the captain

• bir leonard cohen parçası. sözleri:
  now the captain called me to his bed
  he fumbled for my hand
  "take these silver bars," he said
  "i'm giving you command."
  "command of what, there's no one here
  there's only you and me --
  all the rest are dead or in retreat
  or with the enemy."
  "complain, complain, that's all you've done
  ever since we lost
  if it's not the crucifixion
  then it's the holocaust."
  "may christ have mercy on your soul
  for making such a joke
  amid these hearts that burn like coal
  and the flesh that rose like smoke."
  
  "i know that you have suffered, lad,
  but suffer this awhile:
  whatever makes a soldier sad
  will make a killer smile."
  "i'm leaving, captain, i must go
  there's blood upon your hand
  but tell me, captain, if you know
  of a decent place to stand."
  
  "there is no decent place to stand
  in a massacre;
  but if a woman take your hand
  go and stand with her."
  "i left a wife in tennessee
  and a baby in saigon --
  i risked my life, but not to hear
  some country-western song."
  
  "ah but if you cannot raise your love
  to a very high degree,
  then you're just the man i've been thinking of --
  so come and stand with me."
  "your standing days are done," i cried,
  "you'll rally me no more.
  i don't even know what side
  we fought on, or what for."
  
  "i'm on the side that's always lost
  against the side of heaven
  i'm on the side of snake-eyes tossed
  against the side of seven.
  and i've read the bill of human rights
  and some of it was true
  but there wasn't any burden left
  so i'm laying it on you."
  
  now the captain he was dying
  but the captain wasn't hurt
  the silver bars were in my hand
  i pinned them to my shirt.