Battle Hymn Of Lt. Calley lyrics

Featuring Terry Nelson

Once upon a time there was a
Little boy who wanted to grow up
And be a soldier and serve his country
In whatever way he could

He would parade around the house
With a sauce pan on
His head for a helmet
A wooden sword in one hand
And the American flag in the other

As he grew up
He put away the things of a child
But he never let go of the flag

My name is William Calley
I'm a soldier of this land
I've tried to do my duty
And to gain the upper hand

But they've made me out a villain
They have stamped me with a brand
As we go marching on

I'm just another soldier
From the shores of U.S.A.
Forgotten on a battle field
Ten thousand miles away

While life goes on as usual
From New York to Santa Fe
As we go marching on

I've seen my buddies ambushed
On the left and on the right
And their youthful bodies riddled
By the bullets of the night

Where all the rules are broken
And the only law is might
As we go marching on

While we're fighting in the jungles
They were marching in the street
While we're dying in the rice fields
They were helping our defeat

While we're facing V.C. bullets
They were sounding a retreat
As we go marching on

With our sweat, we took the bunkers
With our tears, we took the plain
With our blood, we took the mountains
And they gave it back again

Still all of us are soldiers
We're too busy to complain
As we go marching on

When I reach my final campground
In that land beyond the sun
And the great commander asks me
Did you fight or did you run

I'll stand both straight and tall
Stripped of medals, rank and gun
And this is what I'll say

Sir, I followed all my orders
And I did the best I could
It's hard to judge the enemy
And hard to tell the good
Yet there's not a man among us
Would not have understood

We took the jungle village
Exactly like they said
We responded to their rifle fire
With everything we had
And when the smoke had cleared away
A hundred souls lay dead

Sir, the soldier that's alive
Is the only one can fight
There's no other way to wage a war
When the only one in sight
That you're sure is not a V.C.
Is your buddy on your right

When all the wars are over
And the battle's finally won
Count me only as a soldier
Who never left his gun

With the right to serve my country
As the only prize I've won

Glory, glory, hallelujah
Glory, glory, hallelujah