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Not A particularly hard song. But A very meaningful song about the troubles. You should be able to see the pattern in the chords, please comment and rate :) Intro; A E E A
AIn a station in the city a EBritish soldier stood ETalking to the people thereA if the people would ASome just stared in hatred,E and others turned in pain EAnd the lonely British soldierA wished he was back home again
DCome join the British Army! Asaid the posters in his town ESee the world and have your fun Acome serve before the Crown DThe jobs were hard to come by and he Acould not face the dole ESo he took his country's shilling and Aenlisted on the roll
AFor there was no fear of fighting, Ethe Empire long was lost EJust ten years in the army getting Apaid for being bossed AThen leave a man experienced a Eman who's made the grade EA medal and a pension some Amem'ries and a trade
AThen came the call to Ireland as theE call had come before EAnother bloody chapter in anA endless civil war AThe priests they stood on both sides the Epriests they stood behind EAnother fight in Jesus name the Ablind against the blind
DThe soldier stood between them Abetween the whistling stones EAnd then the broken bottles that Aled to broken bones DThe petrol bombs that burnt his hands theA nails that pierced his skin EAnd wished that he had stayed at home Asurrounded by his kin
The station filled with people the soldier soon was bored But better in the station than where the people warred The room filled up with mothers with daughters and with sons Who stared with itchy fingers at the soldier and his gun A yell of fear a screech of brakes the shattering of glass The window of the station broke to let the package pass A scream came from the mothers as they ran towards the door Dragging children crying from the bomb upon the floor The soldier stood and could not move his gun he could not use He knew the bomb had seconds and not minutes on the fuse He could not run to pick it up and throw it in the street There were far too many people there too many running feet Take cover! yelled the soldier, Take cover for your lives And the Irishmen threw down their young and stood before their wives They turned towards the soldier their eyes alive with fear For God's sake save our children or they'll end their short lives here The soldier moved towards the bomb his stomach like a stone Why was this his battle God why was he alone He lay down on the package and he murmured one farewell To those at home in England to those he loved so well He saw the sights of summer felt the wind upon his brow The young girls in the city parks how precious were they now The soaring of the swallow the beauty of the swan The music of the turning world so soon would it be gone A muffled soft explosion and the room began to quake The soldier blown across the floor his blood a crimson lake They never heard him cry or shout they never heard him moan And they turned their children's faces from the blood and from the bones The crowd outside soon gathered and the ambulances came To carry off the body of a pawn lost in the game And the crowd they clapped and cheered and they sang their rebel songs One soldier less to interfere where he did not belong But will the children growing up learn at their mothers' knees The story of the soldier who bought their liberty Who used his youthful body as a means towards an end Who gave his life to those who called him murderer not friend