Old Sailor
(Song sung to the tune of the Bellamy Bros. Old Hippy)
By David McAllister
“I’ve taken a little artistic license with the Bellamy Bros “Old Hippy”. Mac-OUT”
He turned sixty-five last Sunday
Now his hair has turned to gray
He sailed with the US Navy
Away back in the old days
Now he tends a little garden in the back yard by the fence
Consuming beer and whiskey nowadays in self defense
He gets out there in that twilight zone
When the bullshit makes no sense
He hangs out with his old Shipmates
Cause the new Navy leaves him cold
Nothin looks the same to him
I guess he’s just too fuckn’ old
So he dreams at night of Westpac, and all the things he tried
How the liberty made him happy while sea time got him dry
Yeah he thinks about it allot these days
And he’s not afraid to cry
He’s an old Sailor and he don’t know what to do
He hangs onto the old
Cause he just can’t hack the new
He’s an old Sailor…still living by his wit
He don’t wanna offend nobody
But if he does, he don’t give a shit
He remembers in the sixties, while everyone else was hip
He was shootin up Vietnam, from some ol’ rusty ship
Learning to become a man while he was still a boy
In spite of all of the tragedies he still can find some joy
While others cut and ran to hide
He chose to serve with pride
He’s an old Sailor and he don’t know what to do
He hangs onto the old
Cause he just can’t hack the new
He’s an old Sailor…still living by his wit
He don’t wanna offend nobody
But if he does, he don’t give a shit
You can find him at the VFW, or the American Legion halls
he’ll be thinkin while he’s drinkin
of the days when sailors had some balls
now its breathalyzers, PC, diversity and gays
it ain’t no friggin wonder that he’s stuck in his old ways
All he can do is just sit and watch
As his species fades away
He’s an old Sailor and he don’t know what to do
He hangs onto the old
Cause he just can’t hack the new
He’s an old Sailor…still living by his wit
He don’t wanna offend nobody
But if he does, he don’t give a shit
Well said! I’m 74 now and feel much the same way. I ain’t as pretty as the picture though.
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Well I am 80 and still feel young.
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I served in ’59-63 when we had a real Navy! I feel the same way!
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Well said.
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“…as the species fades away.” I remember in the 60’s, while in the Gulf…we hardly heard any news at all…we were in a black-out about what was going on in the world, most days I long for that once more…after listening to the “news”, today.
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Excellent
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I was in 71-77 and I sure as hell miss my old Navy!
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