Irish traditional song lyrics — collected by Beer Belly Band.
My name is Penny Evans and my age is twenty-one
I’m widow of the war that was fought in Vietnam
I have two baby daughters and I do the best I can
They say the war is over, but I think it’s just begun
I remember, I was seventeen, when first I met young Bill
At his father’s grand piano, we played both heart and soul
I only knew the left hand part, he played the right so well
He’s the only boy I slept with and the only one I will
Well first we had a baby girl and we had two good years
And then the warning notice came, we parted without tears
Then nine months from our last good-bye, our second child appeared
And ten months and a telegram, confirming all our fears
And once a month I get a check from some army bureaucrat
And once a month I tear it up and mail the damn thing back
Do they think that makes it all right–do they think I’ll fall for that
They can keep their bloody money, it won’t bring my Jimmy back
I never cared for politics, speeches I don’t understand
Like-wise I’ll take no charity from any living man
For tonight there’s fifty-thousand gone in that unhappy land
And fifty-thousand hearts and souls being played by just one hand
So my name is Penny Evans and my age is twenty-one
I’m widow of the war that was fought in Vietnam
I have two baby daughters, thank God I have no sons
They say the war is over, but for me it’s just begun