Portsmouth

Shipmates headed to town on a Saturday night Ready to party, ready to fight Passing a bar, I said Let’s stop by There’s a barmaid inside who had caught my eye Local boy said I saw what you did You hit on my girl. You’re a dead man, squid I don’t let no one hit on her no more When someone does, then that means war So I said Please to meet you. I’m really charmed But if it’s a war on words, then you’re unarmed Hey, I want you to know, you’re number one with me too What a coincidence, the same number as your I Q. Can’t help it if this ole boy set her heart on fire So back off if you don’t want to sing soprano in the choir Now I may not be the brightest lad But it was easy to see he was getting mad Then I said sorry man, I should have kept my mouth shut Because I don’t have time to kick your butt Then as I backed toward the door, I don’t know why I stopped in front of the bar maid and I kissed her goodbye The local saw fire and his face turned red He threw a bottle at me that just missed my head Then he charged at me and I took out his feet And he slipped through the door and into the street I looked at my shipmate and said some other day We jumped over the bar and went out the back way I said to my shipmate Let’s go somewhere else and unwind He said you’re okay for a Yankee but you’re out of your mind. Portsmouth, Virginia 1965 on liberty.