Nineteen

Nineteen
Number on his back
Voted captain of his high school football team
He took us all the way to State
Had a scholarship to play down in Tennessee
Said he could run, he could duck
He could throw, he could go
Like you never seen
Nineteen
On the day those twin towers came down
His whole world turned around
He told them all, «Y'all, I can’t play ball
There’s a war on now»
So he walked right down with a few good men
And joined the Marines
Nineteen
He’s the boy next door
He might have carried your bags at the grocery store
Now he’s somebody’s son in a hole with a gun
In some foreign land
Trying to hold on to his American Dreams, nineteen
There’s a sniper out there in the dark somewhere
And a soldier down
Need someone who can run, who can duck
And go get him out
It takes one good man to raise his hand
Take one for the team
How about you, nineteen?
Brought him home today
With the big parade down on main street
Gave him a purple heart, a silver star
Soldier gave a speech
Said, «He could run, he could duck, he could throw
He’s the one who rescued me»
Said, «He could have played for Tennessee»
Number nineteen
He was nineteen