Me and Yates an army buddy o'mine 
Were doing three years in Germany at the time
We came upon these Fräuleins in the bar
Yates said: Darf ich Sie begleiten, they said ya
(And darf ich Sie begleiten 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 Fräulein if she was a spy 
She said: Nein but do bist ein 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 Fräulein had hit the air 
Another guy was sitting 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: Marks me.
(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 Fräulein 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 something went switch
And I giggled all the way home knowing he missed
(At the time it seemed like a laughing matter)

But next morning my coat was lying 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 playing me taps
(And knowing 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)