Salute to a Switchblade

"Somebody asked me if that was a true experience and I said,

'Would anybody make that up?' It's a true story... not necessarily an

incident one would want to write Mother about. This song is written about

my Army days in Germany."

Me and Yates an army buddy o'mine

Were doin' three years in Germany at the time

We came upon these Frauleins in the bar

Yates said darf isch zee be-gleit-en they said ya

(And darf isch zee be-gleit-en means can we sit with you all.)

Oh we must have drunk ten quarts of German beer

My conscience and my sinuses were clear

I asked that Fraulein if she was a spy

She said nein but do bis ain bissel high

(A condition not uncommon to the American soldier.)

Well later on I went to be excused

When I returned I was a bit confused

Yates and his Fraulein had hit the air

Another guy was sittin' in my chair

(A young soldier whom we shall get to know better.)

I said excuse me Mister that's my seat

I'd like to have it back sir if you please

That girl's a nurse and I've been awful sick

The man looked up at me and said mox-nix

(Which means that he was not overly concerned with my health.)

Next thing I knew he had a switchblade knife

Lord I didn't know that Fraulein was his wife

I took off through that Gasthaus like a fool

Behind me I heard the crashing stools

(As the police would say he was in hot pursuit.)

Well the waitress yelled there's MPs on the way

That's one more reason I didn't want to stay

As I went out the window somethin' went switch

And I giggled all the way home knowin' he missed

(At the time it seemed like a laughing matter.)

But next morning my coat was lyin' there on the bunk

And when I saw that coat it made me jump

That man had cut my coat right down the back

A little bit more and they'd been playin' me taps

(And knowin' the sad nature of that song I would decline it.)

Well later on I heard that guy got stabbed

They sent him home and didn't that make me glad

On love and marriage I want to say one thing

Oh lady if you're married wear that ring

(And the army has a new policy if you can't move it paint it

If it has a switchblade knife salute it

Not necessarily an incident one would want to write Mother about

Germany being full of good soldiers good people...)