Kid go take up arms is what they said
As you march into the night
Don't ask questions, know its right
Kid go take up arms is what they said

So I'm sitting in my bedroom, down in New Orleans
When a hurricane washed it away
Gone were my possessions and my home, and so
I signed up for the army that day

It seemed like a good idea at the time
With no money, or future there
With a nod to my past, and a long look at last
I set off for my new career

They put me in a plane and dropped me on the sand
With a rifle and American flag
They gave me porno mags, and cheap cigarettes
And sized me up for a body bag

And I'm proud to say that somehow I found my way home
On the backs of my brothers and friends
And though it still beats and keeps me on my feet
I'll admit that my heart is now dead

So the next time you take your pen and sign a slip
To send another young man over seas
It's true what we're fighting for might have been yours
But the one who was fighting was me