John Prine – Sam Stone 0

sam stone
came home
to his wife and family
after serving in the conflict overseas
and the time that he served
had shattered all his nerves
and left a little shrapnel in his knee
but the morphine eased the pain
and the grass grew 'round his brain
and gave him all the confidence he lacked
with a Purple Heart and a monkey on his back

there's a hole in daddy's arm
where all the money goes
and Jesus Christ died for nothing, i suppose...
little pitchers have big ears
don't stop to count the years
sweet songs never last too long
on broken radios

sam stone's Welcome Home
didn't last too long
he went to work when he'd spent his last time
and sammy took to stealing
when he got that empty feeling
for a hundred dollar habit
without overtime

and the gold rolled through veins
like a thousand railroad trains
and eased his mind in the hours that he chose
while the kids ran around
wearing other people's clothes

sam stone
was alone
when he popped his last balloon
climbing walls while sitting in a chair
well, he played his last request
while the room smelled just like death
with an overdose of heroin in the air
but life had lost its fun
and there was nothing to be done
but trade his house that he bought on the G.I. bill
for a flag-draped casket on a local hero's hill