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 a great battle with the infantry in dream   The Old General tossed in his sleep and wrestled with his 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 the courage in their blood and a fire in their stare   and It was a gray morning and they all wondered how they would fare   Till 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, shine your shoes   You got no time to lose   You are young men you must be living    Take a shower, and shine your shoes   You got no time to lose   You are young men you must be living   Go now you are forgiven      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 can go as they pleased      Not a man moved their eyes gazed straight ahead,   Till one by one they stepped back and not a word was said   And 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 shine your shoes   You got no time to lose   You are young men you must be living      Take a shower shine your shoes   You got no time to lose   You are young men you must be living   Go now you are forgiven.      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 ooo oooooooo      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 yeaaaaa