Two days past eighteen

He was waiting for the bus in his army green

Sat down in a booth in a café thereGave his order to a girl with a bow in her hair

He′s a little shy, so she give him a smile

And he said, "Would you mind sittin' down for a while

And talkin′ to me, I'm feeling a little low?"

She said, "I'm off in an hour, and I know where we can go"

So they went down, and they sat on the pier

He said, "I bet you got a boyfriend, but I don′t care

I′ve got no one to send a letter to

Would you mind if I sent one back here to you?"

I cried

Never gonna hold the hand of another guy

Too young for him they told her

Waitin' for the love of a travelin′ soldier

Our love will never end

Waitin' for the soldier to come back again

Never more to be alone when the letter said

"A soldier′s coming home"

So the letters came from an army camp

In California then Vietnam

And he told her of his heart

It might be love, and all of the things he was so scared of

He said, "When it's gettin′ kinda rough over here

I think of that day sittin' down at the pier

And I close my eyes and see your pretty smile

Don't worry, but I won′t be able to write for awhile"

I cried

Never gonna hold the hand of another guy

Too young for him they told her

Waitin′ for the love of a travelin' soldier

Our love will never end

Waitin′ for the soldier to come back again

Never more to be alone when the letter said

"A soldier's coming home"

One Friday night at a football game

The Lord′s Prayer said, and the anthem sang

A man said, "Folks, would you bow your heads

For a list of local Vietnam dead"

Crying all alone under the stands

Was a piccolo player in the marching band

And one name Red, and nobody really cared

But a pretty little girl with a bow in her hair

I cried

Never gonna hold the hand of another guy

Too young for him they told her

Waitin' for the love of a travelin′ soldier

Our love will never end

Waitin' for the soldier to come back again

Never more to be alone when the letter says

"A soldier's coming."

I cried

Never gonna hold the hand of another guy

Too young for him they told her

Waitin′ for the love of a travelin′ soldier

Our love will never end

Waitin' for the soldier to come back again

Never more to be alone when the letters says

"A soldier′s coming home"