Can you hear those birds sing? Means we're closer to shore Means we're closer to home Further from love and war Further from what made sense What we were born to do What kept the blood in our veins, Kept my veins thin with booze Kept my hand on my gun And my gun by my side Kept the moon in my thoughts With the sun in my eyes Kept my head hanging low Kept my gun by my side My brother's name in my head And the tears from my eyes Kept the blood in my veins, Kept the blood in my veins, Brothers name in my head Kept the blood in my veins Had me praying for death For me and my friends So we'd never wake up To our lovers again Because every lover had lied When they said we'd be fine When they said in good faith They'd sleep alone every night Hope to come home in one piece with our boys by our side Now we're ragged and torn like the flags that we fly Like the ones we lay down on a coffin so clean And see those eyes staring back the boys we used to be The boys we used to be Kept the blood in my veins (I re-read the postcards you sent with the truth was a lie) Kept the blood in my veins (The waves on the hull throw your words off the side) Brother's name in my head (The ship takes the dead and dying back home) And the blood in my veins (I want to sink to the depths with the letters you wrote) Kept the blood in my veins Kept the blood in my veins Brother's name in my head And the blood in my veins Kept the blood in my veins