Words & Music ©1992 by Rik Palieri

In the muddy rice paddies, of the long bloody war
He carried his rifle like his brother before
He fought like the devil, earned the stripes on his arms
In the hot steamy jungles of south Vietnam

CHORUS 

A bitter-proud solider with old battle wounds
with a war he still waging in ever dark room
He's hitting the bottle and filling his pipe
still dodging the bullets when he turns out the lights 

An enemy bullet took him deep in his chest
but some of his buddies, they caught their last breath
When they flew him back home, his friends went for the ride
In a cold metal casket with a flag for each bride

CHORUS

Sleepy  morning pint of whiskey by his knee
watching war movies on a pawn shop TV
In his broken down trailer, a drift and alone
Still waiting for orders to send him on home.

CHORUS