Listen all you people
Try and understand
You may be a soldier
Woman, child or man

But there won't be many coming home
No, there won't be many coming home
Oh, there won't be many
Maybe ten out of twenty
But there won't be many coming home

Now the old folks will remember
On that dark and dismal day
How their hearts were choked with pride
As their children marched away
Now the glory is all gone
They are left alone

And there won't be many coming home
No, there won't be many coming home
Oh, there won't be many
Maybe five out of twenty
But there won't be many coming home

Look real closely at the soldier
Coming at you through the haze
He may be the younger brother who ran away
And before you kill another
Listen to what I say

Oh, there won't be many coming home
Oh, there won't be many coming home
Oh, there won't be many
There may not be any
But there won't be many coming home

If they all came back but one
He was still some mother's son
And there won't be many coming home

Oh, there won't be many coming home
Oh, there won't be many coming home
Oh, there won't be many coming home