z+Boonie+Rat

= I landed in this country, = = With one year of life to give, = = My only friend a weapon, = = And my only prayer, to live. = = I walked away from freedom, = = The life that I had known, = = I saw the weary faces = = Of the others going home. = = Boonie Rat, Boonie Rat, = = Scared but not alone, = = 300 days more or less = = Then I'm going home. = = My first few days were busy = = As they psyched my mind for war, = = I sometimes got the feeling = = They're trying to tie the score. = = I learned to look for danger = = In the trees and on the ground, = = I learned to feel with terror = = When you hear an A-K round. = = Boonie Rat, Boonie Rat, = = Scared but not alone, = = 300 days more or less = = Then I'm going home. = = First day in my unit = = I climbed a two klick hill, = = To find an enemy soldier, = = To capture, wound or kill. = = The air was clear and humid, = = The sun was hot and dry, = = Ten times I cursed my rucksack = = And prayed that I could die. = = Boonie Rat, Boonie Rat, = = Scared but not alone, = = 200 days more or less = = Then I'm going home. = = I've humped the hills in sunshine = = In mud and wind and rain. = = Some days have passed so quickly, = = That I thought they never came. = = My eyes are often weary, = = My feet are racked with pain, = = My back is bad and crooked = = From the loaded rucksack strain. = = = = Boonie Rat, Boonie Rat, = = Scared but not alone = = 200 days more or less = = Then I'm going home. = = At night I lie back tired = = And I gaze up at the sky, = = I hear the mortars thumping, = = And I see the rockets fly. = = I hope that Charlie's sleeping, = = And the last thing that I pray, = = That the night will pass all quiet, = = And I'll see another day. = = Boonie Rat, Boonie Rat, = = Scared but not alone, = = 100 days more or less = = Then I'm going home. = = "Above The Rest" is our motto, = = And "Airborne" is our cry, = = Freedom is our mission, = = For this we do or die. = = The Boonie Rat's a legend = = For now and times to come, = = Where there there's a soldier = = He will think of what he's done. = = Boonie Rat, Boonie Rat, = = Scared but not alone, 50 days, = = I'm getting SHORT = = Then I'm going home. = = My tour is almost over, = = And I slowly count each day, = = As I leave the field and say goodbye, = = To friends along the way. = = They say there'll always be a war, = = I hope they're very wrong, = = To the Boonie Rats of Vietnam = = I dedicate this song. Boonie Rat, Boonie Rat, = = Scared but not alone, = = Today I see my Freedom Bird, Today, = = I'm going home. = I chose this song because I thought that it was very interesting that the Second Battalion of the 502nd Brigade of the 101st Airborne Division came up with it while they were actually fighting in the field at Vietnam. Therefore it shows how much the soldiers dislike war and count down the days until they can return home. I think that the songs message is to show that soldiers are not killers, they enjoy war about as much as the rest of us, they just happen to be the ones who fight in it because they know that somebody must. This song expresses the soldier's opinions on the war. It shows that (like I said above) the soldiers don't like war either. The song also could provoke listeners to try and get the soldiers out of Vietnam as soon as possible because of how much they dislike it. I think that this song would make children who could be drafted unhappy because not many people would want this in their future. For parents of a soldier I think that it would cause them to think about what is happening to their sons and daughters. Finally, for a soldier I think this would make them happy because it would show soldiers everywhere that they are not "soft" because they don't like war and want to go home.

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