(Bruce Robison)

Two days past eighteen
He was waitin' for the bus in his army greens
Sat down in a booth a café there
Gave his order to a girl with a bow in her hair
He's a little shy but so she gave him a smile
So he said would you mind sittin' down for a while
And talkin' to me I'm feelin' a little low
She said I'm off in an hour and I know where we can go
So they went 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 to come back again
Never more to be alone
When the letters say a soldier's coming home

So the letters came
From an army camp
In California then Vietnam
And he told her of his heart
It might be love
And all of the things he was so scared of
Said when it's gettin kinda rough over here
I think of that day sittin' down at the pier
And I close my eyes and I see you pretty smile
Don't worry but I won't be able to write for a while

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 to come back again
Never more to be alone
When the letters say a soldier's coming home

One Friday night at a football game
The Lord's Prayer said and the anthem sang
The man said folks would you bow your heads
For the list of local Vietnam dead
Crying all alone under the stands
Was a piccolo player in the marching band
And one name read and nobody really cared
But a pretty little girl with a bow in her hair