He made his way back to the old town And everything looked just the same The shops and the schools and the factories were there But somehow the faces had changed
So he went for a walk in the high street Took his coat off and rolled up his sleeves He thought of his father and his father before him And how he was the first one to leave
Well he didn't come here for forgiveness There isn't a lot they can say Cause I remember the reasons he first ran away
He's a rebel Just a rebel Got his back to the wall Gonna fight 'til he falls He's a rebel
Don't ever look back - don't surrender The old men say they've seen it before Oh they drink their beer and they talk about friends Who didn't come back from the war
Don't say he's too young to remember Don't tell him what's wrong or what's right Just give him a chance to get out there and fight
He's a rebel Just a rebel All the battles are won But he's still on the run He's a rebel
When it comes time for leavin' Don't stand in my way There's nothin' left for me here Gonna run, run away
In the morning he walks past the old house In the rain under grey northern sky There's a new coat of paint on the front garden gate But there's more there than first meets the eye
For a moment he stands undecided Looking back on the days of his youth As two worlds collide in a moment of truth