He sits on the front porch To watch the sun go down A pile of cigarette butts Gathering on the ground He's been a chain smoker sixty years Both his fingers are stained and brown But what the hell, you only die once Then he lights up a cigarette Remembers the Great War Except that now he can't remember What they were dying for It was the one to end 'em all But he knew there'd be more And then he lit up another cigarette And in the glow of the match He recalled his wedding day And he smiles as he thinks about The things she used to say She was his reason for living But he went on anyway With his memories and a pack of cigarettes He's a chain smoker Toking on the best years of his life And tomorrow don't hold nothing That he ain't already seen And while the habit just might be killing him At least, that's what the surgeon general warns These words of encouragement Are the last thing that he needs Then he lights up a cigarette Thinking back to what the doctor said At the rate he is going In a month he will be dead And so he lights up another As an old memory comes to his head And as the sun goes down He puts out his last cigarette