He said, “Son, 
Have you see the world? 
Well, what would you say 
If I said that you could? 
Just carry this gun and you’ll even get paid.” 
I said, “That sounds pretty good.” 

Black leather boots 
Spit-shined so bright 
They cut off my hair but it looked alright 
We marched and we sang 
We all became friends 
As we learned how to fight 

hero of war 
Yeah that’s what I’ll be 
And when [bad word] home 
They’ll be [bad word] proud of me 
I’ll carry this flag 
To the grave if I must 
Because it’s flag that I love 
And a flag that I [bad word] 

I kicked in the door 
I yelled [bad word] 
The children, they cried 
But I got my man 
We took him away 
bag over his face 
From his family and his friends 

They took off his clothes 
They [bad word] in his hands 
I told them to stop 
But then I joined in 
We beat him with guns 
And batons not just once 
But again and again 

hero of war 
Yeah that’s what I’ll be 
And when [bad word] home 
They’ll be [bad word] proud of me 
I’ll carry this flag 
To the grave if I must 
Because it’s flag that I love 
And a flag that I [bad word] 

She walked through bullets and haze 
I asked her to stop 
I begged her to stay 
But she pressed on 
So I lifted my gun 
And I fired away 

The shells jumped through the smoke 
And into the sand 
That the blood now had soaked 
She collapsed with a flag in her hand 
flag white as snow 

hero of war 
Is that what they see 
Just medals and scars 
So [bad word] proud of me 
And I brought home that flag 
Now it gathers dust 
But it’s a flag that I love 
It’s the only flag I [bad word] 

He said, “Son, have you seen the world? 
Well what would you say, if I said that you could?”