WE MET AS SOUL MATES
ON PARRIS ISLAND
WE LEFT AS INMATES
FROM AN ASYLUM
AND WE WERE SHARP
AS SHARP AS KNIVES
AND WE WERE SO
GUNG HO
TO LAY DOWN OUR LIVES
WE CAME IN SPASTIC
LIKE TAMELESS HORSES
WE LEFT IN PLASTIC
AS NUMBERED CORPSES
AND WE LEARNED FAST
TO TRAVEL LIGHT
OUR ARMS WERE HEAVY
BUT OUR BELLIES
WERE TIGHT
WE HAD NO HOME FRONT
WE HAD NO SOFT SOAP
THEY SENT US PLAYBOY
THEY GAVE US BOB HOPE
WE DUG IN DEEP
AND SHOT ON SIGHT
AND PRAYED TO
JESUS CHRIST
WITH ALL OF OUR MIGHT
WE HAD NO CAMERAS
TO SHOOT
THE LANDSCAPE
WE PASSED
THE HASH PIPE
AND PLAYED OUR
DOORS TAPES
AND IT WAS DARK
SO DARK AT NIGHT
AND WE HELD ONTO
EACH OTHER LIKE
BROTHER TO BROTHER
WE PROMISED
OUR MOTHERS
WE'D WRITE
AND WE WOULD ALL
GO DOWN TOGETHER
WE SAID WE'D ALL
GO DOWN TOGETHER
YES WE WOULD ALL
GO DOWN TOGETHER
REMEMBER CHARLIE
REMEMBER BAKER
THEY LEFT
THEIR CHILDHOOD
ON EVERY ACRE
AND WHO WAS WRONG
AND WHO WAS RIGHT
IT DIDN'T MATTER
IN THE THICK
OF THE FIGHT
WE
HELD THE DAY
IN THE PALM
OF OUR HAND
THEY RULED THE NIGHT
AND THE NIGHT
SEEMED TO LAST
AS LONG AS SIX WEEKS
ON PARRIS ISLAND
WE HELD THE COASTLINE
THEY HELD
THE HIGHLANDS
AND THEY WERE SHARP
AS SHARP AS KNIVES
THEY HEARD THE HUM
OF OUR MOTORS
THEY COUNTED
THE ROTORS
AND WAITED FOR US
TO ARRIVE
AND WE WOULD ALL
GO DOWN TOGETHER
WE SAID WE'D ALL
GO DOWN TOGETHER
YES WE WOULD ALL
GO DOWN TOGETHER