The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #11234   Message #82695
Posted By: Susanne (skw)
29-May-99 - 06:16 PM
Thread Name: Memorial Day
Subject: Lyr Add: THE VETERAN^^
I think I've posted these Allan Taylor lyrics before but I think they just fit here:

Chorus:
When you sing do you sing for the man who's broken
Do you sing for the man who stands alone
Do you sing for the endless list of names
Etched in marble stone

I saw the echo of a thousand wars in the face of the man
As he looked out over the watching crowd searching for a friend
Sometimes he would see a face but then each face looks the same
Like looking into a mirror and reading a different name

He learnt his lesson early, a confirmation under fire
Now his eyes stare into the distance like a prisoner behind the wire
We are lucky in our fortune, we can turn the other way
But the veteran fights again at night and struggles through the day

He came back an addict, he came back a drunk
He came back a cripple, or pieces in a trunk
He came back a hero to a waving flag parade
And he was left with nothing when the glory began to fade

So what do you say to the veteran who can't take it any more
You guard your words and hold it back and talk of anything but the war
Just reach out over the distance and let him know you're there
And hope he hasn't gone too far, or forgotten how to care

I sincerely hope Kosovo doesn't develop into a new Vietnam! - Susanne