G                               C   
I turned 17 in '63 on a battle feild in Tennessee.  
G                                    D  
I did what I was told do an never questioned why,  
G             
until in Vicksburg on some farmers land,  
C  
so close that we fought hand to hand  
G                 D               G  
I met a rebel boy, but spared his life  


[Refrão]
 C                      D  
In another place at another time   
G  
you might have been a friend of mine.  
C                             D           G  
There'd be no bloody fields, no screams of pain  
C                             D  
And i have too wonder what could be,  
G  
if it came down to you an me.  
C           D                  G  
If i were not in blue or you in gray  

bridge:  G,C,G,D,G,C,G,D,G  
  
verse:  
G  
He was 17 and dressed in grey, and   
C  
I could tell that in so many ways,  
G                                D  
we had a lot in common underneath those uniforms.  
G  
In the day light we fought fearlessly,  
C  
in the dark we cried ourselves to sleep  
G               D               G  
longing for our mothers' loving arms  
  
repeat chorus