There's a place in a chair by the window 
where a young girl sits
she patiently waits for her father 
for her world to be lit
there's a knock on the door 
it's the postman
a telegram is read
your country regrets to inform you
that your father is dead

he's missing in action 
somewhere in the first world war
it's important for you to know 
just what he died for
so we can be free
to live our lives
in freedom and safety
peace must survive

There's a place in a chair by the window 
where a young woman sits
she patiently waits for her young man
for her world to be lit
there's a knock on the door
it's her young man
it's his love that she needs
he's the reason that she wants to live
she's the air that he breathes

They're going to get married some day 
she's having his child
theirs is a once in a lifetime love 
a rose growing wild
they want to be free
to live their lives
in freedom and safety
peace must survive

There's a place in a chair by the window
where a young wife sits
she patiently waits for her husband
for her world to be lit
there's a knock on the door
it's the postman
a telegram is read
your country regrets to inform you
that your husband is dead

he's missing in action somewhere 
in the second world war
it's important for you to know 
just what he died for
so we can be free
to live our lives
in freedom and safety 
peace must survive

There's a place in a chair by the window
where an old woman sits
she patiently waits for the morning 
for the streets to be lit
there's a knock on the door
it's the postman
a letter is read
if you don't pay the money you owe us
you'll wish you were dead

she hasn't eaten for two days 
she's cold and alone
there's a strike and she can't get money 
she can't heat her home
but she's still free
to live her life
in freedom and safety
peace must survive

There's a place in a room by the window
where a dead woman lay
she patiently waits for her funeral
it's the end of her days
there's a knock on the door
it's a tax man 
he starts to yell
if you don't pay the money you owe us
you'll go to hell

she was killed by a young man 
for the change in her purse
it's too late to tell her now, 
that things could be worse
so what was it all for
all the death and the pain
they built our shelters
now they stand in the rain

Words And Music By Nemo James
© Acuff Rose. All Rights Reserved.