I Wanted Wings

I wanted wings 'til I got the God damn things
Now l don't want them any more
They taught me how to fly, then they sent me here to die
I've got a belly full of war.
You can save those Zeros for the other God damn heroes
For distinguished flying crosses do not compensate for losses.

chorus: I wanted wings 'til I got the God damn things
Now I don't want them any more.

I'll take the dames while the rest go down in flames
I've no desire to be burned;
Air combat's no romance and it made me wet my pants
I'm not a fighter, I have learned.
You can leave the Mitsubishes for the crazy sons-a-bitches
'Cause I'd rather lay a woman than be picked up by a Grumman.

I'm too young to die in a Goddamn PBY
That's for the eager, not for me.
l won't trust to luck to be picked up in a "Duck"
After I've crashed into the sea
I would rather be a bellhop than a flier on a flattop*
With my hand around a bottle not a God damn throttle.

I don't want to tour over Berlin or the Ruhr
Ack Ack always makes me lose my lunch;
For me there's no Hey Hey when they holler "Bombs Away''!
I'd rather be at home with the bunch.
For there's one thing you can't laugh off
And that's when they shoot your ass off
And I'd rather be home, Buster, with my ass than with a cluster,

They feed us lousy chow. but we stay alive somehow
On dehydrated eggs and milk and stew
The rumor has it next they'll be dehydrating sex
And that's the day I'll tell the coach I'm through.
For I've managed all the dangers, the shooting back of strangers
But when l get home late l want my woman straight, Buster.
*or
I would rather screw than fly a F4U

From There I Was, Flat on my back..., Bob Stevens
RG