Released: September 21, 2010
Songwriter: Bill Withers Ray Jackson
Producer: John Legend The Roots
[Verse 1]
Eeeh
I can't write left-handed
Would you please write a letter, to my mother
Tell her to tell, tell her to tell, tell her to tell the family lawyer
I'm trying to get a deferment for my younger brother
[Verse 2]
And tell the Reverend Harris to pray for me, Lord, Lord, Lord
Said I ain't gonna live, I'm going to live to get much older
Strange little man over here in Vietnam I ain't, I ain't never seen
Bless his heart I ain't never done nothing to
He done shot me in my shoulder, in my shoulder
[Verse 3]
Boot camp we had classes, yeah
Mhh hmmhmm, yeah
You know we talked about fighting, fighting everyday
And looking through rosy, rosy colored glasses
I must admit it seemed exciting anyway
Something they, something they overlooked to tell me, oooh yeah
That bullets look better, I must say
Brother, brother when they're not coming at you
But going out the other way
[Verse 4](backup)
So please, please, call up the Reverend Harris (call up the Reverend Harris)
Tell him to ask the Lord to do some good things for me
Tell him I ain't gonna live, I ain't gonna live, I ain't gonna live
To get much older, yeeeeeah yeah
Strange little man over here in Vietnam, I ain't, I ain't never seen
Bless his heart I ain't never done nothing to
He done shot me in my shoulder, done shot me in my shoulder
Shot me in my shoulder, in my shoulder
Eeeh
I can't write left-handed
Would you please write a letter, to my mother
Tell her to tell, tell her to tell, tell her to tell the family lawyer
I'm trying to get a deferment for my younger brother
[Verse 2]
And tell the Reverend Harris to pray for me, Lord, Lord, Lord
Said I ain't gonna live, I'm going to live to get much older
Strange little man over here in Vietnam I ain't, I ain't never seen
Bless his heart I ain't never done nothing to
He done shot me in my shoulder, in my shoulder
[Verse 3]
Boot camp we had classes, yeah
Mhh hmmhmm, yeah
You know we talked about fighting, fighting everyday
And looking through rosy, rosy colored glasses
I must admit it seemed exciting anyway
Something they, something they overlooked to tell me, oooh yeah
That bullets look better, I must say
Brother, brother when they're not coming at you
But going out the other way
[Verse 4](backup)
So please, please, call up the Reverend Harris (call up the Reverend Harris)
Tell him to ask the Lord to do some good things for me
Tell him I ain't gonna live, I ain't gonna live, I ain't gonna live
To get much older, yeeeeeah yeah
Strange little man over here in Vietnam, I ain't, I ain't never seen
Bless his heart I ain't never done nothing to
He done shot me in my shoulder, done shot me in my shoulder
Shot me in my shoulder, in my shoulder