Then he heard a blast like the sound of the universe exploding. 'It's 8:15…' In disbelief, Mikamo saw a gigantic fireball brighter than the sun racing towards him.

He wiped sweat from his brow as he admired the view of the city below. Under the clear skies of the fine summer morning, Shinji Mikamo had finished his breakfast of millet and grass porridge, and climbed onto the roof of his house to remove clay tiles. Beneath the studded cockpit windows, the aircraft bore the name of the pilot's mother: Enola Gay. Lightened by disgorging its deadly cargo, the B-29 bomber rose suddenly in the air, banked steeply and flew away at full throttle. UK picture sleeve, UK labels The Story Behind The Song