10,000 Maniacs - The big parade

^G Detroit to ^D D.^EmC., ^C Night train, ^Dcapitol, parts ^Ameast ^GLone young ^Dman takes a ^Emseat ^AAnd by the ^Drhythm of the ^Emrails ^G Reading ^Dall his mother's ^Emmail From a ^Ccity ^Dboy in a jungle ^Amtown ^GPostmarked ^D : Sai^Emgon

^GHe'll go ^Clive his mother's ^Gdream Join the ^Gslowest pa^Crade he'll ever ^Dsee Her weight of ^Csorrows carried ^Dlong and carried f^Amar ^G "Take these, ^AmTommy, to the ^Emwall" Metro line to the mall ^Dsite ^Gwith a tour of Japanese He's ^Emwandering and lost until A ^Gvet in worn fatigues Takes him ^Cdown to ^Gwhere they ^Ambelong.

^G Near a ^Dsoldier, ^Em an ex-marine With a ^Gtattooed ^Ddagger and ^Emeagle trembling He bites his ^Clip beside a ^Dwidow breaking ^Amdown She takes her ^Gpurple heart,^D makes a fist,^Em strikes the wall

^G All come to ^Clive a ^Gdream To join the ^Gslowest pa^Crade they'll ever ^Dsee Their weight of ^Csorrows carried ^Dlong and carried ^Amfar Are ^Gtaken^Am to the ^Emwall It's 40 paces to the year ^{D G} that he was slain His ^Emhand's slipping down the wall for ^Dit's s^Glick with rain ^CHow would ^Glife have ever been the ^Amsame ^G If this ^Cwall had carved ^Gin it one less ^Amname? ^G

But for ^EmChrist's sake, he's been dead ^{D G}over 20 years He ^Emleaves the letters asking "who ^Gcaused my mother's tears Was it ^CWashington ^Gor the Viet ^AmCong?"

^G Slow de^Dliberate ^Em steps are involved He ^Gtakes them a^Dway from the ^Emblack granite wall Toward the ^Cother monu^Dments so white and ^Amclean ^G O, Po^Dtomac, what you've ^Emseen ^CAbraham ^Dhad his war ^Amtoo But an ^Ghonest war ^Am Or so it's taught in ^Emschool.