He said "Son
Have you seen the world?
What would you say
If I said that you could
Just carry this gun?
You'll even get paid"
I said "That sounds pretty good"

Black leather boots
Spit-shined so bright
They cut off my hair
But it looks alright
We marched and we sang
We all became friends
As we learned how to fight

A hero of war
Yeah, that's what I'll be
And when I come home
They'll be damn proud of me
I'll carry this flag
To the grave if I must
'Cause it's a flag that I love
And a flag that I trust

I kicked in the door
I yelled my commands
The children, they cried
But I got my man
We took him away
A bag over his face
From his family and his friends

They took off his clothes
They pissed in his hands
I told them to stop
But then I joined in
We beat him with guns
And batons, not just once
But again and again...

A hero of war
Yeah, that's what I'll be
And when I come home
They'll be damn proud of me
I'll carry this flag
To the grave if I must
'Cause it's a flag that I love
And a flag that I trust...

She walked
Through bullets and haze
I asked her to stop
I begged her to stay
But she pressed on
So I lifted my gun
And I fired away...

And the shells
Jumped trough the smoke
And into the ground
That the blood now had soaked
She collapsed
With a flag in her hands
A flag white as snow...

A hero of war
Is that what they see?
Just medals and scars
So damn proud of me
And I brought home that flag
And now it gathers dust
But it's a flag that I love...

A hero of war
Yeah, that's what I'll be
And when I come home
They'll be damn proud of me
I'll carry this flag
To the grave if I must
'Cause it's a flag that I love
It's the only flag I trust

He said "Son
Have you seen the world?
What would you say
If I said that you could?