The Grave
Don McLeanVersion1
90
Chords in this song
Strum
D-DU-UDU
When the wars of our nation did beckon
A man barely twenty did answer the call
Proud of the trust that he placed in our nation. He is gone.
But eternity knows him and it knows what we've done.
And the rain fell like pearls on the leaves of the flowers
Leaving brown muddy clay where the earth had been dry
And deep in the trench he waited for hours
As he held to his rifle and prayed not to die
But the silence of night was shattered by fire
As guns and grenades blasted sharp through the air
One after another his comrades were slaughtered
In a morgue of marines, alone standing there
He crouched ever lower, ever lower in fear
They can't let me die, they can't let me die here
I'll cover myself with the mud and the earth
I'll cover myself, I know I'm not brave!
The earth, the earth, the earth is my grave
The grave that they dug him had flowers
Gathered from the hillsides in bright summer colours
And the brown earth bleached white at the edge of his gravestone
He is gone
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Readable chord sheet for The Grave by Don McLean
When the [Am] wars of our nation did [C] beckon A [Dm] man barely twenty did answer the [E7] call [Am] Proud of the trust that he [E7] placed in our nation. He is [Am] gone. But [F] eternity knows him and it [Dm] knows what we've [E7] done. And the [Am] rain fell like pearls on the [Dm] leaves of the [E7] flowers Leaving [Am] brown muddy clay where the [Dm] earth had been [E7] dry And [Am] deep in the trench he waited for [E7] hours As he [F] held to his rifle and [Dm] prayed not to [E7] die But the [Dm] silence of night was [Am] shattered by fire As [Dm] guns and grenades blasted [Am] sharp through the air [Dm] One after another his [Am] comrades were slaughtered In a [C] morgue of marines, [Dm] alone standing [E7] there He [F] crouched ever lower, ever [Dm] lower in [Am] fear They [F] can't let me die, they can't [Dm] let me die [Am] here I'll [F] cover myself with the [Am] mud and the earth I'll [F] cover myself, I know I'm not [E7] brave! The [Am] earth, the [Dm] earth, the [E7] earth is my grave [spoken] The [Am] grave that they dug him had [C] flowers Gathered from the hillsides in [Dm] bright summer [E7] colours And the [Am] brown earth bleached [Dm] white at the [E7] edge of his gravestone He is gone [Am]