The "front"? the "rear"?
Those words mean nothin’ here.

A minesweeper is a small ship, with a hull of wood.
The duty is shit, the comraderire is good.

Fill up with fuel from a civvy tanker --
but it is only water so the engines go clanker.

Patrolling very near the NV coast,
when we lose power we reckon we are toast.

One little auxiliary gets us back to Danang --
all night the percussion grenades go bang.

Next morning the sappers are bloated in the water --
those poor saps shoulda been smarter.

We find planes and bombs in the water.
Before a year is up its gonna get hotter.

Some of the bombs have planes,
and some not even names.

All the planes have crew.
To the ones alive, we are friends that are true.

F-111 takes a hit and falls from the sky.
We go to get them before Charlie can try.

The Cap'n's English over the dark water a liltin',
and the pilot knows he’s not going to Hanoi Hilton.

When Mr Nixon orders mines laid in Haiphong,
We're on that ‘sweep and they're playing our song.

But first, US ships hit somethin’.
The explosions are big and give them a bumpin’.

It’s American sailors’ blood that is spilled.
US ordinance did it, the fragments revealed.

Hey you mineweepers --
find the damned things; and this is for keepers.

Mines are in the wrong place and we don't know why.
It is for certain casualaties will be high.

This is a top secret.
In your watery graves you can keep it.

After in Paris an accord they do settle,
the crews of the ‘sweeps do show their mettle.

Haiphong is swept in seventy-three --
the last thing to do for honor and victory.

No medals, no ribbons, no recognition.
The reward is peace, after this final mission..