John Schumann - If The War Goes On lyrics

It was one of those blue and white biscuit tins With a picture of the queen And she kept his ribbons They sent her back in 1943 And a family photo on the beach He was lifting up their son - And a piece of yellow newsprint With the words If the war goes on It was a warm suburban morning Back in 1968 And a khaki-colored car pulled up And parked across the gate MIA or KIA - Another soldier gone And a generation lost in Asia If the war goes on The Kokoda trail to the Long Hai hills For every bullet fired The desperate drums of mankind Are humming loudly on the wire There's oil to drown the ocean There's fire to drown the sun How much longer How much longer They strapped my brother to an F18 And shot him into the night Sirens are screaming Run for cover Pull that mask on tight God's on our side God's on their side Covenant's ripped and torn How much longer How much longer If the war goes on She packed her little son a bag And strapped it to his back With some money and some food In case she didn't make it back And she pinned a note inside his coat This little boy's name is Tom Look after him - please If the war goes on