A song about the hazards of war.
Story behind the song
Jeff Crawford wrote the lyrics and I wrote the music. I want to thank my niece Kayla for singing the song for us.
Lyrics
He was his daddy's pride and joy
He was his mama's little boy
and he hugged them both
then walked down to the plane.
Tears were in their eyes
as they said their last good byes
then the plane took off into the pouring rain
He was headed to Iraq
they prayed that God would bring him back
safe and sound
into their arms once more.
But after just six weeks
a black car pulled up the street
and two men came up
and knocked upon their door.
chorus: He was just nineteen years old
a young soldier on patrol
he was his mom and daddy's one and only son
well he gave his life for me
and for our country to be free
now he's a hero laid to rest in Arlington
They sent him off to war to fight with just one gun
and he came back with twenty-one.
On patrol in their Humvee
down a crowded Baghdad street
a grenade flew in
and landed by his boot.
The soldiers all were scared
but all their lives were spared
because he jumped upon it
right before it blew.
Sitting in a pew
with some boys they never knew
his parents wept
tears rolling down their face.
One boy stood up and said
"If not for him we'd all be dead"
then the choir broke
into "Amazing Grace"
chorus: Well he was just nineteen years old
a young soldier on patrol
and to save four lives
he sacrificed it all.
Now they're forever in his debt
they should be with him they regret
but sometime a soldier has to make that call
He went off to war to fight with just one gun
and he came back with twenty-one.
Bridge: The detail raised their guns
and in the air shot twenty-one
and the echos faded like a soldier's ghost
as the bugle sounded TAPS
they felt their hearts collapse
to see him one more time is what they wanted most
His country sent him over with one gun
but we brought him back with twenty-one