[Verse 1 – Presentation] My name is Earl. I am fifty-eight years old. Seven medals in a wooden box. One Purple Heart in gold. Infantry. Vietnam. Sixty-eight to seventy-three. That was where they sent us boys to prove what men could be. They shaved our heads and shook our hands, called us brave and strong. No one said how long a war could follow you along. [Pre-Chorus] They pinned bright metal on my chest, said, “You made your country proud.” Funny thing about a medal— it don’t drown out the sound. [Chorus] Have you ever heard a man cry out without his lungs? It ain’t the kind of scream you know. It’s steel and bone and breath undone, it’s watching daylight go. So when you say life’s been unkind, that fate has dealt you wrong— Son, you ain’t so bad off. You’re still standing strong. [Verse 2 – The Mine] The road was calm as Sunday morning, then white as judgment day. War don’t knock upon your door. It blows the door away. One of our trucks hit a mine just outside of Nam. Minutes before, PD was laughing, cracking jokes no one found fun. He told them loud and foolish, laughed harder than the rest. A minute later half of him was hanging from a chestnut crest. [Pre-Chorus 2 – Nightmares] I woke up screaming night by night until I lost my voice. Not from fear of dying— but from what I’d seen by choice. The jungle left my uniform. It never left my skin. Some wars end on paper. Some settle in within. [Chorus] Have you ever heard a man cry out without his lungs? Have you watched a boy turn smoke? Have you stood there at nineteen while the very earth just broke? So when your heart feels heavy and the road you walk feels long— Son, you’re not too bad off. You’re still breathing. That’s strong. [Verse 3 – Return Home] Seventy-three, I stepped back home. Bands played in the street. They said, “You’re safe now, soldier.” Peace felt incomplete. Tried to work the factory line. Tried to sleep at night. But every quiet room would turn back into that white-hot light. Lost the job. Lost the wife. Lost more than I can name. Turns out you can leave a war and still be in its flame. [Bridge – Spoken, slow] My name is Earl. Seven medals in a box. A Purple Heart. And a voice I never got back. [Final Chorus – stripped, reflective] Have you ever heard a man cry out without his lungs? I have. It never ends. Some battles don’t stay overseas— they settle in your bones, my friend. So if you woke up troubled today, if you think the world’s too rough— Son, you’re not too bad off. You woke up. That’s enough [outro] I was nineteen in a firestorm. I am older now and thin. They called me hero once. Now I’m just a man remembering.
