Johnny got drafted to Vietnam,
To fight in the rock and roll war.
He came home on a long summer train,
Never knew what he was dyin' for.
Just another lesson that the world learned a little too late.
That's just the way it was in the summer of '68.
Martin got shot down in Memphis,
And the world went a little insane.
Angry people out in the streets,
And the cities were all in flames.
Just another sacrifice to prejudice, evil, and hate.
But that's just the way it was in the summer of '68.
The flower generation thought that they could change the world,
They got lost somewhere along the way.
You can't change the world if you don't face reality.
Turnin' on and droppin' out just ain't what life is all about.
Some folks burned their draft cards,
And some folks broke the rules.
Some went off to Canada, and some went off to school.
And some folks blew their minds so bad,
They couldn't even concentrate.
But that's just the way it was in the summer of '68.
The world just keeps on spinnin' and the years keep rushin' by.
Evil never takes a holiday.
Winds of war keep blowin',
And the Left still hates the Right.
Things are really gettin' crazy;
Save the whales and k** the babies.
The sun was shining and the sky was blue,
On that bright September day.
When d**h came in on silver wings,
Things wouldn't ever be the same.
Just another sacrifice to prejudice, evil, and hate.
And that's just the way it was in the summer of '68.
In the summer of '68.
In the summer of '68.