He's five foot two and he's six feet four 
He fights with missiles and with spears 
He's all of thirty-one 
And he's only seventeen 
He's been a soldier for a thousand years 

He's a Catholic, a Hindu, an atheist, a Jain 
Buddhist and a Baptist and a Jew 
He knows he shouldn't kill 
But he knows he always will 
Kill you, my friend, for me and me for you 

He's fighting for Canada, he's fighting for France 
He's fighting for the USA 
He's fighting for [bad word] 
And he's fighting for Japan 
And he thinks he'll put an end to war that way 

He's fighting for democracy, he's fighting for the Reds 
He says it's for the peace of all 
He's the one who must decide 
Who's to live and who's to die 
But he never sees the writing on the wall 

But without him how would Hitler have condemned them at Dachau
Without him Caesar would have stood alone
He's the one who gives his body
As the weapon of the war
And without him all this killing can't go on

He's the universal soldier and he really is to blame 
His [bad word] from far away no more 
 [bad word] from him, and you, and me 
And brother, can't you see 
This is not the way to put an end to war