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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 

A hero of war
Yeah that’s what I’ll be
And when I come home 
They’ll be damn 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 trust 

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

They took off his clothes 
They pissed 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 

A hero of war
Yeah that’s what I’ll be
And when I come home 
They’ll be damn 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 trust 

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
A flag white as snow 

A hero of war 
Is that what the see
Just medals and scars
So damn 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 trust 

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