I'm waking up and staring out; it's kinda hard to see I'm thinking back to growing up in Tupelo, Mississippi I first left home when I was twenty and still really green Sent me off to Camp Pendleton to become a Marine I have a wife and child, who just turned five, this week I miss him, so I can't believe that he can really speak I wrote my wife once every week so she could hear the news She wrote me back once every day to clear away the blues They trained me well, I made the cut; they couldn't make me cry I shined my boots and cleaned my gun and shouted, "Simplify!" I made some friends and shared some fun, they caught a little flack With a swagger and a prayer we flew into Iraq With a swagger and a prayer we flew into Iraq Sometimes at night I wonder what I'm doing in this place It's hard to sleep; there's too much noise, I'm afraid I'll fall from grace My CO says, "Don't worry, son. Just keep up the pace I'm glad you're in my platoon; you've got a street fighters' face I'm glad you're with me, son; you've got a street fighters' face" The man said, "Mission Accomplished" on TV; we'd won the war We celebrated a new life; we opened a new door We danced a bit, and drank some beers, and then we drank some more For once I finally fell asleep; I pa**ed out on the floor For weeks we cruised the streets; they said that we were not done The sun's so hot, my clothes are wet; we're always on the run We cruise Felusia in our jeep; just me and my three friends A roadside bomb blew us to hell and made the metal bend I woke up in Bethesda on a hospital bed
They finally broke the news to me that all my friends are dead My legs are gone and I can't feel a thing on my face Man, I don't even look like me; a monster took my place Sometimes at night I wonder what I'm doing in this place It's hard to sleep; there's too much noise, I think I fell from grace My CO says, "Don't worry, son. Just keep up the pace I'm glad you're in my platoon; you've got a street fighters' face Yeah, you served your country well with your street fighters' face" Well, my wife don't come around much; she found a new man And I don't really blame her; I don't feel I'm worth a damn And I stay in most nights with a bottle to wind down Sometimes I try to smile, but mostly I just frown My son's half grown up now; he visits me sometimes We share some stories and some drinks; I usually end up crying He pushes me in my wheelchair outside for a walk When people see my face they always turn away in shock I wonder what we fought for and if it was a lie I pray to God for my dead friends; I still say, "Simplify!" I wish that I could just go back, or somehow hit a race It's just me all alone with my street fighters' face Sometimes at night I wonder what I'm doing in this place It's hard to sleep; there's too much noise, I think I fell from grace My CO says, "Don't worry, son. Just keep up the pace I'm glad you're in my platoon; you've got a street fighters' face Yeah, you served your country well with your street fighters' face" I'm waking up and staring out; it's kinda hard to see I'm thinking back to growing up in Tupelo, Mississippi