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The Green Fields Of France by Mandolin Monday
The Green Fields Of France
Tuning: E A D G B E
[Intro]
Bm A E (x2)
[Verse 1]
Bm A
Well how do you do, young Willy McBride?
E Bm
Do you mind if I sit here down by your graveside
Bm A
And rest for a while ''''neath the warm summer sun
E Bm
I''''ve been walking all day, and I''''m nearly done
Bm A
I see by your gravestone you were only nineteen
E Bm
When you joined the great fallen in nineteen-sixteen
Bm
I hope you died well
A
And I hope you died clean
E
Or young Willy McBride, what is it ?
[Chorus]
Bm
Did they beat the drums slowly?
A
Did they play the fife lowly?
E Bm
Did the rifles fire over as they lowered you down?
A
Did the bugles sound out the Last Post in chorus?
E Bm
Did the pipes play the Flowers of the Forest?
[Interlude]
Bm A E [x2]
[Verse 2]
Bm A
Did you leave here a wife or a sweetheart behind?
E Bm
In some faithful heart is your memory enshrined?
Bm A
Although you died back in nineteen-sixteen
E Bm
In that faithful heart, are you forever nineteen?
A
Or are you a stranger without even a name
E Bm
Enclosed then forever behind a glass pane
Bm A
In an old photograph torn, battered, and stained
E Bm
And faded to yellow in a brown leather frame?
[Chorus]
Bm
Did they beat the drums slowly?
A
Did they play the fife lowly?
E Bm
Did the rifles fire over as they lowered you down?
A
Did the bugles sound out the Last Post in chorus?
E Bm
Did the pipes play the Flowers of the Forest?
[Verse 3]
Bm A
The sun now shines o''''er the green fields of France
E Bm
There''''s a warm summer breeze that makes the red poppies dance
A
And look how the sun shines from under the clouds
E Bm
There''''s no gas, no barbed wire, there''''s no gun firing now
A
But here in this graveyard it''''s still No Man''''s Land
E Bm
The countless white crosses stand mute in the sand
A
To man''''s blind indifference to his fellow man
E
To a whole generation that were butchered and damned
[Chorus]
Bm
Did they beat the drums slowly?
A
Did they play the fife lowly?
E Bm
Did the rifles fire over as they lowered you down?
A
Did the bugles sound out the Last Post in chorus?
E Bm
Did the pipes play the Flowers of the Forest?
[Verse 4]
Bm A
Now young Willy McBride, I can''''t help wonder, why?
E Bm
Do those that lie here know why they died?
Bm A
And did they believe when they answered the call?
E Bm
Did they really believe that this war would end wars?
Bm A
For the sorrow, the suffering, the glory, the shame
E Bm
The killing and dying were all done in vain
Bm A
For young Willy McBride it all happened again
E
And again, and again, and again
[Chorus]
Bm
Did they beat the drums slowly?
A
Did they play the fife lowly?
E Bm
Did the rifles fire over as they lowered you down?
A
Did the bugles sound out the Last Post in chorus?
E Bm
Did the pipes play the Flowers of the Forest?
[Chorus]
Bm
Did they beat the drums slowly?
A
Did they play the fife lowly?
E Bm
Did the rifles fire over as they lowered you down?
A
Did the bugles sound out the Last Post in chorus?
E Bm
Did the pipes play the Flowers of the Forest?
------------------
version 2
Tuning: E A D G B E
Capo: 3rd fret
Key: Bb
Capo 3 (Bb)
[Intro]
G C D7 G
[Verse 1]
G Em C Am
Well how do you do young Willie McBride,
D D7 C G
Do you mind if I sit here down by your graveside,
G Em C Am
And rest for a while neath the warm summer sun,
D D7 C G G
I''''ve been walking all day and I''''m nearly done.
G Em C Am
I see by your gravestone you were only nineteen,
D D7 C D D
When you joined the great fallen in nineteen-sixteen,
G Em C Am
Well I hope you died well and I hope you died clean,
D D7 C G
Or young Willie McBride was it slow and obscene.
[Chorus]
D D7 C G
Did they beat the drum slowly, did they play the fife lowly,
D D7 C D D
Did they sound the dead march, as they lowered you down,
C G Em
Did the band play the last post and chorus,
G C D G G
Did the pipes play the Flowers of the Forest.
[Verse 2]
G Em C Am
Did you leave ere a wife or a sweetheart behind,
D D7 C G
In some faithful heart is your memory enshrined,
G Em C Am
Although you died back in nineteen-sixteen,
D D7 C G G
In that faithful heart are you forever nineteen.
G Em C Am
Or are you a stranger without even a name,
D D7 C D D
Enclosed in forever behind a glass pane,
G Em C Am
On an old photograph all torn battered and stained,
D D7 C G
And faded to yellow in a brown leather frame.
[Chorus]
D D7 C G
Did they beat the drum slowly, did they play the fife lowly,
D D7 C D D
Did they sound the dead march, as they lowered you down,
C G Em
Did the band play the last post and chorus,
G C D G G
Did the pipes play the Flowers of the Forest.
[Verse 3]
G Em C Am
The sun now it shines on the green fields of France,
D D7 C G
There''''s a warm summer breeze that makes the red poppies dance,
G Em C Am
And look how the sun shines from under the clouds,
D D7 C G G
There''''s no gas, no barbed wire, there''''s no guns firing now.
G Em C Am
But here in this graveyard it''''s still \\"No Man''''s Land\\",
D D7 C D D
The countless white crosses stand mute in the sand,
G Em C Am
To man''''s blind indifference to his fellow man,
D D7 C G
To a whole generation that were butchered and damned.
[Chorus]
D D7 C G
Did they beat the drum slowly, did they play the fife lowly,
D D7 C D D
Did they sound the dead march, as they lowered you down,
C G Em
Did the band play the last post and chorus,
G C D G G
Did the pipes play the Flowers of the Forest.
[Verse 4]
G Em C Am
Ah, young Willie McBride I can''''t help wonder why,
D D7 C G
Do those that lie here know why did they die,
G Em C Am
And did they believe when they answered the call,
D D7 C G G
Did they really believe that this war would end wars.
G Em C Am
Well, the sorrow, the suffering, the glory, the pain,
D D7 C D D
The killing and dying were all done in vain,
G Em C Am
For young Willie McBride it all happened again,
D D7 C G
And again, and again, and again, and again.
[Chorus]
D D7 C G
Did they beat the drum slowly, did they play the fife lowly,
D D7 C D D
Did they sound the dead march, as they lowered you down,
C G Em
Did the band play the last post and chorus,
G C D G G
Did the pipes play the Flowers of the Forest.
----------------