[Intro: marching snare, twangy guitar] [Verse 1: spoken word] I was nineteen. First time over the fence. Somewhere in the mountains they don't let you name. The radio was dead, the team was scattered, And the dogs were on the ridge behind me. [Verse 2: spoken word] And a skinny guy stepped out of the bamboo. Old tiger stripes. Gum going. He said, "Stay behind me, kid," in a Detroit voice, And he walked out front, on point. Every place the trail split, he'd stop, And fold a gum wrapper into a little arrow, And set it down in the leaves. [Chorus: big, sung] Point man, point man, Walking out in front, Folding little arrows, Dark blue, every one, Point man, point man, Whistling out of tune, Get me to the landing zone, I'll see you soon. [Verse 3: spoken word] He carried my ruck across the stream. The dogs were close. I could hear them. He stopped on the far bank and whistled three notes, Bad. Like a screen door. And the bird came in over the trees with the ropes down. I got in the rig and I turned around to pull him up, And he wasn't there. [Chorus: big, sung] Point man, point man, Walking out in front, Folding little arrows, Dark blue, every one, Point man, point man, Whistling out of tune, Get me to the landing zone, I'll see you soon. [Verse 4: spoken word] Back at the base I told the sergeant major. There was an old contractor at the bar, older than God, And he put his drink down and he said: "Tiger stripes. Black Jack gum. Whistles Chuck Berry like a broken screen door." He said, "Son, that's Johnny Martin. He went into a monastery in the snow in ninety-seven, And he never came out." [Verse 5: spoken word, quiet] I opened my hand. I'd had it closed since the stream. A wrapper. Dark blue. Folded into an arrow. [Final Chorus: biggest] Point man, point man, Walking out in front, Folding little arrows, Dark blue, every one, Point man, point man, Whistling out of tune, Get me to the landing zone, I'll see you soon. [Outro: whistled melody, three notes, up tempo] [End]
