[ti:Salute To A Switchblade] [ar:Tom T.Hall] [al:Ultimate Collection] [by:] [offset:0] [00:00.00]Salute To A Switchblade - Tom T. Hall [00:04.84]Me and Yates an army buddy o'mine [00:08.53]Were doin' three years in Germany at the time [00:12.57]We came upon these Frauleins in the bar [00:16.21]Yates said,"Darf isch zee be-gleit-en?", they said"Ya" [00:20.81]And 'Darf isch zee be-gleit-en means?', 'Can we sit with you all?' [00:26.74]Oh we must have drunk ten quarts of German beer [00:30.84]My conscience and my sinuses were clear [00:34.90]I asked that Fraulein if she was a spy [00:38.67]She said,"Nein but do bis ain bissel high" [00:43.31]A condition not uncommon to the American soldier [00:47.27]Well, later on I went to be excused [00:51.28]When I returned I was a bit confused [00:55.56]Yates and his Fraulein had hit the air [00:59.39]Another guy was sittin' in my chair [01:04.35]A young soldier whom we shall get to know better [01:09.69]I said,"Excuse me mister that's my seat [01:13.73]I'd like to have it back sir if you please [01:17.96]That girl's a nurse and I've been awful sick" [01:21.86]The man looked up at me and said,"Mox-nix" [01:26.33]Which means that he was not overly concerned with my health [01:34.26]Next thing I knew he had a switchblade knife [01:37.98]Oh Lord, I didn't know that Fraulein was his wife [01:42.31]I took off through that Gasthaus like a fool [01:46.47]Behind me I heard the crashing stools [01:50.86]As the police would say, he was in hot pursuit [01:56.69]Well, the waitress yelled there's MPs on the way [02:00.83]That's one more reason I didn't want to stay [02:04.93]As I went out the window somethin' went switch [02:08.99]And I giggled all the way home knowin' he missed [02:13.96]At the time it seemed like a laughing matter [02:19.19]But next morning my coat was lyin' there on the bunk [02:23.46]And when I saw that coat it made me jump [02:27.59]That man had cut my coat right down the back [02:31.82]A little bit more and they'd been playin' me taps [02:36.36]And knowin' the sad nature of that song I would decline it [02:42.01]Well, later on I heard that guy got stabbed [02:46.18]They sent him home and didn't that make me glad [02:50.26]On love and marriage I want to say one thing [02:54.23]Oh lady, if you're married wear that ring [02:58.96]And the army has a new policy if you can't move it, paint it [03:04.73]If it has a switchblade knife, salute it [03:09.08]Not necessarily an incident one would want to write mother about [03:16.10]Germany being full of good soldiers and good people