Shoot to kill, kill your darlings

(Hip, hip, hooray)
When I was in school, I stayed away from the war prudes
I've always said, "If he's got a favorite war, the kid has gotta be bad news"
And then in early July, I took a trip to the gun range, yeah
I hit the paper man right in the eye
I can't say I don't get the hype
But I guess I don't understand
This feeling, is it eating you up inside?
Are you dying to kill a man?
Is it gonna keep you alive?
The ROTC kid is with the cheerleading captain
And we can't figure out how the relationship happened
He doesn't seem to like what she chooses to do with her body
But he's given over his body as well
You'd think you'd get it more than anyone else
I guess I don't understand
This feeling, is it eating you up inside?
Is it really your only option?
There's always gonna be a fire to fight
You're the son of a lawyer and the son of a doctor
With dreams of holding a gun and jumping out of a chopper
And everybody here is a poor kid right out of high school
But you're different from the rest of your peers
Hell, you're the only one who knows why they're here
I guess I don't understand
This feeling, is it eating you up inside?
You're still just a little kid
You shouldn't have to choose how you die
In some other life, you're living into your nineties
You got a couple of kids and your wife doesn't like me
And you turn on the news and see the cycle repeating
But you're safe in the walls of your house
Aren't you happy that you never went out?
I guess I don't understand
This feeling, but I pray that you dodge the mines
When you're stepping on foreign land
And I just don't want you to die
I just don't want you to die
I just don't want you to die
I just don't want you to die
I just don't want you to die
I just don't want you to die
I just don't want you to die
I just don't want you to die
I just don't want you to die
I just don't want you to die
I just don't want you to die
I just don't want you to die
I just don't want you to die
I just don't want you to die