Ballad Of John Flowers

Veterans Day, 2009

John Flowers came from Chicago town
Raised on mashed potatoes,
Filled his canteen with Ripple wine
As we all marched out to war,

They told him, “Yes, we take your kind,”
“Just do what you are told,”
John Flowers picked up his pack and gun
Headed on down the road,

He sang a song as we marched along
So low you barely could hear,
I picked up on what he was singing
By bending low my ear, he sang:

The Pilot asked one last question
“What is Truth,” he wanted to know,
Jesus turned and answered him,
“Truth is all that is left
After all the lies have been told,”

The Captain heard him singing, said,
“Don’t you sing that song no more,”
John Flowers raised a mighty hand
The Captain spoke no more,

We stood there in the mess hall line
They dished us up mashed potatoes,
I bent low my ear to hear John Flowers sing
But they’d hanged him from the gallows.