P.T. 109

In '43 they put to sea 13 men and Kennedy

Aboard the P.T. 109 to fight the brazen enemy

And off the isle of Olasana in the straight beyond Naru

A Jap destroyer in the night cut the 109 in two

Smoke and fire upon the sea

Everywhere they looked was the enemy

The heathen gods of old Japan

Yeah, they thought had the best of a mighty good man

And on the coast of Kolombangara looking through this telescope

Australian Evans saw the battle, for the crew had little hope

Two were dead and some were wounded, all were clinging to the bow

Fightin' fire and flightin' water, trying to save themselves somehow

Smoke and fire upon the sea

Everywhere they looked was the enemy

The heathen gods of old Japan

Yeah, they thought had the best of a mighty good man

McMahon the Irishman was burned so badly, he couldn't swim

"Leave me here, go on," he said, "'Cause if you don't we'll all be dead"

The P.T. skipper couldn't leave him, a man to die alone at sea

And with a strap between his teeth, he towed the Irishman through the sea

Smoke and fire upon the sea

Everywhere they looked was the enemy

The heathen gods of old Japan

Yeah, they thought had the best of a mighty good man

He led his men through waters dark, rocky reefs and hungry sharks

He braved the enemy's bayonets, a .38 hung 'round his neck

Four more days, four more nights, a rescue boat pulled into sight

The P.T. 109 was gone, but Kennedy and his crew lived on

Now who could guess or who could possibly know

That same man named Kennedy

Would be the leader of the nation, be the one to take command

The P.T. 109 was gone, but Kennedy lived to fight again

Smoke and fire upon the sea

Everywhere they looked was the enemy

But JFK and his crew lived on

Which proves it's hard to get the best of a man named John

Big John

Big John

Big John