Sam Stone - Nathaniel Rateliff, John Prine

Sam stone came home

To his wife and family

After serving in the conflict overseas

And the time that he served

Had shattered all his nerves

And left a little shrapnel in his knee

But the morphine eased the pain

And the grass grew round his brain

And gave him all the confidence he lacked

With a purple heart and a monkey on his back

Theres a hole in daddys arm where all the money goes

Jesus christ died for nothin I suppose

Little pitchers have big ears

Dont stop to count the years

Sweet songs never last too long on broken radios

Mmm…

Sam stones welcome home

Didn’t last too long

He went to work when hed spent his last dime

And sammy took to stealing

When he got that empty feeling

For a hundred dollar habit without overtime

And the gold rolled through his veins

Like a thousand railroad trains

And eased his mind in the hours that he chose

While the kids ran around wearin other peoples clothes…

Repeat chorus:

Sam stone was alone

When he popped his last balloon

Climbing walls while sitting in a chair

Well, he played his last request

While the room smelled just like death

With an overdose hovering in the air

But life had lost its fun

And there was nothing to be done

But trade his house that he bought on the g, i.

bill

For a flag draped casket on a local heroes hill

Repeat chorus