Tour was up middle of June
She was plannin' a welcome home barbecue
Green bean casserole, grandma's recipe
There was a knock on the door around two o'clock
Two uniforms and her heart stopped
Yellow ribbon 'round an oak tree, blowin' in the breeze

Here's to the ones that didn't make it back home
The ones we ain't seen in so long
The hold up a beer ones
The wish they were here ones
The not forgotten but gone
In a better place up there
But they sure left a hole down here
We just go on livin' and go on missin'
The ones, the ones that didn't make it back home

The whole town shut down, the whole town showed up
Sang Amazing Grace, watched a slide show of
His 22 years, there was laughs and there was tears
And that preacher talked about sacrifice
And traffic stopped for them Cadillac lights
Johnny sold beer half priced that night
And everybody raised 'em high singin'

Here's to the ones that didn't make it back home
The ones we ain't seen in so long
The hold up a beer ones
The wish they were here ones
The not forgotten but gone
In a better place up there
But they sure left a hole down here
We just go on livin' and go on missin'
The ones, the ones that didn't make it back home

Back to that front porch
Back through that front door
To the life they were fightin' for

Here's to the ones that didn't make it back home
The ones we ain't seen in so long
The hold up a beer ones
The wish they were here ones
The not forgotten but gone
In a better place up there
But they sure left a hole down here
We just go on livin' and go on missin'
The ones, the ones that didn't make it back home
The ones that didn't make it back home