Traveling Soldier

Two days past eighteen he was
Waiting for the bus
In his army green.
Sat down in a booth
In a cafe there
Gave his order to a girl
With a bow in her hair.

He's a little shy
So she gives him a smile
And He said,
"Would you mind sittin' down
For a while?
And talkin' to me
I'm feeling a little low.
She said,
"I'm off in an hour
And I know where we can go."

So they down
And they sat on the pier.
He said,
"I bet you got a boyfriend,
But I don't care.
I've got no one
To send a letter to.
Would you mind
If I sent one back here to you?"

I cried
Never gonna hold the hand
Of another guy.
Too young for him
They told her waitin'
For the love of a travelin' soldier.
Our love will never end.
Waitin' for the soldier
Come back again
Never more be alone
When the letter says
"The soldier's coming home."

So the letters came
From an army camp
In California than Vietnam.
He told of his heart
It might be love
And all of the things
He was so scared of.

He said,
"When its gettin' kinda rough
Over here
I think of that day
Sittin' down on the pier.
I close my eyes
And see your pretty smile.
Don't worry,
But I won't be able to write for awhile."

One Friday night
At a football game
The Lord's Prayer said
And the Anthem sang,
A man said,
"Folks, would you bow your heads,
For a list of local Vietnam dead."

Cryin' all alone
Under the stands
Was a piccolo player
In the marchin' band
Nad one name read and
Nobody really cared
But a pretty little girl
With a bow in her hair.