And so, once again
My dear Johnny, my dear friend
And so, once again, you are fightin' us all
And when I ask you why
You raise your sticks and cry and I fall
Oh, my friend
How did you come to trade the fiddle for the drum?
You say I have turned
Like the enemies you've earned
But I can remember all the good things you are
And so, I ask you, please
Can I help you find the peace and the star?
Oh, my friend
What time is this, to trade the handshake for the fist?
And so, once again
Oh, America, my friend
And so, once again, you are fightin' us all
And when we ask you why
You raise your sticks and cry and we fall
Oh, my friend
How did you come to trade the fiddle for the drum?
You say we have turned
Like the enemies you've earned
But we can remember all the good things you are
And so, we ask you, please
Can we help you find the peace and the star?
Oh, my friend
We have all come to fear the beating of your drum