I Wanna Come Home

07/12/2007
by Tom Flannery
copyright 2007 (BMI)

I once fought your Asian war
never once asked what I was fighting for
now my boy walks the streets of old Baghdad
oh for the love of a hanging chad
I still salute when old glory waves
hypocrite's lapel or a dead friend's grave
but I don't feel the way I used to feel
no time for questions and no time to heal

The President said boys now it's your turn
to teach 'em if they just won't learn
so I killed who I was told to kill
and came home to a padlocked mill
It's been hard it's been hard to make it here
and I wouldn't call what I got a career
but my hands stayed busy and my back stayed strong
and then my only boy came along

I wanna come home sir
I wanna come home
wanna be left alone
blood and guts and 'ol My Lai
nobody cares if I live or die
I wanna come home 
well I wanna come home

He found my medals in a box on the attic floor
said "daddy what you get these things for?"
found my uniform and a stained wedding gown
for years I had to talk him down
I never told him what I done over there
or the nights when I can't get enough air
and wake up sweating wondering where I am
alone in bed or back in Vietnam

But that day in September swept things aside
I tried and I tried and I tried and I tried
watch what you wish for these things might come true
he said Dad I'm gonna fight 'em, just like you
another crazy kid just like his old man
bullet proof and just don't give a damn
now they got him there on tour number three
and he's seen all that he cares to see

he says he wants to come home 
he says he wants to come home
says he wants to be left alone
blood and guts and Abu Ghraib
I guess he just don't feel the same
he wants to come home
well he wants to come home

Heard the President saying if we hold on tight
that everything is gonna be alright
just like Johnson or Nixon back in '72
just listen and do what we tell you to do
we got 'em on the run boys keep up the scare
don't want to fight 'em here so we'll end it there
seems history is just the days gone by
and not the tears that we cry

well we wanna come home 
well we wanna come home
well we wanna be left alone 
no chest thumping or Jesus talk
just 2 good legs so we can walk
we wanna come home 
well we wanna come home