Song From a Soldier's Child

«Don't go away, don’t let them take you away!»
His son bent down and cried
«Don't go away, daddy, don’t go away!»
Looking him right in the eyes
«Don't go away, no, don’t go away
My only wish is that you’d stay
My only wish is that you’d stay»
Well the gun on his shoulders
Held ready and loaded
With each shiny bullet reflecting
The life of another man
But still
«March on,» is the command
So he follows his orders while
Grasping his photos
Where his son and his daughter smile brightly
Beside his beloved wife
Wishing he was home
Sitting right by their side
Right by their side
Right by their side
Well weeks and months gone by
And his guns still on his shoulder
But today in the mail, a card from his daughter saying:
«Daddy, I’m six today
And I wanted to say I love you
Big brother, he says he loves you
And mommy says she loves you, too
And daddy, I wish you were here
Daddy, I wish you were here»
Then down at the bottom hand
Some scribbles written saying
«Well Daddy, I know that I’m young
But I just don’t understand
Why must things be this way?
Be this way, be this way, be this way?
They made you a soldier, they took you away
Trained you with weapons, which destruct as they spray
All of this leaving me confused today
So confused today»
Well night has now rolled on through
But he gets out his notebook and
By starlight, he pours out his heart to his wife at home
Writing these words, expressing these words, crying these words:
«This fight is expensive, friendship would be free
My soul has been torn screaming 'please let me be!'
My dreams are now nightmares of things I have seen
And the orders of generals and all of their schemes»
They say, we must win this fight, this is our enemy
But when I look in their face and see people like me
When I hold up my gun to do what they say
I see his face across the way and he’s screaming, he’s screaming
Oh, I surrender, yeah, I surrender
I’ve got two kids of my own
Yeah, I surrender, yeah, I surrender
I love my wife back home
Yeah, I surrender, yeah, I surrender
I’ve seen too many go
Oh, I surrender, yeah, I surrender
I beg you to spare my soul
Beg you to spare my soul, uh huh
Beg you to spare my soul
On the other side of the card were some words
Written for his kids saying
Well, daddy’ll be home soon, and I’m gonna be just fine
Just fine, just fine, just fine, just fine
Just know that I love and miss you
Just know that I love and miss you
And I can’t wait to see you soon