Sam Stone (feat. John Prine)

Sam Stone came home to his wife and family

After servin' in the conflict overseas

And the time that he served

Has shattered all his nerves

And left a little shrapnel in his knee

But the morphine eased the pain

The grass grew 'round his brain

And gave him all the confidence he's lacked

With a Purple Heart and a monkey on his back

There's a hole in daddy's arm where all the money goes

And Jesus Christ died for nothin', I suppose

Little pitchers have big ears, don't stop to count the years

Sweet songs never last too long on broken radios

Mmm-hmm-hmm-hmm

Sam Stone's welcome home didn't last too long

He went to work when he spent his last dime

And soon he took to stealin'

When he got that empty feelin'

For a hundred-dollar habit without overtime

And the gold roared through his veins

Like a thousand railroad trains

And eased his mind any hours that he chose

All the kids ran around wearin' other people's clothes

There's a hole in daddy's arm where all the money goes

And Jesus Christ died for nothin', I suppose

Little pitchers have big ears, don't stop to count the years

Sweet songs never last too long on broken radios

Mmm-hmm-hmm-hmm

Sam Stone was alone when he popped his last balloon

Climbin' walls while sittin' in a chair

Well, he played his last request

While the room smelled just like death

With an overdose hoverin' in the air

But life had lost its fun

And there was nothin' to be done

But trade his house that he bought on the G.I. Bill

For a flag-draped casket on a local hero's hill

There's a hole in daddy's arm where all the money goes

And Jesus Christ died for nothin' I suppose

Little pitchers have big ears, don't stop to count the years

Sweet songs never last too long on broken radios

Mmm-hmm-hmm-hmm

Mmm-hmm-hmm-hmm