She grew up in America, just the girl next door
Never thought to question what we were fighting for
They sent her off to war and showed her death and pain
And the girl next door will never be the same
Guarding her patients with a 45
Checking the wounded to make sure they're alive
By day she's in fatigues and at night she's in a dress
She's everybody's savior, the Army combat nurse
She told her girlfriends "I'll see you some old day
I've joined the Army and they're sending me away"
They taught her how to mend a wound and how to tend
the sick
But nothing could prepare her for all this
Women at home waiting all alone
Women in life trying to do what's right
Women in war in the blood and gore
Women in death, they die just like the rest
A jungle ain't a place for a girl to be alone
Surrounded by the enemy with all the soldiers gone
Under attack you know she's got to do her best
Because she's everybody's savior, the Army combat nurse
Back home in civilian life, Army life all done
Childhood friends can't understand why she's not any fun
But a vision of the wounded still screams inside her brain
And the girl next door will never be the same
She's everybody's savior but her own, the Army combat
nurse, but who will save her now?
(Chaplain's rap)
"Before I say grace today I'd like for us to pause for a moment of silence in memory of our friends that were lost this morning , . . let us pray for the food which we are about to receive from your goodness our father we give. . . ."
Never thought to question what we were fighting for
They sent her off to war and showed her death and pain
And the girl next door will never be the same
Guarding her patients with a 45
Checking the wounded to make sure they're alive
By day she's in fatigues and at night she's in a dress
She's everybody's savior, the Army combat nurse
She told her girlfriends "I'll see you some old day
I've joined the Army and they're sending me away"
They taught her how to mend a wound and how to tend
the sick
But nothing could prepare her for all this
Women at home waiting all alone
Women in life trying to do what's right
Women in war in the blood and gore
Women in death, they die just like the rest
A jungle ain't a place for a girl to be alone
Surrounded by the enemy with all the soldiers gone
Under attack you know she's got to do her best
Because she's everybody's savior, the Army combat nurse
Back home in civilian life, Army life all done
Childhood friends can't understand why she's not any fun
But a vision of the wounded still screams inside her brain
And the girl next door will never be the same
She's everybody's savior but her own, the Army combat
nurse, but who will save her now?
(Chaplain's rap)
"Before I say grace today I'd like for us to pause for a moment of silence in memory of our friends that were lost this morning , . . let us pray for the food which we are about to receive from your goodness our father we give. . . ."
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CJM-lead vocal
Greg Douglas--slide electric guitar
David Hayes--bass
Tom Donlinger--drums
"Lady Bianca" Thornton, Pauline Lozano, David Hayes--background vocals (bridge)
Mark Springer--background vocals (chorus)
Sound collage by Mike Herbick and CJM
(Vietnam War Courtesy of CBS Records.)