[Verse 1] Monday morning in the break room, Someone says their weekend sucked, Restaurant forgot the ranch cup, Amazon delivery got fucked. Someone stole their parking space, The office thermostat's too cold, Coffee machine made decaf— And I'm standing there getting old. Now, I'm not saying you can't bitch, Marines bitch better than the rest, We could bitch about the fucking rain While marching through it chest to chest. But somewhere along the way my brain Got calibrated differently— So I smile and nod politely While something screams inside of me. [Chorus] JUST SMILE AND NOD, YOU'RE A CIVILIAN NOW! Don't say the first thing in your head, You've gotta filter that shit out. Everybody's got their problems, Everybody's misery counts— But sometimes being a veteran Means keeping your fucking mouth— Shut. Just smile and nod. [Verse 2] “My boss is like a Drill Instructor, He asked me not to show up late.” Yeah. Sounds fucking terrifying. How'd you survive till eight-oh-eight? Then somebody starts explaining What the military's really like, 'Cause their cousin almost joined the Army And they watch war movies every night. Then comes the guy we've all encountered, Built like pudding, talking big: “I would've joined the Marines, but man, If some D.I. screamed at me— I'd probably fucking hit him.” Take a sip and keep on smiling, Let that little comment slide, 'Cause apparently in civilian life **YOU SAY THE QUIET PART INSIDE.** [Chorus] JUST SMILE AND NOD, YOU'RE A CIVILIAN NOW! Don't say the first thing in your head, You've gotta filter that shit out. Everybody's got their problems, Everybody's misery counts— But sometimes being a veteran Means keeping your fucking mouth— Shut. Just smile and nod. [Verse 3] Every time the news starts talking, Someone turns and looks at me, Like four years in the Marine Core Came with a foreign-policy degree. “So what do you think we should do there?” “Could we win if there's a war?” Brother, I was oh-three-eleven— **I WASN'T RUNNING THE FUCKING CORE.** Then someone tells me how combat works, Someone else explains my gun, Someone's uncle was a sniper— **“CAN'T SAY WHERE OR WHAT HE'D DONE.”** I learned a valuable civilian skill That Uncle Sam forgot to teach: Sometimes knowing someone's full of shit Doesn't mean you need to speak. [Chorus] JUST SMILE AND NOD, YOU'RE A CIVILIAN NOW! Don't say the first thing in your head, You've gotta filter that shit out. Everybody's got their problems, Everybody's misery counts— But sometimes being a veteran Means keeping your fucking mouth— Shut. Just smile and nod. [Verse 4] Truth is, I don't think I'm better, And your problems still are real, Everybody's got a different scale For what counts as a big deal. Maybe that's the hardest lesson When you finally leave the gate— Not every problem needs a mission, Not every problem carries weight. I've gotten pretty fucking good now At letting stupid comments slide, I don't compare our worst experiences Or tell 'em what's inside. Then someone leans across the table, Like we're sharing some great bond: “So... Did you ever kill somebody?” Jesus Christ. Smile and nod. [Final Chorus] JUST SMILE AND NOD, YOU'RE A CIVILIAN NOW! Don't say the first thing in your head, You've gotta filter that shit out. You survived the field and fleet, You can survive this fucking crowd— Sometimes being a veteran Means keeping your fucking mouth— Shut. JUST SMILE AND NOD! [Outro] Spent all those years counting down the days Till I didn't wear that green... Now five minutes with these motherfuckers— **HOLY FUCK, I MISS THE MARINES.**
