Father Explains Songtext

von Daniel Amos

His bare feet are calloused
He hikes up his pants
His mother says "son you're too young for ranks"
We need food for our family
Not airplanes and tanks
And that's where the money's all gone

Eight brothers and sisters
But three of them died
Caught out in the marketplace
With nowhere to hide
The boy thinks God may be over on the devil's side
Where the line in the sand has been drawn

Father's screaming now "somebody put out the light
If God wills it now
We'll be in heaven tonight"
(oh yeah) the bombs came down like steel rain
(oh yeah) nothing sounds like steel rain
"it's our lot in life, son" his father explains

When the total of life
Has been suffering and hate
Death on the doorstep
And endless debate
Then God only knows how much blood it will take
Before someone makes right all the wrong
So bitter and hardened
Too old for his age
The boy screams his madness
Succumbs to his rage
Now he's just another death
On the bottom of the page
And that's how the story goes on

Father's screaming now "somebody put out the light
If God wills it now
We'll be in heaven tonight"
(oh yeah) the bombs came down like steel rain
(oh yeah) scarred the ground like steel rain
"it's our lot in life, daughter" her father explains