Natalie Merchant – Gun Shy lyrics

I always knew that you would take yourself far from home as soon as
As far as you could go. By the 1/4 inch cut of your hair and the Army issue green
For the past eight weeks I can tell where you've been.
For I knew, I could see
It was all cut and dried to me
There was soldier's blue blood streaming inside your veins.
There is a world outside of this room
And when you meet it
Promise me you won't meet it with your gun.

So now you are one of the brave few
It's awful sad we need boys like you.
I hope the day never comes for
"Here's your live round son.
Stock and barrel, safety, trigger, here's your gun."
Well I knew, I could see
It was all cut and dried to me
There was soldiers blue blood streaming inside your veins.
There is a world outside of this room
And when you meet it promise me you won't meet it with your gun taking aim.
For I don't mean to argue
They've made a decent boy of you and I don't mean to spoil your home coming
But baby brother you should expect me to.

"Stock and barrel, safety, trigger, here's your gun."
So now does your heart pitter pat with a patriotic song
When you see the stripes of Old Glory waving?
Well I knew, I could see
It was all cut and dried to me
There was soldier's blue blood streaming inside your veins.
There is a world outside of this room
And when you meet it promise me you won't meet it with your gun taking aim.
I don't mean to argue
They've made a decent boy of you
And I don't mean to spoil your homecoming my baby brother Jude
And I don't mean to hurt you by saying this again
They're so good at making soldiers but they're not so good at making men.