She thought he'd never have to go
She thought he'd never leave his home
She thought he'd watch his children grow
Then came the ringing on the phone
It was dispatch on the line
Telling him that it was time
To pack his bags and say farewell
It's time to catch a train to hell…
Send them off to senseless slaughter,
What to tell our sons and daughters
When they're lying all alone
The dark sound of distant thunder,
Another world in torn asunder
When the body bags come home.
Out of high school in '93
He dreamed of getting a degree
Money was tight, there was no way
But the Army said that it would pay
Now he's traded off his life
Left his children and his wife
To die in someone else's war
What else are soldiers for?
Send them off to senseless slaughter,
What to tell our sons and daughters
When they're lying all alone
The dark sound of distant thunder,
Another world in torn asunder
When the body bags come home.
They both tried to play it cool
When the kids came home from school
"We got the news this afternoon
Your father's sure he'll be back soon."
Little Tyler spoke up first
And his eyes told of the worst
Lila shook her head and swore
"Daddy's going off to war."
Send them off to senseless slaughter,
What to tell our sons and daughters
When they're lying all alone..
The dark sound of distant thunder,
Another world in torn asunder
When the body bags come home.
Her father he had done his time
Vietnam in '69
They were caught up on the ridge
He was the only one that lived..
Sometimes he'd stay up 'till sunrise
And get that dark look in his eyes
From memories he couldn't hide
So he drank until he died
Send them off to senseless slaughter,
What to tell our sons and daughters
When they're lying all alone..
The dark sound of distant thunder,
Another world in torn asunder
When the body bags come home.
Home… home…
…Be all that you can be
Fight to keep this country free
And defend democracy
That's noble sentiment to me
But words can lie and words can trick
And when they lay it on real thick
Who's freedom is this anyway
Who profits from the price we pay?
Send them off to senseless slaughter,
What to tell our sons and daughters
When they're lying all alone…
The dark sound of distant thunder,
Another world in torn asunder
When the body bags come home…
Come home, come home…
Please come home.
She thought he'd never leave his home
She thought he'd watch his children grow
Then came the ringing on the phone
It was dispatch on the line
Telling him that it was time
To pack his bags and say farewell
It's time to catch a train to hell…
Send them off to senseless slaughter,
What to tell our sons and daughters
When they're lying all alone
The dark sound of distant thunder,
Another world in torn asunder
When the body bags come home.
Out of high school in '93
He dreamed of getting a degree
Money was tight, there was no way
But the Army said that it would pay
Now he's traded off his life
Left his children and his wife
To die in someone else's war
What else are soldiers for?
Send them off to senseless slaughter,
What to tell our sons and daughters
When they're lying all alone
The dark sound of distant thunder,
Another world in torn asunder
When the body bags come home.
They both tried to play it cool
When the kids came home from school
"We got the news this afternoon
Your father's sure he'll be back soon."
Little Tyler spoke up first
And his eyes told of the worst
Lila shook her head and swore
"Daddy's going off to war."
Send them off to senseless slaughter,
What to tell our sons and daughters
When they're lying all alone..
The dark sound of distant thunder,
Another world in torn asunder
When the body bags come home.
Her father he had done his time
Vietnam in '69
They were caught up on the ridge
He was the only one that lived..
Sometimes he'd stay up 'till sunrise
And get that dark look in his eyes
From memories he couldn't hide
So he drank until he died
Send them off to senseless slaughter,
What to tell our sons and daughters
When they're lying all alone..
The dark sound of distant thunder,
Another world in torn asunder
When the body bags come home.
Home… home…
…Be all that you can be
Fight to keep this country free
And defend democracy
That's noble sentiment to me
But words can lie and words can trick
And when they lay it on real thick
Who's freedom is this anyway
Who profits from the price we pay?
Send them off to senseless slaughter,
What to tell our sons and daughters
When they're lying all alone…
The dark sound of distant thunder,
Another world in torn asunder
When the body bags come home…
Come home, come home…
Please come home.
Contributed by giorgio - 2009/9/20 - 11:44
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Album: If All The Land Would Rise
Songwriters: Ethan Miller and Kate Boverman
The U.S. recruits its soldiers through systematic blackmail: By refusing to provide access to affordable higher education for all citizens, the government is able to use education as a “carrot-on-a-stick,” forcing young people from low-income backgrounds into military service as their only hope of accessing educational opportunities beyond high school. “Volunteer army”? Not quite.
This song dedicated to all of the families who keep the home fires burning, awaiting the safe return of their loved ones from the wars of the empire-builders.