I heard a rumblin' from the middle of the road it was an all too familiar sound I'd heard it once I'm sure many many years before when my brother went to Vietnam CH Lookin around, they're lookin around They're tryin to find boys to measure for a de-luxe hole in the ground My brother Bobby was pretty wild back then But then he was really only just a kid The local DA said 'Now you gotta pay for all those reckless things that you did. But I'm gonna let you choose just how to pay your dues: join the army, or you can go to jail' My momma said 'Please Judge my boy is only 17" the Judge said "Sorry ma'am, there's no in between" It's another rich man's mess that poor boys get to clean I guess And that's how my brother became a Marine CH Lookin around, they're lookin around They're tryin to find boys to measure for a de-luxe hole in the ground My mother said: "Join anything, but don't make it the Marines! They're the first ones that they send in to fight." My momma's eyes were moist, my brother said: "Ma I ain't got much choice, but if I'm gonna do it I'm gonna do it right." It seemed all too soon his boot camp platoon was graduatin' out at Parris Island. And as we matched them drill who knew that even sooner still, they'd be off for Vietnam by way of Thailand? We were extra, extra proud & we cheered extra loud But when them boys stopped marching, we got kinda silent CH Marchin around the parade ground. They told 'em: 'Go send Charlie to a de-luxe hole in the ground' Don't misunderstand the song my brother came home but there was somethin' wrong. Booze & pills & tears & years of domestic unhappiness. I guess he couldn't take no more, the day that I kicked down his door it looked like he was only just taking a rest. CH They lay my brother down in a hole in the ground They put him to rest & that's the day I became a patriotic pseudo-pacifist They lay my brother down in a hole in the ground We buried our best & that's the way I became a patriotic pseudo-pacifist