Now the C aptain called me t o his bed
He fu mbled for my ha nd
Ta ke these silver ba rs he said
I'm giv ing you comm and.
Comm and of what there's n o one here
There's on ly you and m e
All the re st are dead or in retreat
Or wi th the en emy.
Complain c omplain that's all you've done
Eve r since we lo st
If it 's not the Crucifix ion
Then it 's the Holocau st.
May Ch rist have mercy on you r soul
For maki ng such a jo ke
Amid th ese hearts that burn like coal
And the fles h that rose like sm oke.
I kn ow that you have suf fered lad
But su ffer this awhi le
Whateve r makes a soldier sa d
Will ma ke a killer smi le.
I'm le aving Captain I've got to g o
There's bl ood upon your ha nd
But te ll me Captain if you know
Of a de cent place to sta nd.
There i s no decent place to sta nd
I n a massac re
But i f a woman take your ha nd
Then g o and stand with he r.
I lef t a wife in Tennesse e
And a b aby in Saigo n
I risk ed my life but not to hear
Some co untry-western son g.
Ah but i f you cannot raise your lov e
To a v ery high degre e
Then you're ju st the man I've been thinking o f
So co me and stand with m e.
Your sta nding days are done I cri ed
You'll r ally me no mor e
I do n't even know what side
We fo ught on or what fo r.
I'm on the side that's always lo st
Again st the side of Heave n
I'm o n the side of Snake-eyes toss ed
Again st the side of Seve n
And I've r ead the Bill of Human Righ ts
And som e of it was tru e
But th ere wasn't any burden left
So I'm la ying it on yo u.
Now the Ca ptain he was dy ing
But the Ca ptain wasn't hu rt
The si lver bars were i n my hand
I pin ned them to my shi rt
