"My shadow follows me wherever I should chance to go,"
John the Gun did say.

"If you should chance to meet me as I wander to and fro,
sad would be your day.
My life is mine and light did shine
'til the guns, they did go through me,
So now I shall never fall.
Ideals of peace are gold which fools
have found upon the plains of war.
I shall destroy them all."

CHORUS:
Put away your guns of steel
Death comes too soon for all
Your master, he may need you soon
and you must heed his call

"I am the master of the games that you will hardly ever play,
so I will teach your sons.
and if they should die before the evening of their span of days,
why, then they will die young."--CHORUS

"Condemn me not, for always will I play the game of war
in moonshine or in sun,
and if any cross the path I choose to tread,
their chances they are poor.
My name is John the Gun."

Oh, put away your guns of steel
Death comes too soon for all
Your master, he may need you soon
And you must heed his call