Once upon a time there was a little boy who wanted to grow up

And be a soldier and serve his country in whatever way he could

He would parade around the house with a sauce pan on his head

For a helmet, a wooden sword in one hand and the American flag in the other

As he grew up, he put away the things of a child but he never let go of the flag



My name is William Calley, I'm a soldier of this land

I've tried to do my duty and to gain the upper hand

But they've made me out a villain they have stamped me with a brand

As we go marching on



I'm just another soldier from the shores of U.S.A.

Forgotten on a battle field then thousand miles away

While life goes on as usual from New York to Santa Fe

As we go marching on



I've seen my buddies ambushed on the left and on the right

And their youthful bodies riddled by the bullets of the night

Where all the rules are broken and the only law is might

As we go marching on



While we're fighting in the jungles they were marching in the street

While we're dying in the rice fields they were helping our defeat

While we're facing V.C. bullets they were sounding a retreat

As we go marching on



With our sweat we took the bunkers, with our tears we took the plain

With our blood we took the mountains and they gave it back again

Still all of us are soldiers, we're too busy to complain

As we go marching on



When I reach my final campground in that land beyond the sun

And the great commander asks me, "Did you fight or did you run?"

I'll stand both straight and tall stripped of medals, rank and gun

And this is what I'll say:



Sir, I followed all my orders and I did the best I could

It's hard to judge the enemy and hard to tell the good

Yet there's not a man among us would not have understood



We took the jungle village exactly like they said

We responded to their rifle fire with everything we had

And when the smoke had cleared away a hundred souls lay dead



Sir, the soldier that's alive is the only once can fight

There's no other way to wage a war when the only one in sight

That you're sure is not a VC is your buddy on your right



When all the wars are over and the battle's finally won

Count me only as a soldier who never left his gun

With the right to serve my country as the only prize I've won

As we go marching on

Glory, glory hallelujah glory, glory hallelujah