back in the world back in the world back in the world back in the world crawlin through the trees stuck in mud up to the knees fightin this damn war wonderin if the lord knows what it s for six long years stretch and we boys was in a hell of a mess i gotta keep my mind take it slow fightin hard for what i don t know i wanna get back home gotta get back home back to the world i had a talk with little mom strenuous face as she began to hum she said boy it s good to see ya my prayers must ve been with ya and now that you re back and done let me tell ya son the war was never won the war was never won in these city streets everywhere you gotta be careful where you move your feet how you part your hair do you really think that god could ever forgive this life we live back in the world back in the world oh oh oh oh oh my my my my it s so hard it s so hard it s so hard this life is so hard i ve been beaten up and robbed soldier boy ain t got no job back in the world  had a long stretch of sacrifice gettin back home will be awful nice child your woman has long been gone the doggone war just lasted too long people don t give a damn people don t give a damn people don t give a damn so i m standin here in future shock it can give the mind an awful knock talkin bout hard times hard times hard times back in the world oh oh oh my my my my my my it s so hard it s so hard this life is so hard i been beaten up and robbed soldier boy ain t got no job back in the world back in the world uh huh back in the world back in the world uh huh uh huh oh oh oh oh oh my my my my it s so hard it s so hard it s so hard this life is so hard back in the world ooh ooh ooh hoo ooh ooh ooh hoo ooh ooh ooh hoo my my my my back in the world back in the world forgiveness instead of amnesty simple words that seem so clear to me forgive our country forgive your man wastin love for hate truth from honesty is true we don t seem to know what to do do yeah yeah yeah back in the world