Sam Stone
By John Prine

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 nerve
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

(chorus)

there's a hole in daddy's arm where all the money goes
jesus christ died for nothing i suppose
little pictures 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 wearing other peoples clothes

(chorus)

sam stone was alone when he popped his last balloon
climbing walls while sitting in a chair
and they played his last request while the room smelled just like death
with an overdose hovering in the air
cause life had lost it's fun and there was nothing to be done
but trade his house that he bought on the g. i. bill
for a flag-draped casket on a local hero's hill

(chorus)

Anti-War Songs | Iraq and War