There was a decorated General with a heart of gold That likened him to all the stories he told Of past battles won and lost and legends of old A seasoned veteran in his own time On the battlefield he gained respectful fame With many medals of bravery and stripes to his name He grew a beard as soon as he could to cover the scars on his face And always urged his men on But on the eve of a great battle with the infantry in dream The Old General tossed in his sleep and wrestled with the screaming He awoke from the night to tell what he had seen And walked slowly out of his tent All the men held tall with their chests in the air With the courage in their blood and a fire in their stare It was a gray morning and they all wondered how they would fare Till the old general told them to go home He said: I have seen the others And I have discovered That this fight is not worth fighting And I've seen their mothers And I will no other, to follow me where I'm going So... Take a shower, shine your shoes You got no time to lose You are young men you must be living... Take a shower, shine your shoes You got no time to lose You are young men you must be living Go now, you are forgiven But the men stood fast with their guns on their shoulders Not knowing what to do with the contradicting orders The General said he would do his own duty but he would extend it no further The men can go as they pleased Not a man moved their eyes gazed straight ahead Till one by one they stepped back and not a word was said And the old general was left with his own words echoing in his head He then prepared to fight He said: I have seen the others And I have discovered That this fight is not worth fighting No, and I've seen their mothers And I will no other To follow me where I'm going So... Take a shower shine your shoes You got no time to lose You are young men you must be living, yeah Take a shower shine your shoes You got no time to lose You are young men you must be living Go now, you are forgiven Yeah, yeah Ohh ha Yeah Go now, you are forgiven Go now, you are forgiven Go now, you are forgiven Oh... yeah Go now, you are forgiven Go now, you are forgiven Go now, you are forgiven Go ohh Go now, you are forgiven Go now, you are forgiven Go now, you gotta be, gotta be, gotta be, gotta behave