AWOL - Paris

And you don’t hear none of those stations, for hip-hop and R&B playin' him,

ask why

In fact, where are those stations today?

Somebody better ask somebody that

The people that’s most affected, by this war

Are the so-called hip-hop generation

The Army is the best kept secret in the whole world

That every soldier gets his or her own private room

You can forget that old brown boot image of the Army

It’s a job like anything else, you’d love it, all the soldiers do

I remember how it started, remember the time

I was watchin' Rap City 'bout a quarter to nine

Commercial said the military givin' money for school

Caught the bus up to my campus, they were signin' recruits

And met this dude named Diablo (Hello), was some kind of vet ('Sup?)

He explained the situation told me what to expect, he said

(Now we’ll help you pay for college and train you for work)

Said I could take computer classes and could quit if I want

But best of all was the fact I’d have my own shit

I’d have my own space and have my own place to kick it

On top of that I’d travel, and visit the world

Hell, Diablo said the women overseas was the pearl

Didn’t even call my girl, let’s get it on fo' sho'

Signed my name, took some tests, and I was outta the do'

A true soldier for America, ready to go

On the road a vacation’ll be good for the soul

Don’t matter what they sayin' now

They lyin' what they say fo' sho'

They don’t play when it come to war

They get down, they get down, they get down

I showed up at basic training, but what a mistake

Cause this motherfucker yellin at me all in my face

In this dirty-ass latrine, fifty men in a room

Runnin' laps up in the mud at four o’clock in the morning

I’m scrubbin' toilets, doin' laundry, and feelin' the pain

If I didn’t know no better, I’d think «Boy» was my name

Same bullshit line so many bit 'fore me

Got a nigga twisted up in this illusion of freedom

Fuck this shit, I’m out tomorrow, made up my mind

Everything Diablo said I’m findin' out was a lie

That’s when my unit got the call, the Commander in Chief

Wanted ground troop assignments keeping peace in the East

What a relief, I’m thinkin finally somethin new

Shipped us off and twenty hours later, we was en route

Touched down around eleven, the desert was brutal

Then the ground split and caught us by surprise from the shootin'

«Engage!

Engage!

Open fire!»

«Take cover!

Take cover!»

«Get down!

Fire!»

Don’t matter what they sayin' now

They lyin' what they say fo' sho'

They don’t play when it come to war

They get down, they get down, they get down

Don’t matter what they sayin' now

They lyin' what they say fo' sho'

They don’t play when it come to war

They get down, they get down, they get down

It was all surreal, seen 'em blow the spine out his back

In the minefield, we was reelin' from the attack

Seen the MO’s hand upon the receiver, still attached

With an alarm on it, set off the beacon, then I mashed

Who the first truck, blood and guts splash in my face

Cuttin' kids down, couldn’ta been no older than eight

What the fuck is goin' on, who we fightin' and why

Killin' kids, killin' killers, who the fuck is supplyin'?

I’m cryin' out for protection, but none of it came

So I dumped in all directions 'til the heater was drained

But that night vision shit wasn’t helping us win

Caught a round of friendly fire, but it wasn’t so friendly

We simply got lucky, headed back to the base

Seen a soldier rape a woman, shot her dead in the face

Guts stuck to my clothes, body parts galore

If this a peacekeepin' mission, I ain’t ready for war

And now I’m back home bitter, and sick and contagious

And I’m knowin' we some bullies, that’s why everyone hate us

Still broke than a motherfucker, niggas is starvin'

And that job trainin' shit is only good for the Army

I guess I should have been a CO, and kept up a file

Shoulda listened when my homies said we murder for oil

Now I’m fuckin' with this wheelchair, ain’t nothin' the same

And I’m knowin' confrontation’s mo' than video games

War is pain