No Prisoners Allowed

NO PRISONERS ALLOWED Song Notes

“No Prisoners Allowed” is an older song of mine, which intended to address varied aspects of war. The brutality, the societal distancing or trivializing that can occur, the toll it takes on the ones who fight, or are in charge, and the pride that families and countries feel about their soldiers who fight for the cause, even if they are on the other side, are topics in the song. The story line is simply the tale of a general, doing what he was ordered to do, what he had to do to survive, or maybe what he took pleasure in doing, from moment of an intense battle, until he is laid to rest.

I’ve done some things I’m not particularly proud of in my life, but feel I’ve done my best, in the moment, at the time.

“NO PRISONERS ALLOWED”

THE GENERAL ON THE FIELD, SAID “NO PRISONERS ALLOWED”

“WE FOUGHT THE BATTLE WELL, YOU ALL SHOULD BE PROUD”

“WELL THERE’S ONLY ENOUGH RATIONS FOR ONE MORE DAY,

“LET EM LAY IN THE DIRT, AND THEY’LL SLOWLY”

THEY’LL FADEAWAY, FADEAWAY, BACK TO THE EARTH, FADE AWAY”

THE GENERAL’S CAR WAS ON ITS SIDE, WITH THE WHEELS GOING ROUND,

HE LAY THERE ON THE COLD FROZEN GROUND,

SOMEBODY YELLED, “ I THINK IT WAS A BOMB”,

WELL THE AMBULANCE IS SCREAMING DOWN THE OLD HIGHWAY,

THE CROWD IS LEAVING NOW, THEY’LL SEE IT ON THE NEWS,

ANYWAY, ANYWAY, BACK TO THEIR HOMES, ANYWAY,

THE SOLDIERS TAKE THEIR GUNS, AND MARCH IN TIME,

THEIR RIFLES ARE POINTED AT THE ENEMY LINE,

THEY TAKE THEIR GUNS AND THEY MARCH IN TIME,

THEY FIGHT WITH HEART, THEY MIGHT JUST DIE TONIGHT,

THE SIGN ON THE DOOR SAID “NO VISITORS ALLOWED”,

THE NURSES DOWN THE HALL, THEY WERE BEING TOO LOUD

A VOICE CALLED OUT, “NO PRISONERS ALLOWED”

POLISHED WHITE FLOORS, AND BLOODY RED TOWELS,

SMELL OF ANTISEPTIC, DOWN THE HALLS,

GIVE EM ANOTHER HIT ON THE MORPHINE PUMP,

THEY FLEW HIM IN A JET, HE WAS BURIED ON A FARM,

HIS FAMILY’S ALL THERE, THEY PUT FLOWERS IN HIS ARMS,

THE PREACHER MAN SAID TO THE GRIEVING CROWD,

“HE FOUGHT HIS BATTLE WELL, YOU ALL SHOULD BE PROUD”,

“HE FOUGHT HIS BATTLE WELL, YOU ALL SHOULD BE PROUD”,

“HE FOUGHT HIS BATTLE WELL, YOU ALL SHOULD BE PROUD”,

“HE KILLED A LOT OF PEOPLE, YOU ALL SHOULD BE PROUD”,

WELL WE FIGHT OUR BATTLES WELL, WE SHOULD ALL BE PROUD,

WE FIGHT OUR BATTLES WELL, WE SHOULD ALL BE PROUD,

WE FIGHT OUR BATTLES WELL, WE SHOULD ALL BE PROUD.