Gun Shy [German translation]

I always knew that you would take yourself far from home

As soon as, as far as you could go

By the 1/4 inch cut of your hair and the Army issue green

For the past eight weeks, I can tell where you've been

For I knew, I could see, it was all cut and dried to me

There was soldiers' blue blood streaming inside your veins

There is a world outside of this room, and when you meet it promise me

You won't meet it with your gun

So now you are one of the brave few

It's awful sad we need boys like you

I hope the day never comes for "Here's your live round, son

Stock and barrel, safety, trigger, here's your gun"

Well I knew, I could see, it was all cut and dried to me

There was soldiers' blue blood streaming inside your veins

There is a world outside of this room, and when you meet it promise me

You won't meet it with your gun taking aim

For I don't mean to argue, they've made a decent boy of you

And I don't mean to spoil your homecoming

But, baby brother

You should expect me to

"Stock and barrel, safety, trigger, here's your gun"

So now does your heart pitter-pat with a patriotic song

When you see the stripes of Old Glory waving?

Well I knew, I could see, it was all cut and dried to me

There was soldiers' blue blood streaming inside your veins

There is a world outside of this room and when you meet it promise me

You won't meet it with your gun taking aim

I don't mean to argue, they've made a decent boy of you

And I don't mean to spoil your homecoming, my baby brother Jude

And I don't mean to hurt you by saying this again

They're so good at making soldiers - but they're not so good at making men

• Artist:10,000 Maniacs
• Album:In My Tribe