I am a veteran of the war
I up and joined the army back in nineteen-sixty-four
At sixteen, I just had to be a man at any cost
I volunteered for Vietnam, where I got my leg shot off
I recall a quote form a movie that said "who's more a man
Than a man with a reason that's worth dyin' for?"They had me standing on the front line
They had me standing on the front line
They had me standing on the front line
But now I stand at the back of the line when it comes to gettin' aheadThey gave me a uniform and a tiny salty pill
To stop the big urge I might have for the wrong kind of thrill
They put a gun in my hand and said "shoot until he's dead"
But it's hard to kill when "please, I'm your friend" echoes through your head
Brought up in church taught no man should take another's life
But then put in the jungle where life has no price, noThey had me standing on the front line
They had me standing on the front line
They had me standing on the front line
But now I stand at the back of the line when it comes to gettin' aheadBack in the world, the paper reads today
Another war is in the brewing
But what about the lives of yesterday?
And the many happy families that have been ruined?
My niece is a hooker and my nephew's a junkie, too
But they say I have no right to tell them how they should do
They laugh and say quit "braggin' 'bout the war you should have never been in"
But my mind is so brainwashed I'd probably go back and do it again
I walk the neighborhood, parading my purple heart
With a fear of agent orange that no one will stop, noThey had me standing on the front line
They had me standing on the front line
They had me standing on the front line
But now I stand at the back of the line when it comes to gettin' aheadThey had me standing on the front line
They had me standing on the front line
They had me standing on the front line
But now I stand at the back of the line when it comes to gettin' aheadWould you believe I do?
They had me standing on the front line
They had me standing on the front line
They had me standing on the front line
But now I stand at the back of the line when it comes to gettin' ahead