Mine eyes have seen the days of men who ruled the fighting sky
With hearts that laughed at death and lived for nothing but to fly
But now those hearts are grounded and those days are long gone by
The Air Force is gone to hell!

Glory - flying regulations
Have them read at every station
Crucify the man who breaks one
The Air Force is shot to hell!

My bones have felt their pounding throb. a hundred thousand strong
A mighty airborne legion sent to right the deadly wrong
But now it's only memory, it only lives in song
The Air Force is gone to hell!

The lordly Flying Fortress and the Liberator too
Once wrote the doom of Germany with contrails in the blue
But now the skies are empty and our planes are wet with dew
And we can't fly for hell!

Hap Arnold built a fighting team that sang a fighting song
About the wild blue yonder in the days when men were strong
But now we're closely supervised for fear we may do wrong
Thee Air Force is gone to hell!

Glory - flying regulations
Have them read at every station
Crucify the man who breaks one
The Air Force is shot to hell!

I have seen them in their T-bolts when their eyes were dancing flame
I've seen their screaming power dives that blasted Goering's name
But now they fly like sissies and they hang their heads in shame
Their spirit's shot to hell!

They flew B-26's through a living hell of flak
And bloody, dying pilots gave their lives to bring them back
But now they all play ping pong in the operations shack
Their technique's gone to hell!

You heard your pounding fifties blaze from wings of polished steel
The purring of your Merlin was a song your heart could feel
But now, the L-5 charms you with its moaning, groaning squeal
And it won't climb for hell

Glory - flying regulations
Have them read at every station
Crucify the man who breaks one
The Air Force is shot to hell!

Have you ever climbed the lightning up to where the air is thin
Have you aimed her long nose downward just to hear the screaming din
Have you tried to do it lately? Better not; You'll auger in
And then you'll sure catch hell!

We were cocky, bold and happy when we played the angels' game
We split the blue with buzzing and we rolled our way to fame
But now that's all verboten and we're all so gol-durn tame
Our spirit's shot to hell

One day l buzzed an airfield with another risky chap
We flew a hot formation with his wingtip in my lap
But there's a new directive and we'll have no more of THAT!
Or you will burn in Hell!

Glory - flying regulations
Have them read at every station
Crucify the man who breaks one
The Air Force is shot to hell!

Mine eyes get dim with tears when I recall the days of old
When pilots took their choice of being old, or young and bold
Alas, I have no choice and I will live to be quite old
The Air Force is gone to hell

But smile awhile, my pilots though your eyes may still be wet
Someday we'll meet in heaven where the rules have not been set
And God will show us how to buzz and roll and really let
The Air Force fly like hell!

Glory! No more regulations!
Rip them down at every station!
Ground the guy that tries to make one!
And let us fly like hell!