The Captain Lyrics

Now the Captain called me to his bed
He fumbled for my hand
"Take these silver bars," he said
"I'm giving you command."
  "Command of what, there's no one here
   There's only you and me --
   All the rest are dead or in retreat
   Or with the enemy."

"Complain, complain, that's all you've done
 Ever since we lost
 If it's not the Crucifixion
 Then it's the Holocaust."
  "May Christ have mercy on your soul
   For making such a joke
   Amid these hearts that burn like coal
   And the flesh that rose like smoke."

"I know that you have suffered, lad,
 But suffer this awhile:
 Whatever makes a soldier sad
 Will make a killer smile."
  "I'm leaving, Captain, I must go
   There's blood upon your hand
   But tell me, Captain, if you know
   Of a decent place to stand."

"There is no decent place to stand
 In a massacre;
 But if a woman take your hand
 Go and stand with her."
   "I left a wife in Tennessee
    And a baby in Saigon --
    I risked my life, but not to hear
    Some country-western song."

"Ah but if you cannot raise your love
 To a very high degree,
 Then you're just the man I've been thinking of --
 So come and stand with me."
   "Your standing days are done," I cried,
   "You'll rally me no more.
    I don't even know what side
    We fought on, or what for."

"I'm on the side that's always lost
 Against the side of Heaven
 I'm on the side of Snake-eyes tossed
 Against the side of Seven.
 And I've read the Bill of Human Rights
 And some of it was true
 But there wasn't any burden left
 So I'm laying it on you."

  Now the Captain he was dying
  But the Captain wasn't hurt
  The silver bars were in my hand
  I pinned them to my shirt.