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Imaginary Wars Lyrics by Mark Erelli

Hope & Other Casualties

0

Behind the house where I lived
Back when I was a kid
I played G.I. Joe beneath the tall pine trees
I'd fight imaginary wars
'Til my mom called from our back porch
And I'd come home covered in that pine pitch
From my head down to my knees

Too big to wrap my arms around
Surely older than I could count
Must have been there since the Mayflower crossed the sea
They'd been through blizzards and hurricanes
Summer droughts and freezing rain
Them pines would live forever
At least that's how it seemed to me

CHORUS:
Now what's become of the old pine woods
It's all gone and there's a brand new neighborhood
All for a buck they cut down all those trees
They subdivided all of my fondest memories

When those trucks came for my woods
I did everything I could
And it was war for real when school let out that June
I ripped down flags and I pulled up stakes
But what difference can one boy make
Them pines still fell like thunder on a summer afternoon

CHORUS

And I never became friends
With the families that moved in
They were different from us or so it seemed
I grew up and moved away
I just go home on holidays
But those tall and tangled pines
They're still falling in my dreams

We all want the greenest lawn
And a country club where we belong
And an SUV to get us there in style
But we don't keep track of what we've lost
We can't calculate the cost
When there's no place left for a boy's
Imagination to run wild

So what's become of the old pine woods
It's all gone and it's gone for good
All for a buck they cut down all those trees
Credits
Mark Erelli

Mark Erelli

About “Imaginary Wars” by Mark Erelli

Read the complete lyrics to "Imaginary Wars" by Mark Erelli from the album "Hope & Other Casualties". On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Pop.

"Imaginary Wars" is performed by Mark Erelli. from the album "Hope & Other Casualties" This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "Imaginary Wars", explore more songs by Mark Erelli using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

View all songs and biography for Mark Erelli · Trending lyrics · Billboard Hot 100

Frequently asked questions

"Imaginary Wars" is credited to Mark Erelli. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"Imaginary Wars" appears on "Hope & Other Casualties".

Visit the Mark Erelli artist page at /artist/mark-erelli for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.

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