Am I the kind of brother who would leave you Standing on this lonesome railroad track? That's what I told you on the way to America I swore by our God I'd be coming back When the roses are blooming You can call me home And I will stay there forever My flesh and bone I wanted to see you that Christmas But I got a letter I was being sent to war I packed up the Bible that you gave me And I prayed for protection beneath the watch of the Lord When the roses are blooming You can call me home And I will stay there forever My flesh and bone There is a garden I can see it from my bed Reminds me of Ireland Flowering yellow and red I've been trying to write you but I keep stopping All I've got to say is war is hell I keep thinking about the soldiers coming at me Not the ones that shot me but the ones that I brought down myself And I don't think Jesus ever heard my prayer If there's a heaven, I ain't going there When the roses are blooming You can call me home And I will stay there forever My flesh and bone