Drive-By Truckers - The Sands Of Iwo Jima lyrics

George A. was at the movies in December '41 They announced it in the lobby what had just gone on He drove up from Birmingham back to the family's farm Thought he'd get him a deferment there's was much work to be done He was a family man, even in those days But Uncle Sam decided he was needed anyway In the South Pacific over half a world away He believed in God and Country, things was just that way Just that way.... When I was just a kid I spent every weekend On the farm that he grew up on so I guess so did I And we'd stay up watching movies on the black and white TV We watched "The Sands of Iwo Jima" starring John Wayne Every year in June George A. goes to a reunion Of the men that he served with and their wives and kids and grandkids My Great Uncle used to take me and I'd watch them recollect About some things I couldn't comprehend And I thought about that movie, asked if it was that way He just shook his head and smiled at me in such a loving way As he thought about some friends he will never see again He said "I never saw John Wayne on the sands of Iwo Jima" Most of those men are gone now but he goes still every year And George A's still doing fine, especially for his years He's still living on that homestead in the house that he was born in And I sure wish I could go see him today He never drove a new car though he could easily afford it He'd just buy one for the family and take whatever no one wanted He said a shiny car didn't mean much after all the things he'd seen George A. never saw John Wayne on the sands of Iwo Jima