He's five feet two and he's six feet four
He fights with missiles and with spears
He's all of 31 and he's only 17
He's been a soldier for a thousand years

He's a catholic, a hindu, an atheist, a jain,
A buddhist and a baptist and a jew
And he knows he shouldn't kill
And he knows he always will
Kill you for me, my friend, and me for you

And he's fighting for canada,
He's fighting for france,
He's fighting for the usa,
And he's fighting for the russians
And he's fighting for japan,
And he thinks we'll put an end to war this way

And he's fighting for democracy
He's fighting for the reds
He says it's for the peace of all
He's the one who must decide
Who's to live and who's to die
And he never sees the writing on the walls

But without him
How would hitler have condemned 'em at dachau?
Without him caesar would have stood alone
He's the one who gives his body
As a weapon of the war
And without him all this killing can't go on

He's the universal soldier
And he really is to blame
His orders come from far away no more
They come from him, and you, and me
And brothers, can't you see?
This is not the way we put an end to war.