The Cadence of Eden

On the fourth day of the Iraq war

a Sunday when the bodies’ blood did pour

a scorching hot day when a dry wind blew

when the boys of the ol’ Battalion one / two

rode up on the south side of a city

new and modern, yet ancient and gritty

its name they’d never forget: An Nasiriyah

the danger inside, they had no idea

It’ll be an easy mission, they were told

in this Arabic city three thousand years’ old.

A city believed to be the location of Eden

though more like hell it’d be for these men

Don’t believe the brass, perhaps a good morals

because this is what they were told by the intel

resistance? why, it should be very light

this enemy won’t give much of a fight

a city bordered by rivers, south and north

with two bridges, across which all traffic went forth

a mission to secure them from being blown up 

so the army can cross and go straight up

north to the capitol land of Baghdad

rather than halt the fast progress they had

the highway rolled right through that city

so they dubbed that highway: ambush alley

and on that road they shed their blood

shed in the dirt, the sand, and the mud

shed it to a sound, the cadence of Eden

and with such acts gained entry to heaven

now when the marines rolled into town

there were thousands waiting to gun em down

this was surely no insurgent fight

they were an army with guns heavy, not light

and tanks and artillery, they were everywhere

this was the challenge for the marines of Tarawa

they were not hiding no not at all

they swarmed those marines oh what a brawl

so alpha company moved in first 

a job which sometimes is the worst

and secured that southern Euphrates bridge

neutralizing tanks hiding in a ditch

then bravo moved across and right

to skirt the city out of sight

and secure that canal bridge on the north side

and then Charlie would make the final ride

to secure the space left in between

but that is not what would be seen

when bravo crossed and then banked east

the very ground gave out beneath

it was muck and sewage under a crust

and their vehicles sank into three foot ruts

tanks even, though you wouldn’t believe

but on my word as a U.S. marine

I saw those tanks stuck there myself

and stuck also were the ones pullin’ ‘em out

I’ll tell ya just what I saw next

was hundreds of those men in black descend

and boy I’ll tell ya, they were glad

cause a hell of a chance they now had

to unleash every ounce of powder and led 

and at once make so many marines dead

when Personnel Carriers are full and stuck

the enemy couldn’t have better luck

ramps down! ramp down! was the order

dismount! dismount! hug the walls and corners

and quickly so was what they did

and now found themselves making a bid

for their lives, unknown what would come to be

surrounded, heavy fire, had to break free

those men in black were everywhere

so the Marine’s also had to fight their fear

enemy fire growing heavy, they had to move

now it was the time they had to prove

that they had just what it took

and doing so would land them in history books 

the Marines shed blood to the cadence of Eden

and with such acts gained admittance in heaven

while Bravo searched for a way out of trouble

Charlie took initiative and headed in on the double

to secure that northern bridge before it was blown

they wouldn’t go around like Bravo, no

instead straight up the middle of the city

they took that mean ol ambush alley

what came next for those Marines of Charlie, 

was nothing short of a great tragedy

mortars hit some and artillery hit others 

that Thunderbolt struck so fast it killed some brothers

18 good Marines killed dead is what they’d receive 

8 armored transports disabled, do you believe

and a hit to their confidence and sense of invincibility

but that wouldn’t last because these survivors achieve

victory no matter how hard the fight

fighting without an end in sight

fighting on the bridges and fighting near the mosque

fighting in the alleys and all across

the city from the bottom to the top

fighting seemed like it would never stop

fighting at the compound they called the Alamo 

fighting near the rivers till the stars did glow

the Marines shed blood to the cadence of Eden

and with such acts gained admittance in heaven

it was a bloody, oh, oh, bloody Sunday 

when the marines rolled up that ol’ ambush alley

eventually the boys of one two secured that city

though a whole week it took to really

just to hand it over to another unit

and then the highway again they hit

for 2 more months in that damn desert

despite all of the pain and the hurt

of those Marines that they had lost,

and of having paid such a high cost

driving and fighting, driving and fighting,

fighting and driving, and fighting and fighting

and at night sleeping in holes in the ground

staying alive was the only goal around

each day they fought in sweet memory 

of those lost on ambush alley

until Baghdad was in touch and in sight

then the brass deemed them too broke to fight

and sent them back south to their ship

boy they couldn’t believe that shit

they cleared the way to the capital

beaten empty so others could arrive full

out in that desert nothing else matters

a perception of family is one that’s shattered

cause strangers become brothers

when lives are given for each other

it was a Sunday, bloody Sunday that war’s fourth day

when the marines rolled up ol’ ambush alley

it was a bloody, oh, oh, bloody Sunday 

when the marines rolled up that ol’ ambush alley

on the way south, near the bridge, they took a moment to reflect

despite their strength, it was a moment many tears crept,

with the 18 soldier’s crosses and the mortars 21 salute

and, when Lt. Beere played his bagpipe taps, the truth

yes I, this crusty devil dog, myself even wept

I’ll tell ya I shed a tear and stared up towards the sky

I thought of those good men and I said goodbye

Cpl Rosacker, Reiss, and Gunny Jordan

Buesing, Burkette, and LCpl Nixon

Sgt Bitz, and Blair, and my good friend Dave Fribley

Gonzalez, Williams, and Cpl. Garibay

Pvt. Hutchings, and Lt. Pokorney

Slocum and Chanawongse, they called him Ahn

Pvt Gifford, and LCpl Cline 

all these brave young men are gone 

yet still heroes remembered for all time

and on that road they shed their blood

shed it in the dirt, the sand, and the mud

shed it to a sound, the cadence of Eden

and with such acts gained admittance in heaven

out in that desert nothing else matters

a perception of family is one that’s shattered

cause EVEN strangers become brothers

when lives are given for each other

it was a Sunday, bloody Sunday that war’s fourth day

when the marines rolled up ol’ ambush alley

it was a bloody, oh, oh, bloody Sunday 

when the marines rolled up that ol’ ambush alley