bible vs. gun

oh mother, are you sleeping?, and did you pray for me tonight?, 'cause i'm alone here on this front-line, hoping i might get back home alive, i see the bullets flying, and i feel the bombs explode, i close my eyes and pull this trigger, and kill these people that i don't even know, mother, please forgive me, for these things that i have seen and done, i hope i can still get home to heaven, i wish i had a bible instead of this damn gun, i got sixty pounds upon my back, a machine gun in my hand, all day long, clearin' burned-out shacks, all these things i know i'll never understand, mother, please forgive me, for these things that i have seen and done, i hope i can still get home to heaven, i wish i had a bible instead of this damn gun, oh i wish i had a bible instead of this damn gun, oh i wish that i could tell you, that i was safe away from harm, but every time i close my eyes, mama, i wish you could hold me in your arms, mother, please forgive me, for these things that i have seen and done, i hope i can still get home to heaven, i wish i had a bible instead of this damn gun, mother, please forgive me, for these things that i have seen and done, i hope i can still get home to heaven, i wish i had a bible instead of this damn gun, oh i wish i had a bible instead of this damn gun