RocketCitySongscontinued

IN THE NAME OF WAR

I killed this man, I watched him die

From a mother's womb to a battle cry

For freedom's sake, he is no more

I killed this man In The Name of War

We own the day, it's the dead of night

It was him or me, I was in his site

One man is dead, one barely alive

Thou shalt not kill, not shalt not kill--

But you will if you want to survive

Momma, can you understand?

Daddy, will you shake me hand?

I killed this man, that little boy died

A mother's son, a father's pride

For freedom's sake, he is no more

I killed this man

I killed this man in In The Name of War

ALL MY LOVE JOHNNY

I open my yearbook to page twenty seven,

My finger still traces the memory

You signed my book in red ink, right under your picture,

"I'll love you forever, All my love, Johnny"

The heart that you carved in the oak tree that summer

Is still there though faded and lonely

The words that you carved there are etched in my memory,

"I'll love you forever, All my love, Johnny"

That was in sixty three when anything was possible,

We were young and in love, it would always be 'you and me'

Nothing would ever change and we'd grow old together

We dreamed away the summer of nineteen sixty three

After you left us, I slept with your picture,

Night after night you entered my dreams

Your dad read the telegram, my day turned to darkness,

Please hear my prayer, you have all my love Johnny

(Instrumental 1/2 chorus)

Nothing would ever change and we'd go on forever

we dreamed away the summer of nineteen sixty three

That page in my yearbook is yellowed and tattered

My tearstains never dampen the memory

You signed my book in red ink, right under your picture

I'll love you forever, all my love, Johnny"

In the summer of sixty three, anything was possible

We were young and in love, it would always be 'you and me'

Nothing would ever change and we'd go on forever

Then summer turned to winter in nineteen sixty five

Yes, summer turned to winter in nineteen sixty five

THE AMERICAN DREAM

Remember when you asked him, he was only nineteen?

You asked him to fight for The American Dream

After necking at the drive-in, he walked her to her back door

Early in the morning he was going to war

So if he dies in a combat zone, box him up and send him home

You shaved his head so he'd conform, you put him in a uniform

"I thought somebody said there was a party goin' on"

You issued him an M16--He's turned into a war machine

"In my flack jacket, I can hack it", Hut two, three, four.

We'll fight, fight, fight for The American Dream,

Fight, fight for the Dream

Fight, fight, fight for The American Dream

And we'll serve our Country

Squattin' in the jungle grass, "no porcelain to hold my ass--

--ociation with this location is gettin' to me"

Jungle rot and side-ways rain--at times they think they'll go insane

"But the USA and the CIA are countin' on me"

So if he dies in a combat zone, box him up and send him home

Oh say, can you see--we can't see the enemy

Runnin' and a duckin' "Are they hidin' from me?"

We play the game in their backyard--"we hit 'em fast--we hit 'em hard"

When the daytime turns to night time they are so hard to see

(But)

We'll fight, fight, fight for The American Dream

Fight, fight for the Dream

Fight, fight fight for The American Dream

Fight, fight for the Dream

Fight, fight fight for The American Dream

And we'll serve our Country

ROCKET CITY

We answered the call, took an oath, took a plane to Rocket City

Through the rockets' red glare, bombs bursting in air in Rocket City

We fought for the right, with the might of Miss Liberty

We carried the torch, carried on in the name of Freedom

I had a dream, it went up in smoke in Rocket City

I gave up my youth, baptized with blood in Rocket City

We fought for the right, with the might of Miss Liberty

We carried the torch, carried on in the name of Freedom

(key change) In the name of Freedom!

(Nurses) I lost a piece of my heart, cried ten thousand tears in Rocket City

I gave all that I had, but it was never enough in Rocket City

We fought for the right, with the might of Miss Liberty

We carried the torch, carried on in the name of Freedom

We answered the call, took an oath, took a plane to Rocket City

Through the rockets' red glare, bombs bursting in air in Rocket City

I gave up my dream

in Rocket City

It went up in smoke

in Rocket City

Baptized with blood

in Rocket City

(Retard)

(Nurses) I lost a piece of my heart

(All) I gave all that I had, but it was never enough in Rocket City

In Rocket City

In Rocket City!

SWEET LITTLE CHILD

FLETCHER:

Sweet Little Child all dressed in pink

When they said you couldn't go it made you think

'Cause that sweet little child all dressed in blue

Was gonna serve his Country, and fight for you

But you wanted to go

NURSES: (about themselves )

But we wanted to go

I was told all of my life, that I'd be a mom and I'd be a wife

And the man of my dreams would fight in a war

I'd keep the home fires burning and wait by the door

But, we wanted to go

Yes, we wanted to

Just because I was a woman and not some big strong strappin' man

Just because I was a woman, did that mean I couldn't go

Hell no!

NURSES:

I was told all of my life, that I'd be a mom and I'd be a wife

And the man of my dreams would fight in a war

I'd keep the home fires burning and wait by the door

But, we wanted to go

Yes, we wanted to go

FLETCHER:

Sweet Little Child all dressed in pink

When they said you couldn't go it made you think

'Cause that sweet little child all dressed in blue

Was gonna serve his Country and maybe die for you

FREEDOM BIRD

When I was a young man, my momma told me,

My momma said "Hey, son!

You gotta do your duty, serve God and your Country.

Do what's gotta get done."

I said "I know Mom! Well I'm gonna go, so put your mind at ease

But will you stop the real world 'til I can get back?

Will ya please?"

Freedom Bird, take me back to me

Freedom Bird, fly me so high

Freedom Bird, I'm hangin' on to your wing

I'm hangin' on for dear life

Freedom Bird, take me back to me

Fly me high, then set me free

Freedom Bird, you'll take me back to reality

But, can you take me back to me?

When I was a young man, my sargeant told me,

My sargeant said "Hey, son!

You gotta do your duty, serve God and your Country.

Do what's gotta get done."

I said "I know sarg! Well here I am, so put your mind at ease.

But will you ask the big boys to stop the real world 'til I can get back?

Will ya please?"

Freedom Bird, take me back to me

Freedom Bird, fly me so high

Freedom Bird, I'm hangin' on to your wing

I'm hangin' on for dear life

Freedom Bird, take me back to me

Fly me high, then set me free

Freedom Bird, you'll take me back to reality

But, can you take me back to me?

Ooooh yeah!

*(Repeat chorus)

But, can you take me back to me?

* Listen to CD for actual ending with counter melodies and additional lyrics.

MY SON (A FATHER'S SONG)

(Sung as counter melody with CHRIS'S SHOES chorus)

My son, he knows right from wrong

He'll fight for the right, I know he'll be strong

My Son, he's out there alone

God, please keep him safe,

(Please) Let him come home

My Son

THE AMERICAN DREAM (Reprise)

He's going back home all alone

They'll drop him in a a combat zone

With children borne in freedom yelling obscenities

War is hell! Why can't they see

That he had fought to keep them free?

I'll never understand how that makes him the enemy

To fight, fight fight for the American Dream

Fight, fight for the dream

(Repeat twice and fade into protester yelling at BAILEY)

BACKYARD WARRIORS (Reprise)

I came back alone, I got no welcome home

No parade for me, just reality

Your mom and dad got a folded flag

A replacement for the little boy they had?

This was not make-believe,it was not pretend

You died and it will never end for them

Not make-believe, it was not pretend

We don't always win or come back home again

At the Wall as I touch your name

I think about Hiroshima

And good old John on the movie screen

Kickin' ass at Iwo Jima

We were little boys (little boys)

Playing make-believe (playing make believe)

Fighting for the right, fighting real mean

Backyard Warriors with wooden guns

Little toy soldiers out havin' fun...

GATHER ROUND CHILDREN

Johnny, are you list'nin' to me?

Quit lookin' at your wristwatch, lookin' out the window

Come sit a little bit closer, it's time you listened to me

Susan, quit fussin' with your hair

Stop messin' with your makeup, and lookin' in your mirror

Come sit a little bit closer, it's time you listened to me

Gather Round Children, are you the next patrol?

Gather Round Children, would you be ready to go?

*Listen up children, and listen well,

I've got a story that I've gotta tell

So Gather Round Children

Johnny, I was even younger than you

When the leaders thake a stand, a boy becomes a man

Are they getting ready to do it again, are you list'nin' to me

Gather Round Children, are you the next patrol?

Gather Round Children, would you be ready to go?

Listen up children, and listen well, I've got a story that I've got to tell

So Gather Round Children....

(Repeat Chorus)

Gather Round Children, are you he next patrol?

Gather Round Children, would you be ready to go?

(Repeat tag)

Gather Round Children, would you be ready to go?

* The original line was: "I was on the last patrol so listen well", and I changed it to: "Listen up children and listen well", when it became obvious that the Vietnam veterans are no longer the last patrol.

Fletcher T. Bailey, the Spirit of a World War I soldier, bypasses the confines of time and space; he takes us on a journey into the vortex of the circle of war while watching over his grandson during the Vietnam War. The main action takes place in Pleiku, 1967-68. The play encompasses all wars: from the Revolutionary War to Iraq and Afghanistan....

If you are interested in performing any of the songs in Rocket City!, or mounting a production of Rocket City! or Rocket City! The Musical Revue, please contact Visions Unlimited for performance arrangements. All rights reserved on all intellectual property at this site. Used with permission only