Tribute to our brave men & women in uniform. ALL PROCEEDS GO TO THE LOS ANGELES V.A.
lyrics
ON SEPTEMBER 12TH, 2001 JOHNNY VOWED TO BECOME A MARINE
HE ENLISTED IN THE CORE ON THE DAY HE TURNED 18
PACKED HIS BAGS, KISSED HIS MOMMA & LEFT HIS HOME IN ABILENE
READY TO FUEL THE WAR MACHINE WITH MORE GASOLINE
BORN ON THE 4TH OF JULY , JOHNNY ALWAYS PLEDGED ALLEGIANCE
HE LOVED THE STARS & STRIPES AND SWORE AN OATH FOR WHAT HE BELIEVED IN
GREYHOUND BOUND THROUGH THE COUNTRY SIDE - HE KNEW WHAT HE'D BE FIGHTING FOR
DIDN'T DOUBT FOR A SPLIT SECOND THAT HIS COUNTRY WAS WORTH DYING FOR
FIRST NIGHT IN THE BARRACKS HE BUNKED WITH A BOOT NAMED "SCHILLINGER"
THEY WANTED TO KICK ASS & TAKE NAMES, FULL OF PISS AND VINEGAR
THEY LEARNED TO AIM THEIR RIFLES TRUE, THEY LEARNED TO TAKE NO PRISONERS
THEY MADE IT THROUGH THE CRUCIBLE READY TO FIRE ON ALL SIX CYLINDERS
SHOUTING A HARDY "HOO-RAH!!!" WITH A HEROIC BAND OF JAR-HEADS
GRADUATING BOOTCAMP, DEADLY WEAPONS IN SEARCH OF TARGETS
TIME FOR SHOCK & AWE, DEVIL-DOGS IN DESERT CAMOUFLAGE
BY LAND, SEA & AIR - HAND-DELIVERING THE WRATH OF GOD
VICTORIOUS IN BATTLE BUT THE WAR IS NEVER WON
SOLDIERS IN MEMORIAM, THEIR SONG IS SELDOM SUNG
IF YOU'VE NEVER HEARD THE STORIES OR THE BANGING OF THE DRUM
NO GUTS NO GLORY, JOHNNY GOT HIS GUN
JOHNNY WAS A DEAD-EYE MARKSMAN SHARPER THAN A FALCON'S TALONS
LETTING OFF ROUNDS LIKE A GATLING, ONE OF THE BEST IN HIS BATTALION
WHEN HE SHIPPED OFF TO IRAQ HE KNEW HE'D SEE SOME ACTION
ENVISIONING A RIGHTEOUS KILL IN EVERY TARGET PRACTICE
IT WAS THE 4TH OF JULY WHEN THEY CAME UNDER ENEMY FIRE
IT LIT UP THE ENTIRE SKY LIKE A PATRIOTIC PYRE
LOOKING DOWN THE RIFLE SCOPE, BREATHING STEADY, LOCKED & LOADED
IN A HAZE OF PINK MIST THE HAJI'S HEAD EXPLODED
DEATH IS NOT TO BE TAKEN LIGHTLY BUT WAR IS DEVIL-MAY-CARE
IN THE DAYS AHEAD JOHNNY DEVELOPED A THOUSAND-YARD STARE
UNTIL AN I.E.D. BLEW UP AMONGST A GROUP OF VILLAGERS
HE PULLED A SOLDIER FROM THE HUMAN DEBRIS, HIS DOG TAG READ "SCHILLINGER"
A FAINT TRACE OF RECOGNITION ON HIS FACE AS HE LOOKED IN JOHNNY'S EYES
HE COULD BARELY MAKE OUT THE WORDS BUT JOHNNY THOUGHT HE HEARD "SEMPRE FI"
COME HELL OR HIGH WATER IT'S UNDERSTOOD IN THIS BROTHERHOOD
BUT A FOLDED FLAG DOESN'T DO A GRIEVING MOTHER ANY FUCKING GOOD
VICTORIOUS IN BATTLE BUT THE WAR IS NEVER WON
SOLDIERS IN MEMORIAM, THEIR SONG IS SELDOM SUNG
IF YOU'VE NEVER HEARD THE STORIES OR THE BANGING OF THE DRUM
NO GUTS NO GLORY, JOHNNY GOT HIS GUN
NOW JOHNNY'S BACK HOME BATTLING THE GHOSTS OF WAR
BUT THE WORLD HE RETURNED TO AIN'T THE SAME AS IT WAS BEFORE
HE SAW SOME GRUNTS "GONE ELVIS" QUESTIONING MORALS & ETHICS
HE SAW SOME BROTHERS BURIED & OTHERS WALKING ON PROSTHETICS
THE SIGHTS & SOUNDS, THE HEADACHES, THE NIGHT-SWEATS & DEPRESSION
THEY CALL IT "SURVIVOR'S GUILT" IN HIS PSYCHIATRIC SESSIONS
COLLATERAL DAMAGE AIN'T NO BAGGAGE FOR THE FORTUNATE FEW
HE HEARD POLITICIAN'S EMPTY PLATITUDES CLAIMING THEY "SUPPORT THE TROOPS"
DISTORTED WAS THE VIEW AS JOHNNY LOOKED OUT OF HIS WINDOW
WHEN THE 4TH OF JULY FIREWORKS TRIGGERED HIS POST-TRAUMATIC SYNDROME
HE ASKED THE DOCTORS FOR HELP BUT THEY JUST PUT HIM ON MEDS
THE SIDE-EFFECTS INTENSIFIED THE VOICES IN HIS HEAD
CONFUSED & DISILLUSIONED, HE SAW NO WAY OUT BUT TO END IT
HE MISSED THE CAMARADERIE OF FRIENDSHIPS FORMED IN TRENCHES
SO JOHNNY ATE A BULLET NOT KNOWING HIS GRAVE'S FIRST VISITOR
WAS THE MAN WHOSE LIFE HE SAVED: PRIVATE FIRST CLASS SCHILLINGER
VICTORIOUS IN BATTLE BUT THE WAR IS NEVER WON
SOLDIERS IN MEMORIAM, THEIR SONG IS SELDOM SUNG
IF YOU'VE NEVER HEARD THE STORIES OR THE BANGING OF THE DRUM
NO GUTS NO GLORY, JOHNNY GOT HIS GUN
credits
released July 4, 2019
Produced, mixed & mastered by Avatar @ IronHorse Studio, horn section by Danny Levin.
As an esoteric underground emcee/producer Avatar has carved out a distinctive niche in the underbelly of music, His sharp
sardonic wit and barbwire-tinged delivery sets him apart and establishes Avatar as a lyrical tour de force that tackles a wide range of topics with spot-on observations that crawl directly into the listener's subconscious....more
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