Sam Stone

Sam Stone came home
To his wife and family
After serving in the conflict overseas

And the time that he served
Had shattered all his nerves
And left a little shrapnel in his knee

But the morphine eased the pain
And the grass grew 'round his brain
And gave him all the confidence he lacked
With a Purple Heart and a monkey on his back

There's a hole in daddy's arm
Where all the money goes
Jesus Christ died for nothin'
I suppose

Little pitchers have big ears
Don't stop to count the years
Sweet songs never last too long on
Broken radios

Sam Stone's welcome home
Didn't last too long
He went to work
When he'd spent his last dime

And Sammy took to stealin'
When he got that empty feelin'
For a hundred dollar habit,
Without overtime.

And the gold rolled through his veins
Like a thousand railroad trains
And eased his mind
In the hours that he chose
While the kids ran around
Wearin other people's clothes

Sam stone was alone
When he popped his last balloon
Climbing walls while sitting a chair
Well he played his last request
While the room smelled just like death
With an overdose hovering in the air

But life had lost it's fun
And there was nothin' to be done
But trade his house
That he bought on the GI bill
For a flag draped casket
On the local hero's hill

There's a hole in Daddy's arm
Where all the money goes
Jesus Christ died for nothin'
I suppose

Little Pitchers have big ears
Don't stop to count the years
Sweet songs never last too long
On broken radios...

-John Prine
posted by 123454321 at 1:57 PM