Here I stand in a land that isn’t my own Far from the country that I call my own I was sent here by government and hung by a king And I'm told I must kill men in order to bring Peace to a foreign land There he lies on a land no longer his own In a grey of a country he once called his home He was sent here by government and might not agree And if someone must kill him, God why is it me? To bring peace to a foreign land. CHORUS Don't despise the deserter, don't despise the deserter, Don't despise the deserter who ran from the war. Don't despise the deserter, don't despise the deserter, Don't despise the deserter who ran from the war. I went down to drag him away from the wild With the rifles to my left and we started to fire He was riddled with bullets, I was smothered in blood And I can't see how murdering somebody could Bring peace to a foreign land CHORUS Don't despise the deserter, don't despise the deserter, Don't despise the deserter who ran from the war. Don't despise the deserter, don't despise the deserter, Don't despise the deserter who ran from the war. So I ran from the fighting and threw down my gun I ran with the moon and I slept by the sun Arrested by government and charged by the king To be shot 'cause I can't kill in order to bring Peace to a foreign land. CHORUS Don't despise the deserter, don't despise the deserter, Don't despise the deserter who ran from the war. Don't despise the deserter, don't despise the deserter, Don't despise the deserter who ran from the war.