Nineteen - Taylor Hicks

Nineteen

Number on his back

Voted captain of his high school football team

He took us all the way to State

Had a scholarship to play down in Tennessee

Said he could run, he could duck

He could throw, he could go

Like you never seen

Nineteen

On the day those twin towers came down

His whole world turned around

He told them all, «Y'all, I can’t play ball

There’s a war on now»

So he walked right down with a few good men

And joined the Marines

Nineteen

He’s the boy next door

He might have carried your bags at the grocery store

Now he’s somebody’s son in a hole with a gun

In some foreign land

Trying to hold on to his American Dreams, nineteen

There’s a sniper out there in the dark somewhere

And a soldier down

Need someone who can run, who can duck

And go get him out

It takes one good man to raise his hand

Take one for the team

How about you, nineteen?

Brought him home today

With the big parade down on main street

Gave him a purple heart, a silver star

Soldier gave a speech

Said, «He could run, he could duck, he could throw

He’s the one who rescued me»

Said, «He could have played for Tennessee»

Number nineteen

He was nineteen