歌词
John Brown went off to war to fight on a foreign shore
约翰·布朗就要去参加海外的战斗，
His mama sure was proud of him!
他的妈妈当然替他感到骄傲。
He stood straight and tall in his uniform and all
他全副武装、挺直站立，高大威武，
His mama’s face broke out all in a grin
他的妈妈脸上乐开了花，
“Oh son, you look so fine, I’m glad you’re a son of mine“
哇，你看上去好极了，有你这个好儿子我很自豪，
You make me proud to know you hold a gun
你为你即将持枪战斗而骄傲。
Do what the captain says, lots of medals you will get
照着上尉说的做，你也会获得很多勋章，
0And we’ll put them on the wall when you come home”
等你一回家咱们就把勋章挂到墙上。”
As that old train pulled out, John’s ma began to shout
当那辆破旧火车缓缓开动，约翰妈朝所有人叫嚷，
Tellin everyone in the neighborhood:
她要告诉每一位邻居 ，
“That’s my son that’s about to go, he’s a soldier now, you know”“
那是我儿子要去前线了，他现在是一名战士，你知道么。”
She made well sure her neighbors understood
她当然相信邻居们全都知道。
She got a letter once in a while and her face broke into a smile
有时她会收到信件，这时她就面露喜色，
As she showed them to the people from next door
她把信展示给大家看，
And she bragged about her son with his uniform and gun
她吹嘘自己的儿子有枪有装。
And these things you called a good old-fashioned war
这些便是你所谓的还不错的旧式战争。
Oh! Good old-fashioned war!
呵，不错的旧式战争！
Then the letters ceased to come, for a long time they did not come
这时信不再寄来，她始终没等到来信。
They ceased to come for about ten months or more
十多个月以来，杳无音讯。
Then a letter finally came saying, “Go down and meet the train
有天她终于收到消息：
Your son’s a-coming home from the war”
到车站去接你解甲归田的儿子。
She smiled and went right down, she looked everywhere around
她笑起来跑出去，在车站四处张望，
But she could not see her soldier son in sight
但她看不到她的战士儿子。
But as all the people passed, she saw her son at last
直到人群散去她才见到真相，
When she did she could hardly believe her eyes
她见到不敢直视的真相：
Oh his face was all shot up and his hand was all blown off
他脸面血肉模糊，手掌支离破碎。
And he wore a metal brace around his waist
他的腰上戴上金属支架。
He whispered kind of slow, in a voice she did not know
他支吾吞吐出几句，但她全然听不清楚。
While she couldn’t even recognize his face!
而她甚至仍认不出他的脸!
Oh! Lord! Not even recognize his face“
我的天！我认不出了我儿子的脸。”
“Oh tell me, my darling son, pray tell me what they done“
啊，可怜的儿子，求你告诉我他们干了什么？”
How is it you come to be this way?”“
何以至今日的悲惨境地？”
He tried his best to talk but his mouth could hardly move
他想说句话但嘴巴无法张开，
And the mother had to turn her face away
他的妈妈不得不把哭脸转向一边。
“Don’t you remember, Ma, when I went off to war“
妈还记得吗，我去打仗时，
You thought it was the best thing I could do?
你觉得那是最该做的事。“
I was on the battleground, you were home . . . acting proud
我血战疆场，你在家里为之自豪。
You wasn’t there standing in my shoes”
你并没站在我的立场上。“
“Oh, and I thought when I was there, God, what am I doing here?“
啊，我曾经在那里想，天哪，我竟在这里做些什么？”
I’m a-tryin’ to kill somebody or die tryin
我残忍地杀人，同时也会被残忍杀死。
But the thing that scared me most was when my enemy came close
最另我恐惧地是当敌人靠近，我分明看到
And I saw that his face looked just like mine”
他们脸上的神情跟我如出一辙”
Oh! Lord! Just like mine!“
啊！上帝！那是跟我别无二致的人呐”
“And I couldn’t help but think, through the thunder rolling and stink“
我忍不住地去怀疑，在那枪炮轰鸣、尸体腐臭的地方，
That I was just a puppet in a play
我就像是戏剧里的一个傀儡，
And through the roar and smoke, this string is finally broke
那些轰鸣着的（炮弹）和弥漫着的（硝烟）让我断了线，
And a cannonball blew my eyes away”
炸弹带走了我的眼睛。“
As he turned away to walk, his Ma was still in shock
当他转而要走，他妈仍陷在震惊之中，
At seein’ the metal brace that helped him stand
她只看到支撑他站起的冰冷金属支架。
But as he turned to go, he called his mother close
他转身要走之际，叫母亲凑近，
And he dropped his medals down into her hand
把勋章放到她的手中。
专辑信息
5.Farewell
10.Hero Blues
14.All Over You
23.Only A Hobo
24.John Brown
26.Gypsy Lou
28.Seven Curses
32.Oxford Town