Strawbs – The Soldiers Tale (Guitar)

    Am
The watchers on the hillside stand in silence

       G
As the dawn appears

          Am
Then they gather to their horses in an instant

     G
As a sun shaft sears

            F
Through the morning mist which hangs low in the valleys

       Em
Like a serpent's tail

     F
Both poisonous to enemies and heroes

       Am
In the soldiers' tale

       G
By the sullen lake

       Am
As the straggle of survivors in their weakness

       G
Make a grave mistake

        F
For the crossroad sign which points towards the coast

        Em
Is yet another nail

       F
In the cross of the Pretender and his comrades

       Am
In the soldiers' tale

    F                         C
The dream we once knew is now over

              G
The battle is lost

                  Em
The retreat has begun

                  F                       C
Let us make our escape in the dead of the night

                      Ab
While the lone widows wail

       A
In the soldiers' tale

    Am
The French boat at the ready, stands at anchor

       G
On the swollen tide

    Am
His loyal followers raise a faint cheer

      G
As he draws aside

       F
The Pretender's cause is lost, a sad farewell

       Em
As the boat sets sail

        F
And the rain hurls down on the challenge of the gauntlet

       Am               F
In the soldiers' tale

              Am
The soldiers' song is never sung

              A7
The soldiers' battle never won

              Am7
The soldiers' lives are bought an sold

              Am
The soldiers' bayonets are cold

              A7
The soldiers' guns are never fired

              Am7
The soldiers' eyes are never tired

              Dm
The soldiers' hearts are filled with hate

            A               Am
A soldier's cause must ever wait