I was there in the winter of '64
Camped in the ice at Nashville's door
Three hundred miles our trail had lead
We barely had time to bury our dead
When the smoke cleared and the colors fell
Overton Hill was a living hell
When we called retreat, it was almost dark
I died with a grapeshot in my heart

Say a prayer for peace
For every fallen son
Set my spirit free
Let me lay down my gun
Sweet mother Mary, I'm so tired
But I can't come home 'til the last shot's fired

I was there on the beach in '44
Waded through the blood of Omaha Shore
I was twenty-one and scared to death
My heart poundin' in my chest
I almost made the old seawall
When my friends turned and watched me fall
I still smell the smoke, I can taste the mud
As I lay there dying from a loss of blood

Say a prayer for peace
For every fallen son
And set my spirit free
Let me lay down my gun
Sweet mother Mary, I'm so tired
But I can't come home 'til the last shot's fired

I'm in the fields of Vietnam
The mountains of Afghanistan
And I'm still waitin', hopin', prayin'
I did not die in vain

Say a prayer for peace
For every daughter and every son
Set our spirits free (Set us free)
Let us lay down our guns
Sweet mother Mary, we're so tired (We're so tired)
But we can't come home 'til the last shot's fired
(Sweet mother Mary) 'Til the last shot's fired
Let's all pray that someday soon the last shot will be fired
Pray for peace