Johnny can't read
Johnny can't write
Johnny didn't have much of a life
Oh yeah - oh yeah

His father told him to be a marine
To fight their war he didn't believe in
Oh yeah - oh yeah

Johnny told his father, he just could not
He don't wanna live that way
Oh yeah - oh yeah

Johnny always thought there was something wrong
Day by day singing his fathers song
Johnny didn't want to live his life that way
Now day to day, dying the military way

Johnny was rough, Johhny was tough
But not tough enough, to just say no

Johnny went down to sign up that day
They sent him down to basic training

Johnny went to a foreign land
He died in the hands of a foreign man
We will always remember Johnny in his last days