In '43 they put to sea thirteen men and Kennedy Aboard the PT 109 to fight the brazen enemy And off the isle of Olasana in the straight beyond Naru A Jap destroyer in the night cut the 109 in two Smoke and fire upon the sea everywhere they looked was the enemy The heathen gods of old Japan yeah they thought had the best of a mighty good man And on the coast of Kolombangara looking through this telescope Australian Evans saw the battle for the crew had little hope Two were dead and some were wounded all were clinging to the bow Fightin' fire and flightin' water trying to save themselves somehow Smoke and fire upon the sea... everywhere they looked was the enemy The heathen gods of old Japan yeah they thought had the best of a mighty good man McMahon the Irishman was burned so badly he couldn't swim Leave me here go on he said cause if you don't we'll all be dead The PT skipper couldn't leave him a man to die alone at sea And with a strap between his teeth he towed the Irishman through the sea Smoke and fire upon the sea... everywhere they looked was the enemy The heathen gods of old Japan yeah they thought had the best of a mighty good man He led his men through waters dark rocky reefs and hungry sharks He braved the enemy's bayonets a thirty eight hung round his neck Four more days and four more nights a rescue boat pulled into sight The PT 109 was gone but Kennedy and his crew lived on Now who could guess who could possibly know that same man named Kennedy Would be the leader of the nation be the one to take command The PT 109 was gone but Kennedy lived to fight again Smoke and fire upon the sea everywhere they looked was the enemy But JFK and his crew lived on Which proves it's hard to get the best of a man named John (Big John Big John Big John Big John)