Golden Earring - The Sad Story of Sam Stone lyrics

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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.