Salute To A Switchblade Lyrics - Singles - Hall Tom T

Me and Yates, an army buddy o'mine 

Were doin' three years in Germany at the time 

We came upon these Frauleins in the bar 

Yates said, "Darf isch zee be-gleit-en", they said, "Ya" 

(And darf isch zee be-gleit-en means can we sit with you all) 

Oh, we must have drunk ten quarts of German beer 

My conscience and my sinuses were clear 

I asked that Fraulein if she was a spy 

She said, "Nein but do bis ain bissel high" 

(A condition not uncommon to the American soldier) 

Well, later on I went to be excused 

When I returned I was a bit confused 

Yates and his Fraulein had hit the air 

Another guy was sittin' in my chair 

(A young soldier whom we shall get to know better) 

I said, "Excuse me Mister, that's my seat 

I'd like to have it back, Sir, if you please 

That girl's a nurse and I've been awful sick" 

The man looked up at me and said, "Mox-nix" 

(Which means that he was not overly concerned with my health) 

Next thing I knew he had a switchblade knife 

Lord I didn't know that Fraulein was his wife 

I took off through that Gasthaus like a fool 

Behind me I heard the crashing stools 

(As the police would say he was in hot pursuit) 

Well, the waitress yelled there's MPs on the way 

That's one more reason I didn't want to stay 

As I went out the window somethin' went switch 

And I giggled all the way home knowin' he missed 

(At the time it seemed like a laughing matter) 

But next morning my coat was lyin' there on the bunk 

And when I saw that coat it made me jump 

That man had cut my coat right down the back 

A little bit more and they'd been playin' me taps 

(And knowin' the sad nature of that song I would decline it) 

Well, later on I heard that guy got stabbed 

They sent him home and didn't that make me glad 

On love and marriage I want to say one thing 

Oh lady, if you're married wear that ring 

(And the army has a new policy if you can't move it, paint it) 

(If it has a switchblade knife salute it) 

(Not necessarily an incident one would want to write Mother about) 

(Germany being full of good soldiers good people)