Two days past eighteen

He was waitin' for the bus in his army greens

Sat down in a booth at a cafe there

Gave his order to a girl with a bow in her hair

He's a little shy, so she give him a smile

So he said, Would you mind sittin' down for a while

And talkin' to me; I'm feelin' a little low"

She said, "I'm off in an hour and I know where we can go."

So they went down and they sat on the pier

He said, "I bet you got a boyfriend but I don't care

I've got no one to send a letter to;

Would you mind if I sent one back here to you?"

I cried

Never gonna hold the hand of another guy

Too young for him, they told her

Waitin' for the love of a travelin' soldier

Our love will never end

Waitin' for the soldier to come back again

Never more to be alone

When the letters say: A soldier's coming home

So the letters came

From an army camp

In California then Vietnam

And he told his heart

It might be love

And all of the things he was so scared of

Said, "When it's gettin' kinda rough over here

I think about that day sittin' down at the pier

And I close my eyes and see your pretty smile

Don't worry, but I won't be able to write for a while"

I cried

Never gonna hold the hand of another guy

Too young for him, they told her

Waitin' for the love of a travelin' soldier

Our love will never end

Waitin' for the soldier to come back again

Never more to be alone

When the letters say: a soldier's coming home

One Friday night at a football game

The Lord's Prayer said and the anthem sang

A man said, "Folks, would you bow your heads

For a list of local Vietnam dead"

Cryin' all alone under the stands

Was the piccolo player in the marching band

And one name read, and nobody really cared

But a pretty little girl with the bow in her hair

I cried

Never gonna hold the hand of another guy

Too young for him, they told her

Waitin' for the love of the travelin' soldier

Our love will never end

Waitin' for the soldier to come back again

Never more to be alone

When the letter says: a soldier's coming...

I, I cried

Never gonna hold the hand of another guy

Too young for him, they told her

Waitin' for the love of the travelin' soldier

Our love will never end

Waitin' for the soldier to come back again

Never more to be alone

When the letter says: a soldier's coming home.