Joined the service out of school in the year of '69
When the doors were ridin' on the storm, hendrix was alive
And before i could blink an eye, i was sent to vietnam
To teach them people democracy, jesus, what a laugh
All across the highlands, we moved in single file
Lookin' for them vietcong, i musta crawled a 1000 miles
But i'd only one thought on me mind,
'twas your eyes of emerald green
My love is in new york, oh she's the only one for me

I learned to smoke the opium pipe, i learned it all too well
'cause when the shells are bangin' in your ears
It stops that livin' hell
Then one night 6 months later, while in the dmz
Me own dear u.s. air force blew the hell right out of me
Still i loved my country i saluted the old flag
When you're a boy from woodside, queens, you give it all you have
'cause i knew you'd be there waitin' with your eyes of emerald green
My love is in new york and she's the only one for me

But when i got sent home at last, they jeered and spat at me
They called me a fascist, said i was the enemy
I could've put up with all of that
'twas no big thing to me
But you killed me with one look of disgust
From those emerald greens

Now i sit down here on broadway, this pavement is me home
The war is long forgotten, for those who stayed at home
And i wish i had me opium pipe to stop that livin' hell
That's goin' on inside me head, i wish it all so well
And the doors still ride by on the storm
Hendrix hides from joe
I should be history around here but where else is there to go
'cause i know you're out there somewhere,
With your eyes of emerald green
My love is in new york, ah she's the only one for me