Good Brother John

(Good brother John)

On the express bus to the boot camp

John came down the aisle

All I could see in the inky black night

Was a warm but weary smile

He said, "Friend, could I sit here by you?"

I cussed him as he sat down

Because everything anybody taught me

Made me hate this stranger, John

John my brother, John my friend

I cussed him once and I cussed him again

But John stood by me to the very end

Good brother John

Two GIs on an airplane

Headed for a distant place

John was honest and friendly

'Til I cussed him and spit in his face

Well, I thought I'd be a dead man

Before John turned loose of me

He said, "You're nothin' but a tomfool, white man

But I swear I'm gonna make you see"

John my brother, John my friend

He never borrowed more than he could lend

John stood by me to the very end

Good brother John

Two months later in the battle

In a place I couldn't even name

John lay beside me with a rifle

And I hated him just the same

Then the earth flew up beneath me

In a second my eyes were gone

Then a hand fell on my shoulder

And a voice said, "It's me, John"

(Good brother John)

I said, "Get away, boy, who needs you?"

He said, "Friend, you're comin' with me

Now that somebody's made you blind

Maybe you can learn to see"

Then he picked me up on his shoulders

And lifted me off of the ground

But when he stood up straight as a pine tree

Somebody shot him down

John my brother, John my friend

Gave up his soul to the jungle wind

John stood by me to the very end

Good brother John

Now I make my way in the darkness

But one thing I clearly see

God's good world is full of fine men

And they don't all look like me