Am C F  
  Roland was a  warrior from the Land of the Midnight  Sun  
  F C G  
  With a Thompson gun for hire, fighting to be done  
  Am C F  
  The  deal was made in  Denmark on a dark and stormy  day  
  F C G Am  
  So he set out for  Biafra to j oin the bloody  fray  

  Am C F  
  Through sixty-six and  seven they fought the Congo  war  
  F C G  
  Fingers on their  triggers, knee-deep in  gore  
  Am C F  
  For  days and nights they  battled the Bantu to their  knees  
  F C G Am  
  They killed to earn their  living and to h elp out the C ongolese  

  F C G Am  
  Roland the  Thompson gunner...             
  F C G Am  
  Roland the  Thompson gunner...             

  Am C F  
  His  comrades fought b eside him - Van Owen and the  rest  
  F C G  
  But of all the Thompson g unners Roland was the b est  
  Am C F  
  So the  CIA dec ided they wanted Roland  dead  
  F C G Am  
  That son-of-a-bitch Van  Owen  blew off Roland's  head  

  Chorus: Harmony:  
  C G F Am  
  Roland the  headless Thompson  gunner          (Time, time, time  
  D A For another peaceful war  
  Norway's bravest son But time stands still for  
  Roland  
  'Til he evens up the score)  

  G Am G C G F Am  
  They can  still s ee his  headless b ody s talking through the n ight  
  C G Am  
  In the  muzzle flash of  Roland's Thompson  gun  
  C G F Am  
  In the  muzzle flash of  Roland's Thompson  gun          

  Am C F  
  Roland searched the  continent for the man who'd done him i n  
  F C G  
  He found him in  Mombassa in a barroom drinking  gin  
  Am C F  
  Roland aimed his  Thompson gun - he didn't say a  word  
  F C G Am  
  But he blew Van Owen's  body from  there to  Johannesburg  

  F C G Am  
  Roland the headless  Thompson gunner...             
  F C G Am  
  Roland the headless  Thompson gunner...             
  F C G Am  
  Roland the headless  Thompson gunner...             

  Am C F  
  The eternal Thompson  gunner, still wandering through the  night  
  F C G  
  Now it's ten years  later but he still keeps up the  fight  
  Am C F  
  In  Ireland, in  Lebanon, in Palestine and  Berkeley  
  F F F  
  Patty Hearst  heard the burst of  Roland's Thompson  gun  
  G Am  
  And  bought it