Johnny can't read

Johnny can't write

Johnny didn't have much of a life

Oh yeah - oh yeah



His father told him to be a marine

To fight their war he didn't believe in

Oh yeah - oh yeah



Johnny told his father, he just could not

He don't wanna live that way

Oh yeah - oh yeah



Johnny always thought there was something wrong

Day by day singing his fathers song

Johnny didn't want to live his life that way

Now day to day, dying the military way



Johnny was rough, Johhny was tough

But not tough enough, to just say no



Johnny went down to sign up that day

They sent him down to basic training



Johnny went to a foreign land

He died in the hands of a foreign man

We will always remember Johnny in his last days