A song about a soldier impacted by failed leadership
Johnny left home for the army
Serve the country he loved
He would miss his home
And the things he loved to do
But there was a place, he’d miss most
A place where he’d go to renew
On a
Mountain away from others
Rising to the sky
Its face reflects the sunrise in his eyes
Up on Johnny Ayers View
Soon he deployed overseas
Finish that never-ending war
Far from his hometown
In a place he barely understood
He’d be the best that he could be
But fate had something else in store
A brand-new lieutenant told Johnny
Shoot to kill, an unarmed man
Johnny looked to his Sergeant, who said,
Sir, we can’t do that
The lieutenant said, I don’t care
A shot rang out, and a crime was done
The court-martial lasted three days
All the soldiers testified
How their leader’s command
Was not justified
He was found guilty of his crimes
Johnny quit and returned back home
Where
The mountain was there to greet him
Rising to the sky
Its face reflects the sunshine in his eyes
Up on Johnny Ayers View
Talking heads changed the story
Said a war hero was wrongly tried
The President agreed & set him free
Johnny could not believe his eyes
The next day Johnny told his Dad
He needed to clear his head
Went out for a while, climbed up to the view
Recalling adventures that they shared,
This would be their last
Now his soul rests in peace
But an unjust act still remains
His unit said goodbye
Spreading his ashes on the view
Family wonders why Johnny died
His brothers-in-arms, they understood
On the
Mountain with their brother
Saying their farewells
The sunshine reflecting the tears in their eyes
Up on Johnny Ayers View
Johnny Ayers View
Copyright @ 2020 David Petri — All Rights Reserved
This song is a follow on from my poem Stolen Honor, it imagines a fictional soldier — Johnny Ayers — who was part of 1st Platoon and the impact the President’s unjustified actions had on him.
Below is a recording of me playing the song.
I previously published this in the Medium Publication - Weeds & Wildflowers