(Spoken) 

That's him in the corner of social oblivion 

Encompassed by the sweet sense of freedom 

That only borders the aura of deep cerebral gouges 

Buried in each beat of the heart he was once proud to home 

If only his substance held a higher level of potence 

He might be able to drown the portion of his mind 

Which is trapped in the infinite hoard 

Of his 1972 through '74 tour through the flames of this hell 



Sometimes gunfire is brighter than the sunshine 

And sometimes a child's scream influences every dream 

Sometimes we fool ourselves into thinking we've moved on 

But no way, nohow, do we ever forget what we've seen 

No way, nohow, do we ever forget what we've seen 

No way, nohow, do we ever forget what we've seen 

No way, nohow, do we ever forget what we've seen 

No way, nohow, do we ever forget what we've seen 



It's now twenty-five years later, he's on the brink of forty-three 

Still searching for sanity, surveying the floor of his distorted sea 

He rememebers high-school friends joking about the war 

Never knew what mom was crying for (Never knew what mom was crying for) 

The other piece that shines in his mind was a divine first love 

Sewn-made, beauty, brown-eyed queen he left behind 

He remembers holding her tight, watching the sunset at shore 

Never knew what she was crying for (Never knew what she was crying for) 

He got the letter in the mail by the middle of his summer 

Wouldn't have had to go if it wasn't for his newborn brother 

He was barely eighteen, murdering people even younger 

And he still ducks and covers every time he hears the thunder 

He still hears the screams, smells the flesh, tastes the death 

Sees the blood, feels the pain, what's to gain, nothing's left 

But the slug that remains in his right calf 

The bullet laughs every time he cries, and it drives him mad 

Trying to sleep, but the visions give him a cold sweat 

The war's been over for two decades, but he still hasn't been home yet 

And every day he waits and strains to supress his guilt 

And forget the horror and the violence; the "kill or be killed" 

Fists, they always clenched; teeth, they always grinding 

Real life is lost and in a bottle he tries to find it 

"It's not fair," he mumbles through a nightmare 

Only in a fight for two years and wound up spending his whole life there 



(Chorus) 

He was face to face with the devil for the welfare of his country 

Now he's straining to live but his conscience won't let him 

It ain't flashbacks, you have to understand the tragedy, see 

He left the war, but the war never left him, see 

He left the war, but the war never left him, see 

He left the war, but the war never left him, see 

He left the war, but the war never left him, see 

He left the war... 



It's now twenty-five years later, he's on the edge of a park bench 

He asked God for hope and found his source non-existant 

He sits in the shadows, because the sun burns no more 

Now he knows what mom was crying for (Now he knows what mom was crying for) 

I used to watch old man in the park 

The sights slowly drove fright through my heart 

Wishing I could help but not knowing where to start 

I'd walk away, curse the world, gush some love and curse some more 

Now you know who I've been crying for (Now you know who I've been crying 

for) 

He threw his medals in the river but they sunk alone 

Put shades on his eyes to hide it from the warzone in the sky 

He tried to slit his wrists about a month ago 

But he's seen so much death, he's scared to life of suicide 

If there was only some way he could escape this penitentiary 

Goals get bigger and figures it'll chase away his memory 

But the dreams only worsen, the scenes almost burst in 

He recalls how training took away his right to be a person 

Put a gun in his hand, left him to die for the land 

The plan was the murder of man (The plan was the murder of man) 

Politicians have a dispute to decide to send in troops 

But the truth is they just don't understand (They just don't understand) 

Now he's running out of time, and running out of energy 

But 'til the last day he will fight for the murder of his memories 

And although he never got rid of his dog-tags 

He still wishes they'd have sent his parents an American flag 



(Chorus) 



Sometimes gunfire is brighter than the sunshine 

And sometimes a child's scream influences every dream 

Sometimes we fool ourselves into thinking we've moved on 

But no way, nohow, do we ever forget what we've seen 

No way, nohow, do we ever forget what we've seen 

No way, nohow, do we ever forget what we've seen 

No way, nohow, do we ever forget what we've seen 

No way, nohow, do we ever forget what we've seen Additional info 

From the 12" "Pushing Buttons / Architects Theme / A Murder Of Memories"