We recorded this song on October the 6th. Since then the war's been declared over. If you're like me you'll remember it like anybody remembers any war: one big drag. Lot of people write songs about wars and government... Very social things. But I think about young guys who were like I was when I was young. I had no more idea about any government, or political things or anything. And I think about those kind of young guys now who all of a sudden [bad word] up, and they're very law-abiding, so if somebody says go they don't ask any questions they just go. And I can remember not too long ago seeing a young guy with his right arm gone. Just got back. And I asked him how he was doing. He said he was doing alright now but he had thought he was gonna die. He said getting shot at didn't bother him, it was getting shot that shook him up. And I tried to put myself in his position. Maybe he cried, maybe he said..."
I can't write left handed
Would you please write a letter to my mother
Tell her to tell the family lawyer
Try to get a deferment for my younger brother

Tell the Reverend Harris to pray for me, lord, lord, lord
I ain't gonna live, I don't believe I'm going to live to get much older
Strange little man over here in Vietnam, I ain't never
Bless his heart I ain't never done nothin' to, he done shot me in my shoulder

Boot camp we had classes
You know we talked about fightin', fightin' everyday
And lookin' through rosy, rosy colored glasses
I must admit it seemed exciting anyway
But something that day overlooked to tell me
Bullet look better I must say
Rather when [bad word]  at you.
But go without the other way

And please call up the Reverend Harris
And tell him to ask the lord to do some good things for me
Tell him, I ain't gonna live, I ain't gonna live, I ain't gonna live to get much older
Strange little man over here in Vietnam, I ain't never seen, bless his heart I
ain't never done nothing to, he done shot me in my shoulder