Story Behind The Song

A friend of mine suggested the title Injured Eagle, along with a vague storyline. 2 days later, I heard my friend Bob give a talk for a Christian retreat we were preparing for. I was very moved by his struggles as a Viet Nam war vet, and I asked him if I could make his story into a song. Though this is one man's struggle, I think it is relatable to scores of our veterans and the things they face when they come home

Song Description

A veteran sends his friend to a foxhole, and his friend is killed. His struggles with that and other hardships that come with war.After years of inner turmoil he finds comfort in God and turns his life around

Lyrics

Injured Eagle

Old glory flies high again. It catches my eye again
Everytime when I go this way to work
Old glory flies high again. It reminds me of my dear friend
The one that I lost way back in the war
We were just tryin to make it back, when we got caught up in a rocket attack
I sent him to the foxhole on the left, I took the one on the right
His foxhole took a hit and he died that day in that shallow pit
But I'll see him in my dreams tonight

I'm an injured eagle, defender of this land
My words may not explain it in ways you'd understand
I used to fly but now I try to hide these feelings that I have
I'm an injured eagle, that's what I am

Old glory flies high today. All the colors are bright today
As they find the morning rays of sun
Old glory flies high today. It reminds me of when I lost my way
And how I've grown to the man that I've become
I used to drink 'till I dropped, still those nightmares wouldn't stop
All my heros gone and I felt guilt to be alive
Then God opened up my eyes and made me finally realize
That I could help other eagles fly

I'm an injured eagle, defender of this land
My words may not explain it in ways you'd understand
I used to fly but now I try to hide these feelings that I have
I'm an injured eagle, that's what I am

Years flew by like autumn leaves, see how the blow
When I met a lady in a train station down in New Mexico
She told me how her dad survived way back in the war
When I heard the words she said to me, it knocked me to my core

She told me how her dad was caught in a rocket attack one day
And he wouldn't have survived the blast but a soldier jumped in the way
That soldier was my dear friend Jim, I knew it right away
And through all these years her dad helped many eagles fly again

I'm an injured eagle,defender of this land
My words may not explain it in ways you'd understand
I used to fly but now I try to hide these feelings that I have
I'm an injured eagle, that's what I am. I'm an injured eagle, that's what I am