Soldier

A / E / D 

A                          E 
In a station in the city a British soldier stood 
                            A 
Talking to the people there if the people would 
                                E  
Some just stared in hatred, and others turned in pain 
                                         A 
And the lonely British soldier wished he was back home again 


      D                               A   
Come join the British Army! said the posters in his town 
E                                     A 
See the world and have your fun come serve before the Crown 
     D                                A  
The jobs were hard to come by and he could not face the dole 
       E                                A 
So he took his country's shilling and enlisted on the roll 


A                                       E 
For there was no fear of fighting, the Empire long was lost 
                                    A 
Just ten years in the army getting paid for being bossed 
                                E 
Then leave a man experienced a man who's made the grade 
                            A 
A medal and a pension some mem'ries and a trade 

A                                       E 
Then came the call for Ireland as the call had come before 
                              A 
Another bloody chapter in an endless civil war 
                                          E 
The priests they stood on both sides the priests they stood behind 
                                   A 
Another fight in Jesus's name the blind against the blind 


     D                          A 
The soldier stood between them between the whistling stones 
     E                            A 
And then the broken bottles that led to broken bones 
     D                                     A 
The petrol bombs that burnt his hands the nails that pierced his skin 
     E                                    A 
And wished that he had stayed at home surrounded by his kin 


A                                    E 
The station filled with people the soldier soon was bored 
                                A 
But better in the station than where the people warred 
                                      E 
The room filled up with mothers with daughters and with sons 
                                      A 
Who stared with itchy fingers at the soldier and his gun 


A                                       E 
A yell of fear a screech of brakes the shattering of glass 
                                    A 
The window of the station broke to let the package pass 
                                        E 
A scream came from the mothers as they ran towards the door 
                                         A 
Dragging their children crying from the bomb upon the floor 


A                                         E 
The soldier stood and could not move his gun he could not use 
                                      A 
He knew the bomb had seconds and not minutes on the fuse 
                                     E   
He could not run and pick it up and throw it in the street 
                                          A 
There were far too many people there too many running feet 


       D                              A 
Take cover! yelled the soldier, Take cover for your lives 
         E                                   A  
And the Irishmen threw down their young and stood before their wives 
       D                               A 
They turned towards the soldier their eyes alive with fear 
     E                                       A  
For God's sake save our children or they'll end their short lives here 


A                                       E 
The soldier moved towards the bomb his stomach like a stone 
                             A 
Why was this his battle God why was he alone 
                                   E 
He lay down on the package and he murmured one farewell 
                                A 
To those at home in England to those he loved so well 


A                                     E 
He saw the sights of summer felt the wind upon his brow 
                                       A 
The young girls in the city parks how precious were they now 
                                E 
The soaring of the swallow the beauty of the swan 
                                   A 
The music of the turning world so soon would it be gone 


A                                 E 
A muffled soft explosion and the room began to quake 
                                        A 
The soldier blown across the floor his blood a crimson lake 
                                        E 
They never heard him cry or shout they never heard him moan 
                                                 A 
And they turned their children's faces from the blood and from the bones 


     D                                    A  
The crowd outside soon gathered and the ambulances came 
     E                      A 
To carry off the body of a pawn lost in the game 
         D                                       A 
And the crowd they clapped and cheered and they sang their rebel song 
     E                              A 
One soldier less to interfere where he did not belong 


     D                                 A 
And will the children growing up learn at their mothers' knees 
     E                       A 
The story of the soldier who bought their liberty 
     D                           A 
Who used his youthful body as a means towards an end 
     E                                     A 
Who gave his life to those who called him murderer not friend