Saddle Up

Saddle up

Saddle up was a comforting sound
It meant I'd become a man
I was part of a covenant
That's hard to understand

If you're on the outside
Of wait a minute vines
Of jungle snakes and leeches
Of seeing barely in time

A trip wire across the path
A man coming down the hill
The explosions of artillery
The body parts of a kill

Saddle up meant moving on
A term when men rode horses
Into fields of battle
And clashed with opposing forces

Saddle up

Meant canteen water and rations
Ammunition in bandoleers
Everybody pullin together
Everybody admitting to fear

It meant a flare going off
in triple concertina at night
A scream of grenaaade
A flash of brilliant light

Hands looking for your rifle
Fingers numb from shock
Shrapnel through your cover
The Gates of Hell unlocked

And sitting there
Wondering if you'll make it
And yes it's your life to live
But there are those who'll take it

It meant a sky filled with stars
Twinkling out their light
Existing in utter contrast
To the viciousness of a fire fight

Saddle up

Meant going home
As much as a hill can be
Called Razorback in 66
But it was one to me

And a company of others
Who baked in heat shook in cold
Filled up sandbags forever
And then went out on patrol

Who cooked on heat tabs
And ate lima beans
That were older than we were
Because we were the Marines

In I Corp area
Stationed there with some Roks
Who didn't take many prisoners
Whether or not they talked

Was how the rumor went
And we thought that was cool
If you're going to fight..win
To Hell with limited engagement rules

Saddle up

Meant going home
And I didn't like leaving them there
And I can still see them
From that copter in the air

That took me to Da Nang
Where the took my rifle away
Like they had any right..I earned it
And I still feel that way today

Saddle up

Meant going home
But I didn't like leaving them there
And I can still see them
From that copter in the air




Neils
About 1995
*
transcribed this time
10:44 pm
06/12/2005