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