| I was born to be of service
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| Camp Lejeune just felt like home
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| I had honor, I found purpose
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| Sir, yes, sir, that's what I know
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| They sent us to a place
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| I'd never heard of weeks before
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| When you're 19 it ain't hard to sleep
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| In the desert on God's floor
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| Close your eyes, stop counting sheep
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| You ain't in boot camp anymore
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| We were taught to shoot our rifles
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| Men and women side by side
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| Thought we'd be met as liberators
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| In a thousand-year-old fight
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| I got this painful ringing in my ear
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| From an IED last night
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| But no lead-lined Humvee war machine
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| Could save my sergeant's life
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| Three more soldiers, six civilians
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| Need these words to come out right
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| God of mercy, God of light
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| Save your children from this life
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| Hear these words, this humble plea
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| For I have seen the suffering
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| And with this prayer I'm hoping
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| That we can be unbroken
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| It's eighteen months now I've been stateside
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| With this medal on my chest
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| But there are things I can't remember
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| And there are things I won't forget
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| I lie awake at night
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| With dreams the devil shouldn't see
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| I want to scream but I can't breathe
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| And, Christ, I'm sweating through these sheets
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| Where's my brothers? |
| Where's my country?
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| Where's my how-things-used-to-be
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| God of mercy, God of light
|
| Save your children from this life
|
| Hear these words, this humble plea
|
| For I have seen the suffering
|
| And with this prayer I'm hoping
|
| That we can be unbroken
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| My service dog's done more for me
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| Than the medication would
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| There ain't no angel that's coming to save me
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| But even if they could
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| Today twenty-two will die from suicide
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| Just like yesterday, they're gone
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| I live my life for each tomorrow
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| So their memories will live on
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| Once we were boys and we were strangers
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| Now we're brothers and we're men
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| Someday you'll ask me "Was it worth it
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| To be of service in the end?"
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| Well, the blessing and the curse is
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| Yeah, I'd do it all again |