young men always carry all the load

the old man said he knew the score
told me about his last time in the last war
said young men always carry all the load
whether sitting on an easy chair
or like dead men walking down a lonely road
said they never get the pinup girl who wears the tight sweater
with her warm summer smile regardless of the weather
said they always hear the sounds of battle in their dreams
and wake up in a bed hearing old friends and their screams
and it just didn't seem right
that they'd have to be afraid of the night
that their youthful sacrifice
would be treated like a roll of dice
by the power hungry men eating tenderized steaks grilled prime
who crow about their station and it ought to be a crime
how they like to brag about life
while they sharpen their favorite knife
for another slice of pie and there's no wondering why
some men like to be on top and to brag and to boast
they'll always pretend that they're better than most
if you're not one of them, they'll pretend you're a ghost!
so the old man stood and he slowly looked around
i watched him tilt his head as though he heard a familiar sound
and when he spoke
i knew it was no joke
said young men always carry all the load
whether sitting on an easy chair
or like dead men walking down a lonely road
said they never get the pinup girl who wears the tight sweater
with her warm summer smile regardless of the weather
said they always hear the sounds of battle in their dreams
and wake up in a bed hearing old friends and their screams
and it just didn't seem right
that they'd have to be afraid of the night
that their youthful sacrifice
would be treated like a roll of dice.