They take us off the land
Send us to foreign shores
Leave us all wondering
What the hell we’re fighting for

They send us off to countries
Filled with blood and sand
They say it’s not to die
But just to lend a hand

They tell us it’s all innocent
They tell us all their lies
It’s not the sun that I so mind
It’s the shadows I despise

Every leader wants a war
To show what he is standing for
That’s when children of our soil
Come back wrapped in silver foil

Every leader wants a war
Yes, every leader wants a war
He will cut into the bone
For a conflict of his own

We shoot a desert flare
And it feels like Christmas cheer
It dispels some of the distance
It dispels some of the fear

We even sing some carols
And then some childhood songs
We sing them in hoarse voices
To try and right the wrongs

And so we all wear camouflage
With tags around the neck
Of course we mind being shot at
But it’s the flies you have to check

Every leader wants a war
To show what he is standing for
That’s when children of our soil
Come back wrapped in silver foil

Every leader wants a war
Yes, every leader wants a war
He will cut into the bone
For a conflict of his own

When they sent us into combat
They sent us into war
They said it’s all okay
This thing you’re fighting for

But I can’t remember clearly
I can’t remember why
I’ve been sent into the desert
And rubber-stamped to die

Every leader wants a war
To show what he is standing for
That’s when children of our soil
Come back wrapped in silver foil

Every leader wants a war
Yes, every leader wants a war
He will cut into the bone
For a conflict of his own