The Life and Times of Jackleg Johnson

Vietnam

Folks always askin me,

"Jackleg....., why they call you Jackleg and why you walk with that limp?"

I tells them, it's a story that brings great pain to me.

So I don't talks about it much,

Comes with bad memories ya see.

I just let them know it happened in the war.

That's all they get, I don't gives em much more.

Yeah....., that's right......, I was in the war,

Seen some things that would knock ya to the floor.

Don't know why we even had to open that door.

But I was young, didn't know no better.

Wanted to serve my country,

Maybe be a trend setter.

But after a while, all the killin took its toll.

We kinda lost sight of our purpose, truth be told.

We just wanted to survive the best we could

So we numbed the pain with whatever we could.

Drugs, smoke, liquor and even a little wine,

Anything that kept us from losing our minds.

But I met a girl, a nurse is what she was.

She liked my look even with all the peach fuzz.

We met in secret, on a count she was married.

As for her husband,

two silver bars on his shoulders he carried.

I knew I was wrong, but so did she.

That war we was in, it was hell don't ya see.

No one was thinkin in their right minds, including me.

So, we hooked up, as much as we could,

Behind the Captains back.

If he ever found out,

I'd catch a bullet, That's a fact.

We made love like there was no tomorrow,

All in an attempt to drown out our sorrow.

But one night caught us, I couldn't believe my eyes,

The captain came home early to our surprise.

But I made it out, with only seconds to spare.

Didn't even have time to put on my underwear.

I jumped out of his bed and straight through the window,

I didn't consider the ground was twenty feet below..., though.

Broke my leg in two places bad,

I was movin as fast as I could to get out of that pad.

This ole leg got the worst of it for sure.

The pain that I felt went straight to my core.

I Got away clean but this ole leg never healed right.

So when folks tease about my name,

I don't look to fight.

HELL...., I survived the war and I ain't no liar,

And I didn't get killed by no friendly fire.