It was on a Saturday night and the moon was shing bright They passed the conscription bill And the people they did say for many miles away 'Twas the President and his boys on Capitol Hill Oh, Franklin Roosevelt told the people how he felt We damned near believed what he said He said, "I hate war, and so does Eleanor But we won't be safe till everybody's dead" When my poor old mother died I was sitting by her side A-promising to war I'd never go But now I'm wearing khaki jeans and eating army beans And I'm told that J. P. Morgan loves me so I have wandered o'er this land, a roaming working man No clothes to wear and not much food to eat But now the government foots the bill Gives me clothes and feeds me swill Gets me shot and puts me underground six feet Oh, Franklin Roosevelt told the people how he felt We damned near believed what he said He said, "I hate war, and so does Eleanor But we won't be safe till everybody's dead" Why nothing can be wrong if it makes our country strong We got to get tough to save democracy And though it may mean war We must defend Singapore This don't hurt you half as much as it hurts me Oh, Franklin Roosevelt told the people how he felt We damned near believed what he said He said, "I hate war, and so does Eleanor But we won't be safe till everybody's dead"