SAID GOODBYE
TO HIS MAMA
AS HE LEFT
SOUTH DAKOTA
TO FIGHT FOR
THE RED WHITE AND BLUE
HE WAS NINETEEN
AND GREEN
WITH A NEW M-16
JUST DOIN'
WHAT HE HAD TO DO
HE WAS DROPPED IN
THE JUNGLE
WHERE THE CHOPPERS
WOULD RUMBLE
WITH THE SMELL
OF NAPALM IN THE AIR
THEN THE SARGEANT SAID
LOOK UP AHEAD
LIKE A DARK EVIL CLOUD
TWELVE HUNDRED
CAME DOWN
ON HIM
AND TWENTY-NINE MORE
THEY FOUGHT FOR
THEIR LIVES
BUT MOST OF THEM DIED
IN THE
ONE SEVENTY-THIRD
AIRBORNE
ON THE EIGHTH
OF NOVEMBER
THE ANGELS WERE CRYIN'
AS THEY CARRIED
HIS BROTHERS AWAY
WITH THE FIRE
RAININ' DOWN
AND THE HELL
ALL AROUND
THERE WERE
FEW MEN LEFT
STANDIN' THAT DAY
SAW THE EAGLE FLY
THROUGH
A CLEAR BLUE SKY
1965
THE EIGHTH
OF NOVEMBER
NOW HE'S FIFTY-EIGHT
AND HIS
PONYTAIL'S GRAY
BUT THE BATTLE
STILL PLAYS
IN HIS HEAD
HE LIMPS
WHEN HE WALKS
BUT HE'S STRONG
WHEN HE TALKS
'BOUT THE SHRAPNEL
THEY LEFT IN HIS LEG
HE PUTS ON A GRAY SUIT
OVER HIS
AIRBORNE TATTOO
AND HE TIES IT ON
ONE TIME A YEAR
AND REMEMBERS
THE FALLEN
AS HE ORDERS
A TALL ONE
AND SWALLOWS IT DOWN
WITH HIS TEARS
ON THE EIGHTH
OF NOVEMBER
THE ANGELS WERE
CRYIN' AS
THEY CARRIED
HIS BROTHERS AWAY
WITH THE FIRE
RAININ' DOWN
AND THE HELL
ALL AROUND
THERE WERE
FEW MEN LEFT
STANDIN' THAT DAY
SAW THE EAGLE FLY
THROUGH
A CLEAR BLUE SKY
1965
THE EIGHTH
OF NOVEMBER
THE EIGHTH
OF NOVEMBER
SAID GOODBYE
TO HIS MAMA
AS HE LEFT
SOUTH DAKOTA
TO FIGHT FOR
THE RED WHITE AND BLUE
HE WAS NINETEEN
AND GREEN
WITH A NEW M-16
JUST DOIN' WHAT
HE HAD TO DO