On the road to Basra stood young Lieutenant Jimmy Bly
  Detailed to go through the clothes of the soldiers who died
  At night in dreams he sees their souls rise
  Like dark geese into the Oklahoma skies
    Well this is a prayer for the souls of the departed
  Those who've gone and left their babies brokenhearted
  This is a prayer for the souls of the departed
    Now Raphael Rodriguez was just seven years old
  Shot down in a schoolyard by some East Compton Cholos
  His mamma cried "My beautiful boy is dead"
  In the hills the self-made men just sighed and shook their heads
    This is a prayer for the souls of the departed
  Those who've gone and left their babies brokenhearted
  Young lives over before they got started
  This is a prayer for the souls of the departed
    Tonight as I tuck my own son in bed
  All I can think of is what if it would've been him instead
  I want to build me a wall so high nothing can burn it down
  Right here on my own piece of dirty ground
    Now I ply my trade in the land of king dollar
  Where you get paid and your silence passes as honor
  And all the hatred and dirty little lies
  Been written off the books and into decent men's eyes