Galveston Bay

[Verse 1]
For fifteen years, Le Bin Son
Fought side by side with the Americans
In the mountains and deltas of Vietnam
In '75, Saigon fell and he left his command
And brought his family to the promised land

[Verse 2]
Seabrook, Texas and the small towns in the Gulf of Mexico
It was delta country and reminded him of home
He worked as a machinist, put his money away
And bought a shrimp boat with his cousin
And together, they harvested Galveston Bay

[Chorus]
In the morning before the sun come up
He'd kiss his sleeping daughter
And steer out through the channel
Cast his nets into the water

[Verse 3]
Billy Sutter fought with Charlie Company
In the highlands of Quang Tri
He was wounded in the battle of Chu Lai
Shipped home in '68

[Chorus]
There he married and worked the gulf fishing grounds
In a boat that'd been his father's
In the morning, he'd kiss his sleeping son
Cast his nets into the water

[Verse 4]
Billy sat in front of his TV as the South fell
And the communists rolled into Saigon
He and his friends watched as the refugees came
Settled on the same streets and worked the coast they'd grew up on

[Verse 5]
Soon in the bars 'round the harbor
There was talk of "America for Americans"
Someone said "You want 'em out, you got to burn 'em out"
And brought in the Texas Klan

[Verse 6]
One humid Texas night
There were three shadows on the harbor
Come to burn the Vietnamese boats into the sea
In the fire's light, shots rang out
Two Texans lay dead on the ground
Le stood with a pistol in his hand

[Chorus]
A jury acquitted him in self-defense
As before the judge he did stand
But as Le walked down the courthouse steps
Billy said, "My friend, you're a dead man"

[Verse 7]
One late summer night
Le stood watch along the waterside
Billy stood in the shadows
His Ka-Bar knife in his hand

[Verse 8]
And the moon slipped behind the clouds
Le lit a cigarette, the bay was still as glass
As he walked by, Billy stuck his knife into his pocket
Took a breath and let him pass

[Chorus]
In the early darkness, Billy rose up
Went into the kitchen for a drink of water
Kissed his sleeping wife, headed into the channel
And cast his nets into the water of Galveston Bay