BETWEEN IRAQ AND A HARD PLACE

BILLY WASN’T GOOD IN SCHOOL
STILL, HE WAS NOBODY’S FOOL
IT’S JUST THAT HE WAS WORKING ALL THE TIME
A SINGLE MOM AND A MISSING DAD,
THAT WAS ALL HE’D EVER HAD
SO BILLY GREW UP FAST AND TOED THE LINE.

WHEN THE TOWERS WERE STRUCK DOWN THAT DAY
HE SWORE TO MAKE THE BASTARDS PAY
HE CAUGHT A BUS AND LEFT HIS HOME BEHIND
THOUGHT HE’D GET AFGHANISTAN, BUT BILLY DIDN’T UNDERSTAND
THAT DESTINY HAD SOMETHING ELSE IN MIND.

WHEN HE FLEW AWAY IN EARLY MAY
BILLY DISAPPEARED WITHOUT A TRACE
TO A BATTLEGROUND ONLY FOUND	
SOMEWHERE BETWEEN IRAQ AND A HARD PLACE.
	
“WHERE ARE YOU NOW”? HIS MOTHER WROTE
AND, “DO YOU NEED A WINTER COAT?” AND 
“D O YOU TAKE YOUR VITAMINS EACH DAY?”
“I’M JUST FINE”, HER SON WROTE BACK,
“SO PLEASE DON’T WORRY, I DON’T LACK FOR 
ANYTHING – MOM, WE’RE GONNA WIN THIS RACE” 

AND SHE WONDERED WHEN HER BOY WAS COMING HOME
AS SHE TRIMMED ANOTHER CHRISTMAS TREE ALONE		 

SHE WAS BUSY DOING SUNDAY CHORES
WHEN A STRANGER CAME TO HER BACK DOOR
IN WORN FATIGUES AND STARING INTO SPACE
BROKE DOWN WHEN SHE RECOGNIZED
THE CROOKED SMILE AND THE HAUNTED EYES
AND SHE REACHED OUT AND SHE KISSED HIS TEAR-STAINED FACE.

AND IT WAS THEN SHE SAW HE BARELY KNEW HIS NAME
AND IT WAS CLEAR TO HER HE’D NEVER BE THE SAME.

	(CHORUS) 

© ART AND ROBIN’S MUSIC (BMI)