On a street corner in Pittsburgh, PA There’s a tough Irish boy with no dreams But to be King for one day And he’s schooled by the older ones With lessons and the conduct of the streets He’s got a mean right cross And a devastating left hook He likes to drink and he likes to fight He likes poppin’ pills and Du-Op and the boulevard on a Saturday night And he’s going no where fast you know he’s happy just staying alive But you can always count on Charlie To be there if you needed him In a courtroom on a December’s day The judge said look here son If you wanna play You’re gonna have to pay See these rules that you life by Don’t exist in a civilized world. So I offer you prison, or Vietnam. You know Charlie, he’s kinda crazy He just stood there look’d at me, Look’d at the judge, straight in the eyes Said I’d love to fight your honor And you know I’ve got nothing to loose So send me off to war, I don’t mind. He spent two years Learning weapons of death And a year in the jungle Like an animal where’s common killed (?) And the right amount of heroin Really seems the quiet the bombs Back in Pittsburgh, things are rather calm Now Charlie, he is my friend Taught me how to hold my head up Told me soon that I’d be a man Says that Agent Orange is calling And the doctors have done all they can Well Charlie, I’m gonna miss you after you’re gone Well Charlie, I’m gonna miss you after you’re gone Well Charlie, I’m gonna miss you after you’re gone