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When a Soldier Makes It Home Lyrics

Halfway around the world tonight
In a strange and foreign land
A soldier packs his memories
As he leaves Afghanistan

And back home, they don't know too much
There's just no way to tell
I guess you had to be there
For to know that war was hell

And there won't be any victory parades
For those that's coming back
They'll fly them in at midnight
And unload the body sacks

And the living will be walking down
A long and lonely road
Because nobody seems to care these days
When a soldier makes it home

They'll say it wasn't easy
Just another job, well done
As the government in Kabul falls
To the sounds of rebel guns

And the faces of the comrades
Being blown out of the sky
Leaves you bitter with the feeling
That they didn't have to die

And there won't be any victory parades
For those that's coming back
They'll fly them in at midnight
And unload the body sacks

And the living will be walking down
A long and lonely road
Because nobody seems to care these days
When a soldier makes it home

Halfway around the world tonight
In a strange and foreign land
A soldier unpacks memories
That he saved from Vietnam

Back home they didn't know too much
There was just no way to tell
I guess you had to be there
For to know that war was hell

And there wasn't any big parades
For those that made it back
They flew them in at midnight
And unloaded all the sacks

And the living were left walking down
A long and lonely road
Because nobody seemed to care back then
When a soldier made it home

The night is coming quickly
And the stars are on their way
As I stare into the evening
Looking for the words to say

That I saw the lonely soldier
Just a boy that's far from home
And I saw that I was just like him
While upon this earth I roam

And there may not be any big parades
If I ever make it back
As I come home under cover
Through a world that can't keep track

Of the heroes who have fallen
Let alone the ones who won't
Which is why nobody seems to care
When a soldier makes it home
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Cover art for When a Soldier Makes It Home lyrics by Arlo Guthrie

First heard this awesome tune at the Vietnam Veteran Radio Web station https://vietnamvetradio.org/

I was impressed with the lyrics, the musicianship and the singing that conveyed a lot of emotions. The vets at American Legion Post 639 in Springfield, MO that have heard the song have also voiced their pleasure with a song that we can relate to.

The sentiments conveyed are realistic but at least the military is not looked down upon as much as was common back in the Vietnam era. Each veteran serving either overseas or at home in the States has their own experiences and interpretations of events making it difficult for one song to be all-encompassing but Arlo Guthrie has performed a near-miracle by creating lyrics that are about as all-encompassing as can be considering the complexity of the topics covered.

My Interpretation
 
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