Written by Ton Nugent(England) and music composed by Pete Garza (Houston, TX)
[Verse 1]
Em
In faded blue jeans
C
and an old Army jacket
G D
a medal pinned to his chest
Em D
Tommy sits all alone at the bar
Em
His face told the story
C
all wanted to know
G D
The pain he wore like a scar
Em
Takes a drink from the bottle
C D
as he clutches the photo so tight
Em
People stare at him
D C
knowing he's losing his fight
G D
And he uttered the words, in desperation
Em C G
to offer his explanation
G D
of the man they see at the bar
[Chorus]
G D
You see an old soldier before you, I know,
Em D
but I'm not here you see,
G D
for my mind and my thoughts,
Em C
are far from this bar,
G D Em
in a place I would rather not be.
G D
You see an old soldier before you, I know,
Em D
but I'm not here you see,
G D
for my arms are holding my brother,
Em C
I hear his cry for his mother,
G D
I tell him he'll be home soon,
Em D
From a place he would rather not be.
G D Em D
[Verse 2]
Em C
Another sip of his beer, and a smile,
G D
as he thought of a better day,
Em C
with the family he belonged to,
G D
and the ones who are long gone
Em D
his memories still not faded away,
C D
The darkness has fallen,
G D
He longs for the morning
G D Em C
Too tired for his years to fight anymore,
C D Em
Darkness was the winner this day,
G D
As the walls closed round him,
C Em
He was heard to say
[Chorus]
G D
You see an old soldier before you, I know,
Em D
but I'm not here you see,
G D
for my mind and my thoughts,
Em C
are far from this bar,
G D
in a place I would rather not be,
G D
You see an old soldier before you, I know,
Em D
but I'm not here you see,
G D
I’m hearing bullets and screams,
Em C
They’re closing in all around me,
G D
So, I take cover with fear,
Em D
In a place he would rather not be.
G D Em D
[Verse 3]
Em
As he walks to the door,
C
he looks all around him,
G Em
and cries for the days before,
G D
He faces the window and sees and old man before him,
Em C
the young soldier no more...
G C
He stops for a moment, and faces,
Em D
the few looking at him,
G C
with their smiling faces,
Em D
and this is what he say's
[Chorus]
G D
You see an old soldier before you I know,
Em D
but I'm not here you see,
G D
for my mind and my thoughts,
Em C
are far from this bar,
G D
in a place I would rather not be.
G D
You see an old soldier before you, I know,
Em D
but I'm not here you see,
G D
I’m thinking of my bed,
Em C
Which is in a box on the street,
G D
In the cold with no shelter,
Em D
with no food to eat,
Em D
In a place I would rather not be.
[Outro]
G D
You see an old soldier before you I know,
Em D
and I'll be gone soon you'll see,
G D
for my mind is not what is was anymore, (what it used to be)
Em C
and my thoughts are escaping me, (removed “from”)
G D
soon I will draw my last breath,
Em D
in a place I would rather not be.