(Verse 1)
They roll out the carpet, they're shaking my hand
A hero returned to the promised land
Confetti is falling, the kids shout my name
But all that I see is the smoke and the flame
They pin on a medal, all shiny and new
For all of the things that they think that I do
(Chorus)
'Cause these cheers all sound hollow, the praise feels like lies
There's a ghost of the battlefield back in my eyes
They call me a hero, a name I can't own
For the deeds that I've done under blood-colored skies
(Verse 2)
The quiet of morning, the coffee I brew
Is shattered by echoes of things that I knew
A car backfires, I'm hitting the ground
Lost in the memory, lost in the sound
They tell me I'm brave, they tell me I'm strong
But they never saw where it all went so wrong
(Chorus)
'Cause these cheers all sound hollow, the praise feels like lies
There's a ghost of the battlefield back in my eyes
They call me a hero, a name I can't own
For the deeds that I've done under blood-colored skies
(Verse 3)
I walk through the town that I fought to defend
Just looking for peace, for a story to end
I'm trying to find the man I was before
But he got left behind in the heat of the war
I smile and I wave, and I play out the part
With a stranger's reflection inside of my heart
(Chorus)
'Cause these cheers all sound hollow, the praise feels like lies
There's a ghost of the battlefield back in my eyes
They call me a hero, a name I can't own
For the deeds that I've done under blood-colored skies