From the recording Spinoza's Dream (2016)
Lyrics
Bruise on My Soul
Dave Nachmanoff
I was raised up in the southland
Taught to be a gentleman
Said my prayers and read the Bible
Called men “sir” and women “ma’am”
I signed up to serve my country
Just nineteen, not scared to die
When they sent me off to battle
I was ready, “Semper Fi”
CHORUS:
What have I become?
There’s a bruise on my soul
When I think of all I’ve done
I wonder if I'll ever be made whole
One day we were in a firefight
Pinned down seven miles from town
They were shooting from a farmhouse
L.T. told me, “blow it down”
I picked up my rocket launcher
Squeezed the trigger, fired the shell
Where there had once been a homestead
Was a scene straight out of Hell
CHORUS
Our medics rushed to help the wounded
Silent tension filled the air
Stretchers full of kids and women
Human shields, they’d hidden there
I've seen things you wouldn't want to see
I've been places you wouldn't want to go
I've done things that I'm not proud of
I've learned things you wouldn't want to know
Now the visions come to haunt me
In the middle of the night
When folks thank me for my service
I can’t look them in the eye