John Brown went off to war to fight on a foreign shore
His mama sure was proud of him
And he stood straight and tall in his uniform and all
His mother's face broke out all in a grin
"Oh son, you look so fine, I'm glad you're a son of mine
You make me proud to know you hold a gun
Do what the captain says, lots of medals you will get
And we'll put them on the wall when you get home"
When that old train pulled out, John's Ma began to shout
Tellin' everyone in the whole neighborhood
"That's my son that's about to go, he's a soldier now, you know"
She made well sure her neighbors understood
Made sure her neighbors understood
Made sure her neighbors understood
She got a letter once in a while and her face broke into a smile
As she showed them to the people from next door
And she bragged about her son and his uniform and gun
And these things you called a good old-fashioned war
Then the letters ceased to come, for a long time they did not come
They ceased to come for about nine months or more
Then a letter finally came saying, "Go down and meet the train
Your son's coming home from the war"
Your son's coming home from the war
Your son's coming home from the war
Your son's coming home from the war
Oh Lord, your son's coming home from the war
She smiled and went right down, she looked up all around
But she could not see her soldier son in sight
But as all the people passed, she saw her son at last
When she did, she could hardly believe her eyes
His face was all shot up and his hand was all blown off
And he wore a metal brace around his waist
He whispered kind of slow in a voice she did not know
She couldn't even recognize his face
"Oh, my darling son, tell me what have they done
How is it you come to be this way?"
His mouth could hardly move as he tried his best to talk
And she didn't even recognize his voice
"Don't you remember, Ma, when I went off to war
You thought it was the best thing I could do?
I was on the battleground, you were home feeling proud
Thank God you wasn't standing in my shoes"
"Oh, I thought when I was there, God, what am I doing here?
Tryin' to kill my enemy or die tryin'
But as the enemy came close, the thing that hurt me the most
And I saw that his face looked just like mine"
His face looked just like mine
His face looked just like mine
Oh Lord, oh Lord, his face looked just like mine
Oh Lord, oh Lord, his face looked just like mine
"I couldn't help but think, through the thunder rolling and stink
That I was just a puppet in a play
Through the roar and smoke, this string is finally broke
A cannonball blew my eyes away"
As he turned away to walk, his Ma was still in shock
At seein' the metal brace that helped him stand
But as he turned to go, he called to his mother close
And dropped his medals down into her hand
Lord, oh Lord, he dropped them medals in her hand
Oh Lord, oh Lord, he dropped them medals in her hand
