Roland  was  a  warrior  from  the  Land  of  the  Midnight  Sun  

With  a  Thompson  gun  for  hire,  fighting  to  be  done  

The  deal  was  made  in  Denmark  on  a  dark  and  stormy  day

So  he  set  out  for  Biafra  to  join  the  bloody  fray

Through  sixty-six  and  seven  they  fought  the  Congo  war  

With  their  fingers  on  their  triggers,  knee-deep  in  gore  

For  days  and  nights  they  battled  the  Bantu  to  their  knees  

They  killed  to  earn  their  living  and  to  help  out  the  Congolese

Roland  the  Thompson  gunner...

His  comrades  fought  beside  him  -  Van  Owen  and  the  rest  

But  of  all  the  Thompson  gunners,  Roland  was  the  best  

So  the  CIA  decided  they  wanted  Roland  dead  

That  son-of-a-bitch  Van  Owen  blew  off  Roland's  head

Roland  the  headless  Thompson  gunner  

Norway's  bravest  son  

Time,  time,  time  

For  another  peaceful  war  

But  time  stands  still  for  Roland  

'Til  he  evens  up  the  score  

They  can  still  see  his  headless  body  stalking  through  the  night  

In  the  muzzle  flash  of  Roland's  Thompson  gun  

In  the  muzzle  flash  of  Roland's  Thompson  gun  

Roland  searched  the  continent  for  the  man  who'd  done  him  in  

He  found  him  in  Mombassa  in  a  barroom  drinking  gin  

Roland  aimed  his  Thompson  gun  -  he  didn't  say  a  word

But  he  blew  Van  Owen's  body  from  there  to  Johannesburg

Roland  the  headless  Thompson  gunner...

The  eternal  Thompson  gunner

still  wandering  through  the  night  

Now  it's  ten  years  later  but  he  still  keeps  up  the  fight  

In  Ireland,  in  Lebanon,  in  Palestine  and  Berkeley

Patty  Hearst  heard  the  burst  of  Roland's  Thompson  gun  and  bought  it