King Henry marched forth, a sword in his hand Two thousand horsemen all at his command In a fortnight the rivers ran red through the land The year, fifteen hundred and twenty The year is now nineteen sixty five It's easier far to stay alive Just keep your mouth shut while the planes zoom and dive Ten thousand miles over the ocean Simon was drafted in sixty-three In sixty-four, sent over the sea Last month this letter he sent to me He said, "You won't like what I'm saying" He said, We've no friends here, no hardly a one We've got a few generals who just want our guns But it will take more than them if we're ever to win Why, we'll have to flatten the country It's my own troops I have to watch out for, he said I sleep with a pistol right under my head He wrote this last month, last week he was dead And Simon came home in a casket I mind my own business, I watch my TV Complain about taxes, but pay anyway In a civilized manner, my forefathers betray Who long ago struggled for freedom But each day a new headline screams at my bluff On TV some general says, "We must be tough" In my dreams I stare at this family I love All gutted and spattered with napalm King Henry marched forth, a sword in his hand Two thousand horsemen all at his command In a fortnight the rivers ran red through the land The year, fifteen hundred and twenty The year is now nineteen sixty five It's easier far to stay alive Just keep your mouth shut while the planes zoom and dive Ten thousand miles over the ocean
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