CAPO: 2nd Fret 


Intro: G  C    G    C    G 

                              C 
Well, friends, hereby hangs a tale 
                             G 
The year was nineteen thirty-one 
                           C 
A good job digging for the king 
                             G 
While there's so many on the bum 
                           Em      D 
I'd done my time across in France 
                         C 
Fought at Moreaux and at Vimy 
        G              C 
Done my service for my country 
            D              G 
Thought I'd put the guns behind me 


                                C 
I should have known it from the start 
                                G 
Peace may be signed between two nations 
                           C 
But for protection of your rights 
                               G 
My friends, it's always battle stations 
                        Em    D 
And so it was the union boys 
                         C 
Set up shop there in the coalfields 
          G                 C 
Said that they would be our voice 
          D                 G 
Said that they would be our shield 


INTERLUDE: C   G    C   G 


                        C 
They said just a little march 
                             G 
Across the town and past the station 
                                C 
Some fine strong speakers and a band 
                        G 
A fairly peaceful congregation 
                           Em      D 
Let them know that we were strong 
                       C 
Show them we could be united 
          G                C 
Show them we had found our voice 
         D               G 
And that we would not be frightened 


                                C 
I should have known it from the start 
                            G 
Workers marching makes them nervous 
                       C 
I saw no menace in our group 
                               G 
Peaceful of heart and stout of purpose 
                           Em      D 
The local peelers were forewarned 
                                C 
It's sure as hell they were forearmed 
             G              C 
How could we cause them any trouble?  
          D           G 
How could they be so alarmed? 


INTERLUDE: C   G    C   G 


                               C 
Armed with truncheons and with guns 
                                G 
They took their line across the road 
                    C 
Their faces cast in stone 
                            G 
I heard the call to aim and load 
                      Em     D 
Saw the deadly muzzle flash 
                     C         G 
Saw the people drop around me 
                     C 
Took a bullet to the leg 
                D                G 
My friends, and that is how they found me 


                                C 
I should have known it from the start 
                             G 
Should have seen the trouble coming 
                       C 
Seen the ugly twist of fate 
                           G 
Turned my tail and started running 
                            Em     D 
Known when push has come to shove 
                           C          
And it's a heavy hand that feeds you 
         G                 C 
That the job that was your life 
            D               G              F 
Becomes the job that slowly beats you 


Bridge: 
   C       G                                          F 
No use, no use, for the ranting of the government men 
   C              G                                 F 
No use, for their fine print and their fountain pen 
   C       G         
No use, no use in me denying 
     F                               C 
This small rebellion's over, but I'm leaving here unbowed 


INTERLUDE: C   G    C   G 


                              C          
And when the dust had finally cleared 
                              G 
When all dissent had been put down 
                             C          
I packed my life in two worn bags 
                              G 
Caught the train and left the town 
                              Em     D 
In this case justice sure was blind 
                        C          
At least blind to human suffering 
                 G             C 
They said they'd put us in our place 
      D                  G      
And I guess they weren't bluffing 


                                C          
I should have known it from the start 
                               G 
It's not the truth that really matters 
                                C          
The real world tramples on such things 
                            G 
Leaves your mental state in tatters 
                          Em    D 
Makes the blowing prairie dust 
                       C          
Seem like it is stationary 
          G               C 
Makes the proudest person humble 
        D                G      
And the strongest person wary 
          G               C 
Makes the proudest person humble 
        D                G           C  D  G 
And the strongest person wary