Her letters gave me purpose, 
Her letters gave me pride 
Armies far across the ocean 
Guns and letters by our side 
It was someone else's homeland 
It was someone else's war 
But at the line of the 38th parallel 
It was her I fought them for 

Her victory garden grew from weeds and from stone 
I smelled those flowers in my sleep 
The day I left as we were standing alone 
She swore to me those dreams would keep 

And the bells of St. James were ringing 
The bells of St. James were ringing down 
Lifting the eyes of those homeward bound 

I don't remember when those words changed 
Like Kansas summer turns to fall 
But she quit talking 'bout the future 
Never mentioned dreams at all 

I don't blame my enemies and I don't blame my wife 
For love fires that fleeted long ago 
But when she wrote me about this change in her life 
There was just one thing I had to know 

And the bells of St. James were ringing 
The bells of St. James were ringing down 
Lifting the eyes of those homeward bound