There was a decorated general with a heart of gold    That likened him to all the stories he told   Of past battles won and lost    And legends of old    A seasoned veteran in his own time   On the battlefield he gained respectful fame   With many medals of bravery and stripes to his name   He grew a beard as soon as he could    To cover the scars on his face    And always urged his men on      But on the eve of great battle with the infantry in dream   The old general tossed in his sleep   And wrestled with its meaning   He awoke from the night to tell what he had seen    And walked slowly out of his tent      All the men held tall with their chests in the air    With a courage in their blood    And a fire in their stare   It was a grey morning and they all wondered how they would fare    'Til the old general told them to go home      He said,    "I have seen the others    And I have discovered   That this fight is not worth fighting   And I've seen their mothers    And I will no other   To follow me where I'm going.   So take a shower and shine your shoes    You've got no time to lose    You are young men, you must be living   Take a shower and shine your shoes    You've got no time to lose    You are young men, you must be living   Go now, you are forgiven."      Yeah...      But the men stood fast with their guns on their shoulders   Not knowing what to do with the contradicting orders   The general said he would do his own duty    But he would extend it no further   The men could go as they pleased   But not a man moved   Their eyes gazed straight ahead   'Til one by one they stepped back and not a word was said   The old general was left with his own words   Echoing in his head   He then prepared to fight      He said,   "I have seen the others    And I have discovered   That this fight is not worth fighting   No, and I've seen their mothers   And I will no other to follow me where I'm going   So take a shower and shine your shoes    You've got no time to lose    You are young men, you must be living   Take a shower and shine your shoes    You've got no time to lose    You are young men, you must be living   Go now, you are forgiven."      Yeah...      Go now, you are forgiven   Go now, you are forgiven   Go now, you are forgiven    Go      Go now, you are forgiven   Go now, you are forgiven   Go now, you are forgiven    Go oh      Go now, you are forgiven   Go now, you are forgiven   Go now, you got to be, got to be, got to be, got to be, got to be, yeah