Salute To A Switchblade

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Me and Yates an army buddy of mine

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Were doing three years in Germany at the time

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We came upon these Frauleins in the bar

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Yates said darf isch zee be-gleit-en they said ya

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And darf isch zee be-gleit-en means can we sit with you all



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Oh we must have drunk ten quarts of German beer

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My conscience and my sinuses were clear

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I asked that Fraulein if she was a spy

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She said nein but do bis ain bissel high

     G7                         C
A condition not uncommon to the American soldier



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Well later on I went to be excused

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When I returned I was a bit confused

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Yates and his Fraulein had hit the air

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Another guy was sitting in my chair

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A young soldier whom we shall get to know better



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I said excuse me Mister that's my seat

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I'd like to have it back sir if you please

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That girl's a nurse and I've been awful sick

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The man looked up at me and said mox-nix

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Which means that he was not overly concerned with my health



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Next thing I knew he had a switchblade knife

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Lord I didn't know that Fraulein was his wife

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I took off through that Gasthaus like a fool

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Behind me I heard the crashing stools

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As the police would say he was in hot pursuit



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Well the waitress yelled there's MPs on the way

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That's one more reason I didn't want to stay

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As I went out the window something went swish

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And I giggled all the way home knowing he missed

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At the time it seemed like a laughing matter



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But next morning my coat was lying there on the bunk

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And when I saw that coat it made me jump

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That man had cut my coat right down the back

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A little bit more and they'd been playing me taps

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And knowing the sad nature of that song I would decline it



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Well later on I heard that guy got stabbed

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They sent him home and didn't that make me glad

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On love and marriage I want to say one thing

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Oh lady if you're married wear that ring



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And the army has a new policy if you can't move it paint it

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If it has a switchblade knife salute it

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Not necessarily an incident one would want to write Mother about

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Germany being full of good soldiers good people