you’ve joined the army, have you son
to learn to march and fire a gun 
and soon you'll wear a suit so grand 
and show the world that you’re a man 
     but what’s a man ? 
     is it something that lives without feeling
     that destroys its own kind without thinking
     and through darkness and misunderstanding 
could destroy itself protecting what it thinks is right

you say it’s part of getting older 
to serve your country as a soldier 
and travel anywhere and fight there 
and show the people what is right there 
     but what is right ? 
     is it right for a man to be living 
     in a slum just because his skin isn’t white 
     will your mothers and sisters be forgiving 
all the things you did defending what you think is right

you can’t imagine what i’m thinking 
we’ve got to fight them while they’re small 
or their disease will soon be spreading 
and then we’ll never kill them all 
     but must we kill ? 
     and did you know, my friend, that by killing 
     you’re committing all mankind’s most selfish sin 
     while the death rates and tax rates are rising 
     we must learn to make our country stronger from within