Utah Phillips - Trooper's Lament lyrics

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Utah Phillips - Trooper's Lament lyrics

I sailed from Seattle, far away from friends and home Across the blue Pacific to the Land of Morning Calm Here's a helmet and a rifle and your prophylactics, too And as sure as I'm your captain, we will make a man of you The 105's were pounding, and their thunder shook the night; I asked my bold commander, "Who am I here to fight?" "It's the Slopes and the Slants, it's the Gooks and Chinks," said he And I wondered if their captain ever said the same of me I'd seen the mountain winter, where the air is cold and still; But, oh, that frozen Chosun, it was a living hell With the fever and the jaundice and a hundred kinds of mold We were slaughtered in our mummy bags by bayonets and cold And everywhere I traveled from the Gap at Kumari(?) The Yong-San Reservation to the camps at Moonsanee (?) From the golden plains of Inchon, my boots rotting on my feet All I heard were crying babies while their mothers walked the street We bought watches, we bought cameras, we bought who*es, and we bought booze; With the little barefoot beggars bending down to shine our shoes We gave them back our candy, and to answer our desire Oh, we gave them round-eyed babies who died outside the wire I got off in Seattle, and I climbed on board a train I rode it through the mountains with a fever in my brain I could find no reason to remain here any more Oh, there was no sign around me of the life I'd lived before Then what's the pride in country if it robs a man of will? What's the pride in manhood if a man will rape and k**? And what's the pride in k**ing if the dead will rise gain? Ah, but there's a pride in knowing that the enemy's within So, listen all you troopers, here's a lesson you should know From an older brownshoe soldier, who marched off long ago; They will use your pride and pa**ion for to settle all their fights Keep your pride in your trousers, and your captain in your sights

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