More Than a Piece of Cloth

[Verse 1] I watched a man set fire to that flag Stood there laughing while he watched it burn Said it’s just a piece of colored cloth And I thought of all the boys who never returned I thought about the folded flags And the mothers crying at their sons’ graves And I wondered if that son of a bitch Ever thought about the price they paid [Chorus] That flag ain’t just red, white, and blue It’s the last thing some good men ever knew It’s a twenty-year-old kid who died With his best friend kneeling by his side It’s a wife who got that knock at three And a little boy asking, “Where’s Daddy?” You can say it’s just a piece of cloth But to me, it’s everything we lost [Verse 2] From the beaches over in Normandy To the streets of Baghdad and Ramadi Young men left their families behind Knowing damn well they might never make it home Some came back with scars you couldn’t see Some came home beneath a folded flag And some are still fighting every night With the things they brought back from Iraq [Chorus] That flag ain’t just red, white, and blue It’s the last thing some good men ever knew It’s a twenty-year-old kid who died With his best friend kneeling by his side It’s a wife who got that knock at three And a little boy asking, “Where’s Daddy?” You can say it’s just a piece of cloth But to me, it’s everything we lost [Bridge – Stripped-Down Acoustic, Nearly Spoken] I fought for your right to speak your mind Even when your words cut into mine And yeah, you’ve got the right to burn that flag But I’ve got the right to be pissed off at that ‘Cause I’ve carried friends who couldn’t walk I’ve heard grown men cry when they couldn’t talk And I’ve stood there while they played Taps Knowing one more brother wasn’t coming back [Final Chorus – Full Band, Raw Emotional Vocals] That flag ain’t just red, white, and blue It’s a promise made by the brave and true It’s a casket coming off a plane And a family that won’t be the same It’s a father standing by a stone Talking to a son who ain’t coming home So go ahead and call it just a piece of cloth But don’t tell me what it hasn’t cost [Outro – Soft Acoustic Guitar and Steel Guitar] I won’t tell you what you’re allowed to say That’s what my brothers died protecting anyway But when you set that flag on fire Remember who gave you that right And don’t you dare tell me It’s just a piece of cloth.