Nineteen

(album: I'm American - 2011)

Nineteen
Number on his back
Voted captain of his high school football team
Took us all the way to State
Got a scholarship to play down in Tennessee

Said he could run, he could duck
He could throw, he could go
Like you never seen
Nineteen

On the day those twin towers came down
His whole world turned around
He told 'em all, "Y'all, I can't play ball
There's a war on now"

So he marched right in with a few good men
And joined the Marines
Nineteen

He's the boy next door
He might've carried your bags at the grocery store
Now he's somebody's son in a hole with a gun
In some foreign land
Trying to hold on to his American Dreams, nineteen

There's a sniper out there in the dark somewhere
And a soldier down
Need someone who can run, who can duck
And go get him out

It takes one good man to raise his hand
Take one for the team
How 'bout you, nineteen?

He's the boy next door
He might've carried your bags at the grocery store
Now he's somebody's son in a hole with a gun
In some foreign land
Trying to hold on to his American Dreams
Nineteen

Brought him home today
With the big parade down on main street
Gave him a purple heart, a silver star
Soldier gave a speech

Said, "He could run, he could duck, he could throw
He's the one who rescued me"
Said, "He could've played for Tennessee"

Um, number nineteen
He was nineteen