Mama Bake a Pie (Daddy Kill a Chicken)

Tom T. Hall

Compositor: Tom T. Hall

A poignant story of a Vietnam War veteran coming home in a wheelchair.

People starin' at me as they wheel me down the ramp toward my plane
The war is over for me I've forgotten everything except the pain
Thank you sir and yes sir it was worth it for the old red-white-and-blue
And since I won't be walking I suppose I'll save some money buying shoes.

The bottle hidden underneath the blanket over my two battered legs
I can see the stewardess make over me and ask were you afraid
I say why no I'm Superman and couldn't find a phone booth quite in time
A GI gets a lotta laughs if he remembers all the funny lines.

Mama bake a pie daddy kill a chicken
Your son is comin' home 11:35 Wednesday night.

Mama will be crying and daddy's gonna say son did they treat you good
My uncle he'll be drunk and he'll say boy they do some real great things with wood
The letter that she wrote me said goodbye she couldn't wait and lots of luck
The bottle underneath the blanket feels just like an old friend to my touch.

I know she'll come and see me but I bet she never once looks at my legs
No, she'll talk about the weather and the dress she wore the July 4th Parade
Lord, I love her and I don't believe this bottle's gonna get her off my mind
I see here in the paper where they say the war is just a waste of time.

Mama bake a pie daddy kill a chicken
Your son is comin' home 11:35 Wednesday night...