[Verse]
Jamie was a friend of mine who use to live next door
We were young and the world was just for fun
We only wanted to play soldiers and we did not ask for more
Jamie was always on the side that won
And we shot each other dead with plastic guns

Now we knew there was a war in Asia but we didn't know
That either one of us would ever fight
But Jamie's dad was awful glad that he had a son to go
And Jamie said his dad knew what was right
And we put away his GI Joe that night

[Chorus]
Oh, how can we ever tell the dead
That the cost of life hasn't been paid for
Oh, how can we take back what we said
When it's everything we’ve ever lived for

[Verse]
The next few months we spent our time just trying to find a way
To live ten years of friendship o’er again
But time finally came that bought that train that took Jamie away
And from that they fourth I can no more pretend
For that was the last I ever saw my friend
[Chorus]
Oh, how can we ever tell the dead
That the cost of life hasn't been paid for
Oh, how can we take back what we said
When it's everything we’ve ever lived for

[Verse]
Did he die for pride of freedom, well I never really knew
For after Jamie left his family moved away
But I always wanted to ask them why they had let Jamie go
‘til I finally saw his mom the other day
But she didn't really have that much to say

[Chorus]
Oh, how can we ever tell the dead
That the cost of life hasn't been paid for
Oh, how can we take back what we said
When it's everything we’ve ever lived for

[Chorus]
Come on now
Oh, how can we ever tell the dead
That the cost of life hasn't been paid for
Oh, how can we take back what we said
When it's everything we’ve ever lived for