Thrown Away (The Veteran Song)

The Story Behind the Song

About the distance between how the country talks about its veterans and how it actually treats them once they're home -- the flags and the speeches on one side, homelessness and broken promises on the other. It's an angry song, pointed directly at the people who benefit from the gap between the two.

Performances

Sadie McCoy's "Hers" edition performs the same twelve songs with her own vocal performance; per-track durations for her edition aren't published yet.

Lyrics

He’s layin’ on the steps of an ivory tower,  Food and shelter are outside his power. Fought all the battles we sent him to fight, Now he's up against the cold on a federal night. We wave our flags and we sing our songs, But since he got home, it's all gone wrong. In a land he defended, he can’t find a bed — Just a sidewalk pillow, not even a slice of bread. Another hero came back and ain’t been the same, Scars on his soul from all the missing names. Fights in his sleep what he can’t fight awake, Blood and the tears in his heart he can’t shake. Holds his head high, doesn’t ask us to care, After all, most of us were never there. In the land he protected, he can’t find his way — And Uncle Sam keeps saying we don’t have to pay. We sent them to fight, and they did it just fine, Old Glory’s still flyin’, freedom’s light's shinin'. Come back to promises broken, and debts we won’t pay, They bled for our country… and got thrown away. All you bastards in suits with your hands in the till, Countin’ your dollars while the cemeteries fill. Y’all holdin’ them signs when they get off the plane, You’re lookin’ at warriors — get the hell out the way. We asked them to serve, and they answered the call, They went where we wouldn’t, did it for us all. Without hesitation, that’s the American way… Their blood’s on your hands now… good ole’ U S of A. We sent them to fight, and they bled in our name, Old Glory still flies, but we ought to be shamed. Come back to promises broken, and debts we won’t pay, Their blood bought our freedom… then we threw them away.