢
So bad ass. One small iron clad going head to head knowing they would it win but could delay.
The Royal Navy hasn't lost a war since the 1680s.
@@ianwhitchurch864 alternate universe
I wanna see a movie based on Thunder Child and its crew from the day it was built to its finest hour taking on three tripods. As long as it involves Duncan Jones.
Small? Coastal dreadnaughts were compact. But even decades later, they were considered vicious opponents.
@@miafillene4396 torpedo ram. A fictional ironclad. Not a pre dread or dreadnought.
Not surprisingly, the "iron clads" were Britain's most advanced warships of the time. Not surprising then that an iron clad would pit itself against the most advanced fighting machine imaginable by mankind. Also not surprising then that it didn't end well.
With mankind's most powerful weapon now out of the running, the scene is set for our destruction, and yet, another of mankind's adversaries comes to our aid. What poetic twist of fate.
Not really, by the end of the 1890s when the book is set, ironclads were kind of an outdated concept. It was novel back in the days of the American Civil War but by the time of the Martian Invasion pre-dreadnought battleships were well established.
Notably the Thunderchild is described as a torpedo ram, an incredibly outdated concept by the time this was set. Assuming she was laid down during the final years of the torpedo ram era she would have been at least four decades old or more.
In the song it makes sense to picture her as the best and finest of the Royal Navy but in the book this was a desperate suicidal charge by an old rustbucket.
@@tomaspabon2484 Im going to disagree with you the battle of Lissa made the ram look good the book is written in 1898 and the Hms Polythemus was built in 1881 which appearently is the only torpedo ram the Royal navy had.
@@Lumotaku the book was written in 1898 but its set an undeterminate ammount of time in the future, some time in the early 1900s. Also while Lissa showed the effectiveness of ramming attacks, it waz also a gigantic clusterfuck where neither side could utilize their gunnery to its full extent. Even then it was recognized that battleships would be fighting mostly in long range gun duels. Lissa was just kind of a bizarre artifact of like...literal Roman Period naval warfare.
@@tomaspabon2484 your speaking out your ass. Look up the gunnery accuracy at manila bay for example sure when gun directors were improved in the early 1900 it led to the dreadnought but in 1898 there was no move to long range gunnery.
@MHWG5389 An iron clad ram was already out of date by the late 1890s just saying.
I've been waiting for this on the official channel for a long time.
I always feel great every time I hear this. :)
Your imaginary friend is a total badass madlad
If i ever win a lot of money on the lottery i will make a film based on this album....... Actors to play the parts but the soundtrack dubbed over the top so it's EXACTLY how all is fans of this album have probably imagined it looking!!!! No changes.....
A teacher played this album to us when I was in the junior school it was fantastic when teachers were teachers 👍😁
This song always stirs up emotions, it is an exceptionally well written and powerful song.
"In range?"
"Not yet, sir."
"Come on, come on!"
"She'll fly apart!"
_"Fly her apart, then!"_
Richard Burton was the best. Melted the Thunder Child's valiant heart.
Those 166 people that disliked were probably the Martians
just amazing piece of musical theatre - Chris Thompson has such a great voice and the guitar solo (Chris Spedding? ) just evokes so many
emotions.
Excellent singing, Chris Thompson! 👏
My favourite show. I was lucky enough to do an official amateur production of this show in Cornwall. I put the set together as well as portraying carries father
Haha…yes my amateur local theatre production did this too in Perth. However one of the guys fell though the prop’s thunderchild’s hull, and aroused laugher. It was funny as fuck
We making it out of horsell common with this one🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🗣️🗣️
There were ships of shapes and sizes scattered out along the bay and I thought I heard her calling as the steamer pulled away the invaders must’ve seen them as across the coast they filed standing firm between them there layed thunder child. Moving swiftly through the waters cannons blazing as she came brought a mighty metal warlord crashing down in sheets of flame, sensing victory was nearing thinking fortune must have smiled people started cheering “cmon thunder child x2” lashing ropes and smashing timbers flashing heat rays pierced the deck dashing hopes for our deliverance as we watched the sinking wreck with the smoke of battle clearing over graves in waves defiled slowly disappearing farewell thunder child x2. Farewell thunder childx2. Uuulaaaaa. Thanks to my amazing dad he performed this at school farewell thunder child