(1992 by Graham Parker, submitted by Kirk Anderson) (kanderso@wheatonma.edu)
       D                         A
They took their kids in their teenage years
  D                   G
Fitted them out with combat gear,
  D                        A             Bm         G
Filled their hearts with mortal fear and sent them away
  D                    A
Some came home their pants in creases
  D                G
Some came home in bits and pieces
      D               A                          G             D
The president made a lot of speeches and went fishing for the day
 
          D               A                D              G
'Cause they have short memories, they forget it all so quickly
  D                 A               Bm  G
They have short memories, now it's gone
  D                 A              D                     G
They have short memories, it disappears just like quicksilver
  D                 A                 G  D
They have short memories, now it's gone
 
My Daddy was in Nicosea, Egypt and North Korea
He came back to a good career, shovelling coal
I was just the village lout I never got my finger out
I never wanted for anything still I broke and entered and stole
 
[bridge]
 Em
You can't stop a train or catch the rain drops
             D A G
As they come falling
  Em
Sure there'll be another war
                                    D    A
Sure as sure the call-up will come calling
 
       D                         A
They took their kids in their teenage years
  D                   G
Gave them a God that they could fear
  D               A       Bm         G
Said they could kill but not drink beer
      Bm        G
And sent them away
  D                    A
Some came home in a body bag
  D                G
Some came home wrapped in a flags
      D                     A                           G        D
And on each toe there hung a tag saying there'll be more someday
 
[repeat first chorus]
            G                Em             D
...now it's gone,  now it's gone, now it's gone