A soldier lay down in the bundu one night
For his buddy had taken the watch to first light
And as he lay down he rested his bones
And had a sweet dream on his bed of hard stones.
It was only a soldiers dream,
It was gone with the cold light of day
It was only a soldiers dream,
In the morning it melted away.
And where he lay down there were thorns all around
And they all become a soft eiderdown
And the call of the jackal that tortured his fears'
Was the laughter of friends like a song in his ears.
It was only a soldiers dream,
It was gone with the cold light of day
It was only a soldiers dream,
In the morning it melted away.
The twinkling stars were the lights of the bars
And the slugs in the belt were Havana cigars
And the gun that he cradled so close to his chest
Was the girl that he longed to hold to his breast.
It was only a soldiers dream,
It was gone with the cold light of day.
It was only a soldiers dream,
In the morning it melted away.
His battered canteen held burgundy wine
And his old combat jacket was velvet and fine
And the camouflage net was a veil of white lace
That was lifted and he kissed her newly wed face.
It was only a soldiers dream,
It was gone with the cold light of day
It was only a soldiers dream,
In the morning it melted away.