Traveling Soldier: Dixie Chicks

Written by Bruce Robison and Farrah Braniff.
(© Bruce Robison Music/Mighty Nice Music/Tiltawhirl Music.)
Single Release, © 2001,

Two days past eighteen,
He was waitin' for the bus in his army greens.
Sat down in a booth, in a cafe there,
Gave his order to a girl with a bow in her hair.
He's a little shy but she give him a smile,
So he said: "Would you mind sittin' down for a while?
"And talkin' to me. I'm feelin' a little low."
She said: "I'm off in an hour and I know where we can go."
So they went down and they sat on the pier,
He said: "I bet you got a boyfriend but I don't care,
"I got no one to send a letter to.
"Would you mind if I sent one back here to you?"

I cried: "Never gonna hold the hand of another guy."
"Too young for him," they told her.
Waitin' for the love of the travellin' soldier.
"Our love will never end."
Waitin' for the soldier to come back again
Never more to be alone when the letter says,
My soldier's comin' home.

The letters came from an army camp,
In California, then Vietnam.
He told her of his heart, it might be love,
And all of the things he was so scared of.
He said: "When it's gettin' kinda rough over here,
"I think of that day, sittin' down at the pier.
"And I close my eyes and see your pretty smile.
"Don't worry, but I won't be able to write for a while."

I cried: "Never gonna hold the hand of another guy."
"Too young for him," they told her.
Waitin' for the love of the travellin' soldier.
"Our love will never end."
Waitin' for the soldier to come back again
Never more to be alone when the letter says,
My soldier's comin' home.

One Friday night at a football game,
The Lord's Prayer said, and the anthem sang,
A man said: "Folks would you bow your head,
"For the list of local Vietnam dead."
Cryin' all alone under the stands,
Was the piccolo player in the marching band.
And one name read and nobody really cared,
But a pretty little girl with a bow in her hair.

I cried: "Never gonna hold the hand of another guy."
"Too young for him," they told her.
Waitin' for the love of the travellin' soldier.
"Our love will never end."
Waitin' for the soldier to come back again
Never more to be alone when the letter says,
My soldier's comin' home.