The Soldiers Tale chords by Strawbs

Intro: Em Am

verse 1
  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

verse 2

A lonely tower stands empty as a refuge
    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


verse 3
  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


verse 4
  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


Verse 5
       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