Sam Stone   ©John Prine       Sam Stone came home,   To his wife and family   After serving in the conflict overseas.   And the time that he served,   Had shattered all his nerves,   And left a little shrapnel in his knee.    But the morphine eased the pain,   And the grass grew round his brain,   And gave him all the confidence he lacked,   With a Purple Heart and a monkey on his back.      Chorus:   There's a hole in daddy's arm where all the money goes,   Jesus Christ died for nothin' I suppose.   Little pitchers have big ears,   Don't stop to count the years,   Sweet songs never last too long on broken radios.   Mmm....      Sam Stone's welcome home   Didn't last too long.   He went to work when he'd spent his last dime   And Sammy took to stealing   When he got that empty feeling   For a hundred dollar habit without overtime.    And the gold rolled through his veins   Like a thousand railroad trains,   And eased his mind in the hours that he chose,   While the kids ran around wearin' other peoples' clothes...      Repeat Chorus:      Sam Stone was alone   When he popped his last balloon   Climbing walls while sitting in a chair   Well, he played his last request   While the room smelled just like death   With an overdose hovering in the air   But life had lost its fun   And there was nothing to be done   But trade his house that he bought on the G. I. Bill   For a flag draped casket on a local heroes' hill.