Dress Blues Songtext
von Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit

What can you see from your window?
I can′t see anything from mine
Flags on the side of the highway
And scripture on grocery store signs

Maybe 18 was too early
Maybe 30 or 40 is too
You get your chance to make peace with the man
Before He sent down his angels for you?

And mamas and grand mamas love you
'Cause that′s all they know how to do
But you never planned on the bombs in the sand
Or sleepin' in your dress blues

Your wife said this all would be funny
When you came back home in a week
You's turn 22, we′d all celebrate you
In a bar or a tent by the creek


And your baby would just about be here
And your very last tour would be up
But you won′t be back, they're all dressin′ in black
And drinkin' sweet tea in styrofoam cups

And mamas and grand mamas love you
American boys hate to lose
But you never planned on the bombs in the sand
Or sleepin′ in your dress blues

They got the high school gymnasium ready
It's full of flowers and old legionnaires
Nobody showed up to protest
Just sniffle and stare

And there′s red, white and blue in the rafter
And there's silent old men from the Corps
And what did they say when they shipped you away
To fight somebody's Hollywood war?

And nobody here could forget you
You showed us what we had to lose
But you never planned on the bombs in the sand
Or sleepin′ in your dress blues

No, you never planned on the bombs in the sand
Or sleepin′ in your dress blues


Well, that's song for Matthew Conley from Green Hill, Alabama
His family and friends