there was a decorated general with a heart of gold that likened him to all the stories he told of past battles, won and lost, and legends of old a seasoned veteran in his own time
on the battlefield, he gained respectable fame with many medals of bravery and stripes to his name he grew a beard as soon as he could to cover the scars on his face and always urged his men on
but on the eve of a great battle with the infantry in dream the old general tossed in his sleep and wrestled with its meaning he awoke from the night to tell what he had seen and walked slowly out of his tent
all the men held tall with their chests in the air, with the courage in their blood and a fire in their stare and it was a gray morning and they all wondered how they would fare 'till the old general told them to go home
he said
i have seen the others and i have discovered that this fight is not worth fighting and i've seen their mothers and i will no other to follow me where i'm going
so take a shower and shine your shoes you got no time to lose you are young men you must be living
take a shower and shine your shoes you got no time to lose you are young and you must be living
go now you are forgiven
but the men stood fast with their guns on their shoulders not knowing what to do with the contradicting orders the general said he would do his own duty but he would extend it no further the men could go as they pleased
not a man moved their eyes gazed straight ahead 'till one by one they stepped back and not a word was said and the old general was left with his own words echoing in his head he then prepared to fight
When your spine is cracking and your hands, they shake, Heart is bursting and you butt's gonna break. Your woman's cussing, you can hear her scream, You feel like murder in the first degree. Ain't nobody slowing down no way, Ev'rybody's stepping on their accelerator, Don't matter where you are, Ev'rybody's gonna need a ventilator. When you're trapped and circled with no second chances, Your code of living is your gun in hand. We can't be bowed by beating, we can't be cowed by words, Messed by cheating, ain't gonna ever learn. Ev'rybody walking 'round, Ev'rybody trying to step on their Creator. Don't matter where you are, ev'rybody, ev'rybody gonna Need some kind of ventilator, some kind of ventilator. What you gonna do about it, what you gonna do? What you gonna do about it, what you gonna do? Gonna fight it, gonna fight it?
What can you see from your window I can't see anything from mine Flags on the side of the highway Scripture on grocery store signs Maybe 18 was too early Maybe 30 or 40 is to Did you get chance to make peace with the man Before he sent down his angels for you
Mama's and grandmama's love you Cause that's all they know how to do And you never planned on the bombs in the sand Or sleeping in your dress blues
Your wife said this all would be funny If you came back home in a week You'd turn 22 and they'd celebrate you In a bar or tent by the creek Your baby would just about be here Your very last tour would be up But you ain't coming back They're all dressing in black Drinking sweet tea in styrofoam cups
Mama's and grandmama's love you American boys hate to lose And you never planned on the bombs in the sand Or sleeping in your dress blues
The highschool gymnasium is ready Full of flowers and old legionaires Nobody showed up to protest Just a sniffle and stare
Red white and blue in the rafters A silent old man from the corp What did they say when they shipped you away To fight somebody's hollywood war
Mama's and grandmama's love you Cause that's all they know how to do And you never planned on the bombs in the sand Or sleeping in your dress blues
Nobody here could forget you You showed us what we had to lose And you never planned on the bombs in the sand Or sleeping in your dress blues
Last night I closed my eyes And watched the tracers fly Through the jungle trees Like fireflies on a windy night Pulled up and onward by the breeze I can still hear the far off tin-canny sounds Of their machine guns come unwound And I was shakin' like Little Richard And I was sweatin' like ol' James Brown
Over by my window sill The moon was still On my cigarettes and wine Sometimes there's where I pray to Jesus Sometimes there's where I pray to die But I could still sense the circling danger Of those invisible bastards of a piss-hot day I was shakin' with ol' Proud Mary I was sittin' on the dock of the bay
Take the hits, boys, take the hits Don't smoke your Bible and don't lose your wits Because the sky is filled with shrapnel And your eyes are filled with tears
Hold your breath, boys, hold your breath Finger your trigger and welcome death Because the chopper's filled with your gut-shot friends Your hearts are filled with fear
Fables tell of men who fell With swords dangling from their chest The old guys down at the taproom swear The Japs could kill you best But late at night I could still hear the cries Of three black guys I seen take it in the face I think about them sweet Motown girls they left behind And the assholes that took their place
6 Comments:
there was a decorated general with
a heart of gold
that likened him
to all the stories he told
of past battles, won and lost, and
legends of old
a seasoned veteran in his own time
on the battlefield, he gained respectable fame
with many medals of bravery and stripes to his name
he grew a beard as soon as he could
to cover the scars on his face
and always urged his men on
but on the eve of a great battle
with the infantry in dream
the old general
tossed in his sleep
and wrestled with its meaning
he awoke from the night
to tell what he had seen
and walked slowly out of his tent
all the men held tall with their
chests in the air, with the courage in their blood and a fire in their stare
and it was a gray morning and they all
wondered how they would fare
'till the old general told them to go home
he said
i have seen the others
and i have discovered
that this fight is not worth fighting
and i've seen their mothers
and i will no other
to follow me where i'm going
so take a shower and shine your shoes
you got no time to lose
you are young men
you must be living
take a shower and shine your shoes
you got no time to lose
you are young and you must be living
go now you are forgiven
but the men stood fast
with their guns on their shoulders not knowing what to do
with the contradicting orders
the general said he would do his own duty but he would extend it no further
the men could go as they pleased
not a man moved
their eyes gazed straight ahead
'till one by one they stepped back and not a word was said
and the old general was left with his own words
echoing in his head
he then prepared to fight
he said
go now you are forgiven
When your spine is cracking and your hands, they shake,
Heart is bursting and you butt's gonna break.
Your woman's cussing, you can hear her scream,
You feel like murder in the first degree.
Ain't nobody slowing down no way,
Ev'rybody's stepping on their accelerator,
Don't matter where you are,
Ev'rybody's gonna need a ventilator.
When you're trapped and circled with no second chances,
Your code of living is your gun in hand.
We can't be bowed by beating, we can't be cowed by words,
Messed by cheating, ain't gonna ever learn.
Ev'rybody walking 'round,
Ev'rybody trying to step on their Creator.
Don't matter where you are, ev'rybody, ev'rybody gonna
Need some kind of ventilator, some kind of ventilator.
What you gonna do about it, what you gonna do?
What you gonna do about it, what you gonna do?
Gonna fight it, gonna fight it?
What can you see from your window
I can't see anything from mine
Flags on the side of the highway
Scripture on grocery store signs
Maybe 18 was too early
Maybe 30 or 40 is to
Did you get chance to make peace with the man
Before he sent down his angels for you
Mama's and grandmama's love you
Cause that's all they know how to do
And you never planned on the bombs in the sand
Or sleeping in your dress blues
Your wife said this all would be funny
If you came back home in a week
You'd turn 22 and they'd celebrate you
In a bar or tent by the creek
Your baby would just about be here
Your very last tour would be up
But you ain't coming back
They're all dressing in black
Drinking sweet tea in styrofoam cups
Mama's and grandmama's love you
American boys hate to lose
And you never planned on the bombs in the sand
Or sleeping in your dress blues
The highschool gymnasium is ready
Full of flowers and old legionaires
Nobody showed up to protest
Just a sniffle and stare
Red white and blue in the rafters
A silent old man from the corp
What did they say when they shipped you away
To fight somebody's hollywood war
Mama's and grandmama's love you
Cause that's all they know how to do
And you never planned on the bombs in the sand
Or sleeping in your dress blues
Nobody here could forget you
You showed us what we had to lose
And you never planned on the bombs in the sand
Or sleeping in your dress blues
Last night I closed my eyes
And watched the tracers fly
Through the jungle trees
Like fireflies on a windy night
Pulled up and onward by the breeze
I can still hear the far off tin-canny sounds
Of their machine guns come unwound
And I was shakin' like Little Richard
And I was sweatin' like ol' James Brown
Over by my window sill
The moon was still
On my cigarettes and wine
Sometimes there's where I pray to Jesus
Sometimes there's where I pray to die
But I could still sense the circling danger
Of those invisible bastards of a piss-hot day
I was shakin' with ol' Proud Mary
I was sittin' on the dock of the bay
Take the hits, boys, take the hits
Don't smoke your Bible and don't lose your wits
Because the sky is filled with shrapnel
And your eyes are filled with tears
Hold your breath, boys, hold your breath
Finger your trigger and welcome death
Because the chopper's filled with your gut-shot friends
Your hearts are filled with fear
Fables tell of men who fell
With swords dangling from their chest
The old guys down at the taproom swear
The Japs could kill you best
But late at night I could still hear the cries
Of three black guys I seen take it in the face
I think about them sweet Motown girls they left behind
And the assholes that took their place
Cool! If war is indeed over. I'll close down the roads and party!
you fuck
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