Tell me what a young man, mama, what's he got to live for   Tossed in the shuffles of everyday war   Searchin' for some trouble, Lord, which I'm sure he will find   Spend your whole life fightin', son, meet your dyin' time      It's a shame, it's a shame, Lord   The trigger be his only friend   It's a shame, oh yeah   But it ain't never gonna end, no, that's right      He's a pocketful of hate that don't give a damn   What fate awaits the machine-gun man?   Well, he ain't got no future and he ain't got no plan   What fate awaits the machine-gun man?   The machine gun man, yeah      I can't see tomorrow and I don't see today   Trail of confusion, Lord, done leadin' my way   They say the only thing worth killin', Lord, be killin' time   Only soul worth savin' now, mama, be a re-savin' mine      It's a shame, it's a shame, Lord   The trigger be his only friend   It's a shame, oh yeah   But it ain't never gonna end, that's right      He's a pocketful of hate that don't give a damn   What fate awaits the machine-gun man?   Well, he ain't got no future and he ain't got no plan   What fate awaits the machine-gun man?      He keeps shootin', oh mama   Like any old fool would do   Lord, the life he be leadin'   Ain't the one he had to choose      As he walks on out that door   Mama breaks down to cry   Oh, as she waves the machine gun man   Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye, goodbye      Yeah, he's a pocketful of hate that don't give a damn   Oh, what fate awaits the machine-gun man?   Well, he ain't got no future and he ain't got no plan   What fate awaits the machine-gun man?   The machine, yeah, gun man, the machine-gun man, yeah, oh yeah