Soldier Boy

Well I'm seeing Shawn on Thursday
Gotta catch 'Em while he's hot
He's deployed half a country away
So you'll find him where he's not
Got tattoos so fresh
The ink is warm
Just like the letters on my pages
Cleaning out a chicken coop
Making hourly minimum wages
Army boy's back in the city boy,
Mr infantry see ya in six months
I'll buy ya a shot a whiskey
Once every one hundred n' sixty
Days and call it a friendship
Don't go to war
Cuz if there's anymore boys there
I betcha we're gonna lose some
Gory, gory, what a hell of a way to die,
They'll steal your fillings
Right outta your tooths, son

No matter which way I turn it,
And no matter where I been
My temporary ID says
That I'm nineteen
I can drink and smoke
And you know I do,
But I'm still not sure if it's right
And I still ponder laws during my days
And I ponder war
Straight through the night
Mama, I'm an adult now,
So I guess you know what that means
Means I'm just so excited
Over a sheet that's got
No tears at the seems
I went to the high school
That my boots done used to walk,
To pick up my kid brother,
And to a classmate Id gotten to talk
He told me that his father
worked on a boat down
In the waters of nova Scotia,
He's payed less than i am,
And I work a farm shop in the day
And so I was speakin to
A youngun boy who had
A symbol sewn onto his jeans
I asked him what they's for
And he said
"you're the adult, you tell me!"
I got into the symphony orchestra
And jeff said well that's nice.
My violin's collected dust on it,
Makes me wanna swallow a knife
Being older just means that
Propaganda works less than it used to
Damn, if you don't fight it,
They'll program,
Exploit and abuse you!
I spend my money on
Drinks with friends and film
For my cameras
soldiers gone for
Who knows how long cheers,
I'll meet ya when we're dead together
Shawn told me that I needed love
And he hopes that I find it
I told him when push comes to shove
being alone I dont mind it
His eyes gave a roll,
As he punched my shoulder
And compared me to Warhol
I held back a smile
Cuz im pretty sure
That it wasn't a compliment
he meant it as a gall
Andy, I never met him
But I see him in me
Too much for us to be strangers
Dont lecture me on my silly habits
Cuz I already know my own dangers!
Half-finished paintings
And whole-hearted garbage,
Thats what I call my poems
My money burns a hole in my pocket,
And im reaping what I've sewn
I dont know the words
To my very own songs
if I lose them then they're gone
Trying my best to stay afloat,
But I can never do no wrong!
Mama, I'm an adult now,
So I guess you know what that means
Means I'm just so
Excited for clean,
Ironed out jeans
Mama, I'm an adult now
so I guess you know what I'm for
Means that if they gotta
they'll send me off to war!