Tom Paxton - Lyndon johnson told the nation

^EmI got a letter from LBJ it ^Amsays this is your lucky day, ^Emit`s time to put your ^B7khaki trousers ^Emon. ^{E7 Am}Though it may seem very queer, we’ve ^Emgot no jobs to give you here, ^Amso we are sending ^B7you to Vietn^Emam.

^CLyndon Johnson ^Gtold the nation, ^Amhave no fear of ^Gescalation, ^B7I am trying everyone to ^Emplease. ^CThough it isn't r^Geally war, we`re ^Amsending fifty ^Emthousand more, ^B7to help save Vietnam from Viet^Emnamese.

^EmI jumped off the old troop ship, and ^Amsank in mud up to my hips, ^EmI cussed until the ^B7captain called me ^Emdown. ^{E7 Am}Never mind how hard it`s raining, <sup>Em</sup>think of all the ground we`re gaining, ^Amjust don`t take one ^B7step outside of ^Emtown.

^CLyndon Johnson ^Gtold the nation, ^Amhave no fear of ^Gescalation, ^B7I am trying everyone to ^Emplease. ^CThough it isn't r^Geally war, we`re ^Amsending fifty ^Emthousand more, ^B7to help save Vietnam from Viet^Emnamese.

^EmEvery night the local gentry ^Amslip out past the sleeping sentry, ^Emthey go out to ^B7join the old V.^EmC. ^AmIn their nightly little dramas, ^Emthey put on their black pyjamas, ^Amand come lobbing ^B7mortar shells at ^Emme.

^CBut Lyndon Johnson ^Gtold the nation, ^Amhave no fear of ^Gescalation, ^B7I am trying everyone to ^Emplease. ^CThough it isn't ^Greally war, we`re ^Amsending fifty ^Emthousand more, ^B7to help save Vietnam from Viet^Emnamese.

^EmWe go round in helicopters ^Amlike a bunch of big grasshoppers, ^Emsearching for the ^B7Vietcong in ^Emvain. ^{E7 Am}They left a note that they had gone, they ^Emhad to get down to Saigon, ^Emtheir ^B7government positions to ^Emmaintain.

^CLyndon Johnson ^Gtold the nation, ^Amhave no fear of ^Gescalation, ^B7I am trying everyone to ^Emplease. ^CThough it isn't ^Greally war, we`re ^Amsending fifty ^Emthousand more, ^B7to help save Vietnam from Viet^Emnamese.

^EmWell here I sit in this rice paddy, ^Amwondering about Big Daddy, ^Emand I know that ^B7Lyndon loves me ^Emso. ^{E7 Am}Yet how sadly I remember, ^Emway back yonder in November, ^Amwhen he said I`d ^B7never have to ^Emgo.

^CWell Lyndon Johnson ^Gtold the nation, ^Amhave no fear of ^Gescalation, ^B7I am trying everyone to ^Emplease. ^CThough it isn't ^Greally war, we`re ^Amsending fifty ^Emthousand more, ^B7to help save Vietnam from Viet^Emnamese.