Lyrics

The Ballad of the Bigman
Copyright 2022 Charles Milton Gaby

No one ever will forget the night
The big man gave a toast
And of all bars I played those days
I remember his the most
He said raise your glass
or kiss my ass
Tomorrow is thanksgiving
So here’s to all the whores and wars
that have made my life worth living

It was 2 AM in Shreveport
in a bar I played each week
Not far from the Air Force Base
where the mercenary‘s meet
I learned a Warren Zevon tune
that they requested most
A song about a Thompson gunner
Who had turned into a ghost

He was a black bearded pirate
With canyons ‘cross his brow
The kind of man that women whisper of
When their men are not around
Imposing as a hand grenade
That hasn’t got a pin
Addicted to the danger
Behind his wicked grin

Soldier of fortune
Raised by uncle sam
Are you really ready
For your final stand
Did the rich men in the cheap seats
Sell you on a scam
You don’t have to be the hero
To be a better man

I was tearing down my gear
He was sitting all alone
So I joined him for a drink or two
Before I headed home
And he told me how the killing
Had become his profession
And I listened like a priest
As he gave his confession

Maybe it was the coke
That made him want to talk
Maybe it was the loneliness
Once the crowd all took a walk
Maybe it was my innocence
That he felt a need to shock
Maybe there’s nothing left
To do in Shreveport at 2 o’clock

He showed the shrapnel in his belly
And his face and words detached
When he spoke of distant conflicts
And why he never could relax
It’s a dirty business to be in
The hired gun for power
But there ain’t no amount of money
That can buy an extra hour

Soldier of fortune
Trained by uncle sam
Are you really ready
For your final stand
Did the rich men in the cheap seats
Sell you on a scam
You don’t have to be the hero
To be a better man