Tom Paxton - The Iron Man lyrics

The orders came, the midnight rain Was driving down the window pane They rose like cattle, mess-kit rattle Showed them green and new to battle Out on the road, the mud knee-high The tortured trucks were slithering by Toward the ruptured, shattered sky They strove. It hardly mattered why We find our hero in the mud We guess the fever in his blood We try, as he, to laugh at this The Iron Man whom bullets He's right, the song has just begun We'd never k** a man so young He's right, the song has just begun We'd never k** a man so young The sergeant, how they loathed his guts He led them down the waggon ruts One truck is stalled, the drivers curse It's either ambulance or hearse The air grows foul, the heavy stench Is seeping from the ancient trench He takes his place and laughs at this The Iron Man whom bullets miss He's right, no matter how they try The song's too young for him to die He's right, no matter how they try The song's too young for him to die The orders came, the midnight rain Was driving down the window pane They rose like cattle, mess-kit rattle Showed them green and new to battle Winter came early to the house on the hill, frost, wind and snow The builders looked at its unfinished frame, then turned to go A small foundation, a pile of sand, a rusty hammer in a cold, cold hand It wasn't a big house that they planned, but winter came early and winter came hard Winter was d**h to the house on the hill, frost, wind and snow Warped its timbers and cracked the foundations, then turned to go The sketch was crumpled in a cold, cold hand. The hammer buried in the pile of sand The builders' thoughts were of virgin land when winter came early and winter came hard Spring was puzzled by the house on the hill, last patch of snow Gave it flowers and climbing vines, then turned to go Small boys played on the pile of sand, plastic weapons in their eager hands It wasn't a big house that they planned, but winter came early and winter came hard The young lieutenant, new to war Is sick upon the trench's floor The sergeant, how they cursed his head Is suddenly quite cold and dead The deafening explosions cease The calm a cruel burlesque of peace The whistle blows, the charge is made The Iron Man is unafraid He's right, he's young and brave and strong Just the kind to fill a song He's right, he's young and brave and strong Just the kind to fill a song The orders came, the midnight rain Was driving down the window pane They rose like cattle, mess-kit rattle Showed them green and new to battle Frost on the blankets of the strong boys' room Heat for the sissies, for the prep-school pansies Ice cold showers for the cool platoon Once a month a card to mamma Wipe that smile off and shine your bra** Grab your ankles and I'll give you twenty Drop that rifle and I'll have your a** Once a month a card to mamma Play me the Taps, the quadrangle's sleeping Here in his rack my roommate is weeping Someone is weeping. I'll be all right Goodnight. Goodnight Town girls love it in the picture shows Save the dances for the home-town ladies Save five dollars for the one who knows Once a month a card to mamma Grab your ankles for the old cadets Drop your trousers and you'll get what's coming Is there more to this than you're quite sure of? Put it in a card to mamma Play me the Taps, the quadrangle's sleeping Here in his rack my roommate is weeping Someone is weeping. I'll be all right Goodnight, goodnight! Play me the Taps, the quadrangle's sleeping The whistle blows. The charge is made The Iron Man is unafraid The young lieutenant screams out loud The bullets hum like a startled crowd The young lieutenant screams and falls The Iron Man runs up the walls And blows the enemy a kiss The Iron Man whom bullets miss He's right, the man whom bullets miss Is meant for something more than this He's right, the man whom bullets miss Is meant for something more than this The orders came, the midnight rain Was driving down the window pane They rose like cattle, mess-kit rattle Showed them green and new to battle Angie, from where I stand The water breaks on the spit of sand How does it survive? Angie, for all I know The sand is tired and ready to go It's less than alive But you, so ready to leave. The first trembling leaf to break loose in the Fall Angie, so ready to fly. Is there time to ask why? Is there no time at all? Or is there nothing hidden I can blame? Angie, If Angie's your name! Angie, from where I stand Your smile is so discretely planned I'm not sure it's there Angie, for all I know You'll notice me, you'll turn and go You won't even care That's you, so ready to leave. The first trembling leaf to break loose in the Fall Angie, so ready to fly. Is there time to ask why? Is there no time at all? Or is there nothing hidden I can blame? Angie, If Angie's your name! Angie, I was getting along Nothing quite right, but nothing too wrong I didn't know you existed I ran my life like a safe machine Lost myself in a safe routine But now it's all twisted With my hand on the knife For the rest of my life Angie, from where I stand You rise and wave an ungloved hand You smile in the sun Angie, you smile for him He calls to you. The light is dim You break into a run And you're gone. So ready to leave. The first trembling leaf to break loose in the Fall Angie, so ready to fly. Is there time to ask why? Is there no time at all? Or is there nothing hidden I can blame? Angie, If Angie's your name! The battered fort is ours again It only cost ten-thousand men And when a young lieutenant dies Some survivor has to rise So like a humble prayer of thanks The Iron Man goes up the ranks The man whom bullets miss goes far He wins a kiss and wears a star And he's right – a man who lives through that Deserves a star upon his hat He's right – a man who lives through that Deserves a star upon his hat And now the nation cheers his name The politicians play his game He's coaxed and shrewdly follows fate Until he's leader of the State The peace grows dull, the pace too slow At last he finds convenient foe The Congress balks, the galleries hiss The Iron Man whom bullets miss But he's right, the man whom bullets miss Is meant for something more than this He's right, the Generals pat their guns And Congress turns and Congress runs He's right, the nation shouts its thanks The young men run to join the ranks He's right, his name is in their blood While huddling in some foreign mud The orders came, the midnight rain Was driving down the window pane They rose like cattle, mess-kit rattle Showed them green and new to battle Play me the Taps, the quadrangle's sleeping Here in his rack my roommate is weeping Someone is weeping, I'll be all right Goodnight, goodnight!