Blood Upon the Risers

Gory, gory, what a hell of a way to die
Gory, gory, what a hell of a way to die
Gory, gory, what a hell of a way to die
And the ain't gonna jump no more (no more)

He was just a rookie trooper and he surely shook with fright
As he checked out his equipment and made sure his pack was tight
He had to sit and listen to those awful engines roar
And you ain't gonna jump no more

"Is everybody ready?" cried the sergeant looking up
Our hero meekly answered "Yes," and then they stood him up
He jumped right out into the blast, his static line unhooked
And he ain't gonna jump no more

Gory, gory, what a hell of way to die (die)
Gory, gory, what a hell of way to die
Gory, gory, what a hell of way to die
And he ain't gonna jump no more

He counted loud, he counted long, he waited for the shock
He felt the wind, he felt the cold, he felt the awful drop
The silk from his reserve spilled out and wrapped around his legs
And he ain't gonna jump no more

The risers wrapped around his neck, connectors cracked his dome
Suspension lines were tied in knots around his skinny bones
The canopy became his shroud as he hurtled to the ground
And he ain't gonna jump no more

Gory, gory, what a hell of way to die (die)
Gory, gory, what a hell of way to die
Gory, gory, what a hell of way to die
And he ain't gonna jump no more

The days he lived and loved and laughed kept running through his mind
He thought about the girl back home, the one he left behind
He thought about the medics and he wondered what they'd find
And he ain't gonna jump no more

The ambulance was on the spot, the jeeps were running wild
The medics jumped and screamed with glee, rolled up their sleeves and smiled
For it had been a week or so since last a 'chute had failed
And he ain't gonna jump no more

He hit the ground, the sound was "splat", the blood went spurting high
His comrades were heard to say, "What a hell of a way to die"
He lay there rolling around in all the welter of his gore
And he ain't gonna jump no more

Gory, gory, what a hell of way to die (die)
Gory, gory, what a hell of way to die
Gory, gory, what a hell of way to die
And he ain't gonna jump no more

There was blood upon the risers, there were brains upon his 'chute
Intestines were a-dangling from his paratrooper suit
They poured it from his helmet and they poured it from his boots
And he ain't gonna jump no more

Beautiful streamer, please open for me
Blue sky's above me and no canopy
I got a ten thousand waiting too long
Reach for my ripcord, the handle was gone

Gory, gory, what a hell of way to die (die)
Gory, gory, what a hell of way to die
Gory, gory, what a hell of way to die
And he ain't gonna jump no more