Kyle Thompson: Music

THE BALLAD OF JON WILLIAM MATHEWS


WELL JON WILLIAM MATHEWS HE NEVER DONE WRONG…
BUT THEN HE GOT DRAFTED AND WENT TO VIET NAM…
BARELY NINETEEN BACK IN ’71
BY THE TIME HE TURNED TWENTY THE DAMAGE WAS DONE
IN THAT YOUNG MAN THE DAMAGE WAS DONE.

HE LEFT HIS FRIENDS AND HIS FAMILY BEHIND…
ACROSS THE OCEAN AND ENEMY LINES
WAY UP A RIVER WHERE THE FERRYMANS’ TOLL
IS A HAND FULL BULLETS AND GOLD FOR YOUR SOUL
SOME BULLETS AND GOLD BUY YOUR SOUL…

THERE HE LEARNED TO MAME AND HE LEARNED TO KILL…
JON WILLIAM MATHEWS AQUIRED THAT SKILL…
YET HE NEVER LEARNED WHAT THE KILLIN’ WAS FOR
IN HIS HEAD HE BECAME A PRISONER OF WAR
IN HIS MIND JUST A PRISONER OF WAR..

STILL HE CAME HOME WITH HONOR AND A BADGE ON HIS CHEST
LABLED IN COMBAT AS ONE OF THE BEST…
BUT NO WELCOME HOME SIGNS…JUST LONG LONELY DAYS
A PAT ON HIS BACK AND THEN SENT ON HIS WAY
A DISCHARGE AND SENT ON HIS WAY…

HE NEVER GOT MARRIED AND THE MONEY HE SPENT
WENT TO A BOTTLE AND CHEAP HOTEL RENT
THE JOBS THAT HE HELD FOR MORE THAN A DAY…
COULD BARELY EQUAL HIS VETERANS PAY
SO HE LIVED ON HIS VETERANS PAY…

AND SOMETIMES JON WILLIAM MATHEWS WOULD CRY
WITH A GUN TO HIS HEAD AND A TEAR IN HIS EYE
CAUSE FOR TWENTY LONG YEARS HE HELD A DREAM IN HIS HEAD
THAT FOR ALL OF HIS KILLING HE TOO SHOULD BE DEAD
FOR HIS KILLING HE TOO SHOULD BE DEAD…

NOW I DON’T KNOW IF IT’S TRUE BUT IT’S SAID
THAT TORMENTED SOULS DON’T REST WITH THE DEAD
AND JON WILLIAM MATHEWS TORMENTED SOUL
BURNS HOT WITH FIRE IN A GROWING COLD…
YES THE LAND OF THE DEAD …IT IS COLD…

AND JON WILLIAM MATHEWS HE NEVER DONE WRONG
BUT THEN HE GOT DRAFTED AND WENT TO VIETNAM
BARELY NINETEEN BACK IN ’71
BY THE TIME HE TURNED TWENTY THE DAMAGE WAS DONE
IN THAT YOUNG MAN THE DAMAGE WAS DONE.