A ballad that tells the story of the entire life of a person, with the listener put in the place of the subject. The song was written as an anti-war song. It is dedicated to the veterans of every conflict everywhere.

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I was watching a special report on the casualties of the current Iraq conflict on CNN. They were interviewing a newly returned veteran from Iraq. The boy was very young, and he spoke in full support of the war effort - shades of a propaganda photo-op. The camera was always on the boy's face and as the interview came to a close the camera began moving back to reveal more of the boy. He was in a wheelchair and had no legs. As I wrote this song these images were constantly flashing before my eyes.

The Veteran
Music and Lyrics By: John “Jonnikhan” King

Remember when you were young, so full of life;
And the wonders of the world were new;
You would smile at the smallest things;
And absorb what your parents knew;
They told you what time of day it was;
What you could and could not do;
Then at the ripe age of three and a half or so;
They sent you off to school…
You learn from some books, the facts of life;
And the wonders of the world seem old;
You still smile at some of these things;
Amongst the products being sold…
They tell you what time of day it is;
What you can and cannot do;
Then at the ripe age of eighteen or so,
You serve your country true, country true!
Oooo, you’re country, too!

You’re the Veteran of some foreign war;
Against a foe you couldn’t see;
Finally home from some distant shore;
Lost your legs below the knee;
They still tell you what time of day it is;
What you will or will not receive;
So as you’re waiting at the end of the line;
It’s not what you were led to believe…
There you sit, Veteran of reality;
And the wonders of the world are gone;
You rarely smile at anything;
While calmly waiting for the bomb;
You know exactly what time of day it is;
What you can and cannot do;
There is no question of loyalty;
You served your country true, country true!
Oooo, you’re country, too!
Oooo, country true! Oooo, your country, too; oh, woe!