A WORD IN THE HOUSE,A STROKE OF A PEN,
THE COUNTRY DISBANDED A BODY OF MEN
WITH FIGHTING FINESSE AND FITNESS SUPREME,
THE CREME DE LA CREME WORE BERETS OF GREEN.

THEIR TRAINING WAS TOUGH IT HAD TO BE SO
HOW TO FIGHT WITH A KNIFE,HOW TO KILL WITH ONE BLOW
SALERNO,BARDIA,DIEPPE,ST NAZAIRE,WHEN IMPOSSIBLE ODDS,
THE COMMANDOS WERE THERE.

THEIR RAIDS SO SUCCESSFUL THAT HITLER SAID,
"IF CAPTURED NO PRISONERS-I WANT THESE MEN DEAD!"
ON D-DAY,SWORD BEACH THEY WERE THERE TO THE FORCE
AS THEY JUMPED FROM THEIR CRAFT AND MADE FOR THE SHORE,
THEIR CONTEMPT FOR THE NAZIS WAS PLAIN TO BE SEEN
FOR THEY WORE NOT STEEL HELMETS,BUT BERETS OF GREEN.

WHEN IT WAS ALL OVER,THE FIGHTING NO MORE
THE FIRST THEY DISBANDED THE GREEN BERET 'CORP'
WHO WENT BACK TO THEIR HOMES,THEIR TOWN AND THEIR GLEN,
A BODY OF GENTLE,SELF-DISCIPLINED MEN.

YET FORTY YEARS ON THEY STILL MEET,IT IS SAID
TO TALK-TOAST THEIR QUEEN-REMEMBER THEIR DEAD
WHO'S MEMORIAL STANDS AT THE FOOT OF THE 'BEN'
WHERE THEY TRAINED FOR THE RIGHT TO BE GREEN BERET MEN.

FOR OUR FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT,OUR FREEDOM OF SPEECH,
TO THOSE WHO CAME AFTER,THIS GOSPEL I PREACH
A WORD IN THE HOUSE,A STROKE OF A PEN,CANNOT
WIPE OUT OUR DEBT TO THOSE GREEN BERET MEN

CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Get upset if you are too busy to talk to them for a week.

SERVICE FRIENDS: Are glad to see you after many years; and will happily carry on the same conversation you were having last time you met.

CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Never ask for food.

SERVICE FRIENDS: Are the reason you have no food.

CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Call your parents Mr and Mrs.

SERVICE FRIENDS: Call your parents Mum and Dad.

CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Bail you out of jail and then tell you what you did was wrong.

SERVICE FRIENDS: Would be sitting next to you saying, 'Mate...we stuffed up....but wasn't that fun!'

CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Have never seen you cry.

SERVICE FRIENDS: Cry with you.

CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Borrow your stuff for a few days then give it back.

SERVICE FRIENDS: Keep your stuff so long they forget it is yours.

CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Know a few things about you.

SERVICE FRIENDS: Could write a book with a shed full of direct quotes from you.

CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Will leave you behind if that is what the crowd is doing.

SERVICE FRIENDS: Will kick the backsides of whole crowds that left you behind.

CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Would knock on your door.

SERVICE FRIENDS: Walk right in and say, 'I'm home, do you want a beer!'

CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Share a few experiences.

SERVICE FRIENDS: Share a lifetime of experiences no civilian could ever dream of.

CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Will take your drink away when they think you've had enough.

SERVICE FRIENDS: Will look at you stumbling all over the place and say, 'You had better drink the rest of that, you know we never waste it. Then they carry you home and put you safely to bed.

CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Will talk crap to the person who talks crap about you.

SERVICE FRIENDS: Will knock the crap out of people who use your name in vain.

CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Are for a while.

SERVICE FRIENDS: Are for life.

CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Will ignore this.

SERVICE FRIENDS: Will forward this to their military mates.