[Verse 1]
Two days past eighteen
He was waitin' for the bus in his army greens
Sat down in a booth in a cafe there
Gave his order to a girl with a bow in her hair

[Verse 2]
He's a little shy so she give him a smile
And he said, "Would you mind sittin' down for a while
And talkin' to me? I'm feelin' a little low"
She said "I'm off in an hour and I know where we can go"

[Verse 3]
So they went down and they sat on the pier
He said "I bet you got a boyfriend, but I don't care
I got no one, to send a letter to
Would you mind if I sent a-one back here to you?"

[Chorus]
I cried
Never gonna hold the hand of another guy
"Too young for him," they told her
Waitin' for the love of a travelin' soldier
Our love will never end
Waitin' for the soldier to come back again
Nevermore to be alone
When the letter said, "A soldier's comin' home"
[Verse 4]
So the letters came from an army camp
In California then Vietnam
And he told her of his heart, it might be love
And all of the things he was so scared of

[Verse 5]
He said, "When it's gettin' kinda rough over here
I think of that day sittin' down on the pier
And I close my eyes and see your pretty smile
Don't worry but I won't be able to write for a while"

[Chorus]
I cried
Never gonna hold the hand of another guy
"Too young for him," they told her
Waitin' for the love of a travelin' soldier
Our love will never end
Waitin' for the soldier to come back again
Nevermore to be alone
When the letter said, "A soldier's comin' home"

[Verse 6]
One Friday night at a football game
The Lord's Prayer said and the anthem sang
A man said, "Folks, would you bow your heads
For a list of local Vietnam dead?"
[Verse 7]
Cryin' all alone under the stands
Was a piccolo player in the marchin' band
And one name read, and nobody really cared
But a pretty little girl with a bow in her hair

[Chorus]
I cried
Never gonna hold the hand of another guy
"Too young for him," they told her
Waitin' for the love of a travelin' soldier
Our love will never end
Waitin' for the soldier to come back again
Nevermore to be alone
When the letter said, "A soldier's comin'..."

[Chorus]
I cried
Never gonna hold the hand of another guy
"Too young for him," they told her
Waitin' for the love of a travelin' soldier
Our love will never end
Waitin' for the soldier to come back again
Nevermore to be alone
When the letter said, "A soldier's comin' home"