Well 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 till 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 passed the old house,
In the rain under grey northern skies,
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.
Chorus