Those Thankless Years

If it must be done
Then listen, son
Should no one stand
To shake your hand
Here’s what I’ve learned
From the file and rank
It’s a road of bones
And you get no thanks

Well I was young
With pockets deep
I gave a sum
To a friend in need
I lost the rest
To the central bank
It’s a road of bones
And you get no thanks

My love was caught
In a winter storm
I brought my coat
To keep her warm
Her eyes did close
And my heart sank
It’s a road of bones
And you get no thanks

So if you came here for the accolades
You’re a foot too short and a lifetime too late
There are no sweet words to wash your face
Or to carry you back home
Unless they are your own

I heard my call
And I answered it
I left my home
As I saw fit
Now I have no friends
And my days are blank
It’s a road of bones
And you get no thanks

So if it must be done
Then listen, son
Should no one stand
To shake your hand
Here’s what I’ve learned
From the file and rank
It’s a road of bones
And you get no thanks