Lyrics

He said Son
What do you want to be?
I said dad
What'll make you proud?
I want nothing more
I'll join the Marines
The few and the proud
I'll learn how to fight and
I'll go off to war
Yellow footprints
Platoon thirty forty-nine
They cut off my hair
But it looked alright
We marched and we sang
We all became friends
As we learned how to fight 

I didn't know it then but
Thought this could be the end but
I'm gonna teach you now so
You don't have to know what I know 
Keep your head held high and
Look people in the eye and
You've got to stand up tall so
You don't have to know what I know

I got hurt so bad
Ended my career
Sent me home 
My future so unclear
So I found a girl
And I settled down
Are you proud of me dad?
I want nothing more 
I lost my girl and my son they
Even threw me in a cage
They stomped on my knees
They even spit in my face
I cried for my dad
I prayed for the end
And the beatings kept coming
Again and again 

I didn't know it then but
Thought this could be the end but
I'm gonna teach you now so
You don't have to know what I know 
Keep your head held high and
Look people in the eye and
You've got to stand up tall so
You don't have to know what I know 

I survived 5 years of hell
I was all alone 
I regained my freedom
No one understood
The darkness inside
Outside I smiled
But inside I cried 
I built a new life
I found a good wife and
I became a dad
She's the light of my life
I see her future and it is so bright 
Now dad looks me in the eyes says
Son I understand
I'm so proud of you
you are a good man 

I didn't know it then but
Thought this could be the end but
I'm gonna teach you now so
You don't have to know what I know
Keep your head held high and
Look people in the eye and
You've got to stand up tall so
You don't have to know what I know