Remember the times when we were kids
Playing war games in your yard
Everybody had to be a hero-o, and get one in the heart
Then night would fall and we'd call a tru-uce
And all go-o home

Years went by, we were average guys
Playin' life by a rule of thumb
'Til a man came on the TV, talkin' 'bout a war like we wanted one
He said everybody line up, backs to the wall
'Til your number-er's called

You've gotta go and be a hero-o
They've got a new game for all you boys
It's war without a choice
Compulsory hero-o, just try and make it home

Your Grandpa heard the call to arms for the war to end all war-ars
Then your dad went off to do his bit when they had to go one more
But you, you've got no say in it, you've gotta fight and that's the law

You've gotta go and be a hero-o
They made a law that you had to go and fight
One more crazy war-ar
Compulsory hero-o, just try and make it home

So all the had-to-be heroes went off to do their chores
None of them really would have known
How far a bloody war goes
They're dy-yin' to make it home

When I think back on all those times
Playin' war games in your yard
Everybody had to be a hero-o, back then that wasn't hard
Then night would fall on the battlezone
And we could all go home (all go home)

You had to go and be a hero-o
They made a law that you had to go and fight one more crazy war-ar
Compulsory hero-o, just try and make it home
Just try and make it home
Oh but who's gonna make it ho