I was waiting on a ship to Vietnam and me being the good time loving guy I am
I was looking for some female company I met a girl alone and lonesome just like me
We had coffee at a waterfront cafe she said her husband was a soldier far away
And she talked about her long nights all alone
And the way she's fought temptation since he's gone
1460 Elder Street is where she took me
And I never knew that love could be so sweet
Then she promised me that when the war was over
I'd have a home at 1460 Elder Street
[ fiddle ]
Two months later I was on patrol one day
When a hand grenade fell not ten feet away
I watched as one brave man gave all that he could give
He fell across it gave his life that I might live
I found a crumpled tear stained letter in his coat
And I read the Dear John Letter his wife wrote
He had nothing left for livin' for I guess
I thought I die when I saw her return adress
1460 Elder Street still drives me crazy
And sometimes at night we find it hard to sleep
Could it be the ones who killed him
Now are sharing our private hell at 1460 Elder Street
