Johnny Dee could play a song that made the dark seem light,

He played for all eternity when the bombs dropped through the night.

He and his guitar, would help the soldiers cry.

He played for truth, he played for hope, he played for all who died.

He was just 18, plus three months more,

When he heard his mother crying as he walked in through the door.

The radio had said, a war had just begun,

and Uncle Sam was calling for, every teenage son.

Not yet a man, but still not a boy,

Johnny Dee would go to war and leave behind his toys.

He waved good-bye to ma and pa, and to his sister June,

he took with him his old guitar, and said, "Hope to see ya soon!"

It was hell but John survived to play his pals a song.

He sang of a girl called "Runaround Sue"

and the guy that she done wrong.

But then one day they heard a shot and all flattened to the ground,

Someone yelled, "Hey Johnny, get your ass right down!"

But Johnny did not hear him as he fell against the tree.

He said, "Hey look fellas, they finally did get me."

His pals saw he was fading fast as they watched his shirt turned red,

John whispered, "Let me play for you, a song before I'm dead."

His buddies tried to calm him, but he wanted to play them all a song.

He tried, but the only words he could say was,

"Why does dying take so long?"

Their tears fell for Johnny, as he died there holding his guitar.

Then someone shouted from behind, "Hey fellas, we just won the war!"

Johnny Dee could play a song that made the dark seem light,

He played for all eternity when the bombs dropped through the night.

He and his guitar, would help the soldiers cry.

He played for truth, he played for hope, he played for all who died.

He was the truth,

He was the hope,

He was the one who died.