I met a young soldier
  He said his name was Killer Kyle
  He was shakin' all over
  Like a night-frightened child
  This is his story
  It's a tough one for me to sing
  Hard as the squawk and the flap
  And the beat of--the beat of black wings
  "They gave me a gun," he said
  "They gave me a mission
  For the power and the glory--
  Propaganda--piss on 'em
  There's a war zone inside me--
  I can feel things exploding--
  I can't even hear the fucking music playing
  For the beat of--the beat of black wings."
  He said, "I never had nothin'--
  Nothin' I could believe in
  My girl killed our unborn child
  Without even grievin'!
  I put my hands on her belly
  To feel the kid kickin'--damn!
  She'd been to some clinic
  Oh--the beat of black wings."
  "They want you--they need you--
  They train you to kill--
  To be a pin on some map--
  Some vicarious thrill--
  The old hate the young
  That's the whole heartless thing
  The old pick the wars
  We die in 'em
  To the beat of--the beat of black wings."
  There's a man drawing pictures
  On the sidewalk with chalk
  Just as fast as he draws 'em
  Rain come down and wash 'em off
  "Keep the drinks comin' girl
  'Til I can't feel anything
  I'm just a chalk mark in a rainstorm
  I'm just the beat of black wings."