Charlie Boy (Live from CO)

Well, I had a, I had an uncle I never got to meet, his name was Charles

They called him Charlie and when, uh

When Charlie, he was my dad's oldest brother

Anyway, uh, when Charlie was in high school, he had really big plans

He was gonna go on maybe to be a doctor

He had all these grand, grand plans and uh, really smart guy

And he heard JFK, he heard his president, he gave this beautiful speech

And he was so moved by the words of his leader

That he changed his whole future and put it on hold

And he said, uh, I'm gonna serve my country

I'm gonna volunteer to go to war and

I never got to, I never got to meet my uncle because of that choice

You know, because of that choice

But I admire him for that and when I think of my uncle Charlie

I think of this idea that it's the words of our leaders

They really do matter

They mattered to my uncle Charlie back then

They matter to us right now

So this one's for my uncle Charlie, this is about him

Is is called Charlie Boy

Charlie boy, don't go to war

First born in '44

And Kennedy made him believe

That we could do much more

Oh, whoa, oh-oh, oh, whoa, oh-oh

That's Neyla Pekarek on the cello!

And Lillian, don't hang your head

Love should make you feel good

In uniform, you raised a man

Who volunteered to stand

Oh, whoa, oh-oh, oh, whoa, oh-oh

And play the bugle and play the taps

And make your mother proud

And raise your rifles to the skies, boys

Fire that volley loud

And news was bad on Upland Ave.

Metuchen mourn our loss

And sons rebelled while fathers yelled

And mothers clutched the cross

Oh, whoa, oh-oh, oh, whoa, oh-oh

And play the bugle and play the taps

And make your fathers proud

And raise your rifles to the sky

Boy, fire that volley loud

He left