Steve Earle

WE SIGNED UP IN SAN ANTON
MY BROTHER PAUL AND ME
TO FIGHT WITH BEN MCCOLLOCH
AND THE TEXAS INFANTRY
WELL THE POSTER SAID WE'D GET A UNIFORM
AND SEVEN BUCKS A WEEK
THE BEST RATIONS IN THE ARMY
AND A RIFLE WE COULD KEEP

WHEN I FIRST LAID EYES ON THE GENERAL
I KNEW HE WAS A FIGHTING MAN
HE WAS EVERY INCH A SOLDIER
EVERY WORD WAS HIS COMMAND
WELL HIS EYES WERE COLD AS LEAD AND STEEL
FORGED INTO TOOLS OF WAR
HE TOOK THE LIVES OF MANY
AND THE SOULS OF MANY MORE
WELL THEY MARCHED US TO MISSOURI
AND WE HARDLY STOPPED FOR REST
THEN HE MADE HIS SPEECH AND SAID
WE'RE COMIN' TO THE TEST
WELL WE'VE GOT TO TAKE SAINT LOUIS BOYS
BEFORE THE YANKEES DO
IF WE CONTROL THE MISSISSIPPI
THEN THE FEDERALS ARE THROUGH
WELL THEY TOLD US THAT OUR ENEMY
WOULD ALL BE DRESSED IN BLUE
THEY FORGOT ABOUT THE WINTERS COLD
AND THE CURSED FEVER TOO
MY BROTHER DIED IN WILSONS CREEK
G C AND LORD I SEEN HIM FALL
WE FELL BACK TO THE BOSTON MOUNTAINS
IN THE NORTH OF ARKANSAS
GODDAMN YOU BEN MCCOLLOCH
I HATE YOU MORE THAN ANY MAN ALIVE
AND WHEN YOU DIE
YOU'LL BE A FOOT SOLDIER JUST LIKE ME
IN THE DEVILS INFANTRY
AND ALL THE WAY TO FAYETTEVILLE
WE CURSED MCCULLOCH'S NAME
AND MOURNED THE DEAD WE'D LEFT BEHIND
AND WE WAS CARRING THE LAME
I KILLED A BOY THE OTHER NIGHT
WHO'D NEVER EVEN SHAVED
I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT I'M FIGHTIN' FOR
I AIN'T EVER OWNED A SLAVE
SO I SNUCK OUT OF CAMP
AND I HEARD THE NEWS NEXT NIGHT
THE YANKEES WON THE BATTLE
AND MCCOLLOCH LOST HIS LIFE
GODDAMN YOU BEN MCCOLLOCH
I HATE YOU MORE THAN ANY MAN ALIVE
AND WHEN YOU DIE
YOU'LL BE A FOOT SOLDIER JUST LIKE ME
IN THE DEVILS INFANTRY