(No capo)
C G
There was a decorated general with a heart of gold
Dm Am
That likened him to all the stories he told
F C
Of past battles, won and lost and legends of old
G
A seasoned veteran in his own time
C G
On the battlefield, he gained respectable fame
Dm Am
With many medals of bravery and stripes to his name
F
He grew a beard as soon as he could
C G
To cover the scars on his face and always urged his men on
C G
But on the eve of a great battle with the infantry in dream
Dm Am
The old general tossed in his sleep and wrestled with its meaning
F C
He awoke from the night to tell what he had seen
G
And walked slowly out of his tent
All the men held tall with their chests in the air
With courage in their blood and a fire in their stare
It was a gray morning and they all wondered how they would fare
The old general told them to go home
He said, "I have seen the others and I have discovered
That this fight is not worth fighting
Oh and I've seen their mothers
And I will no other to follow me where I'm going"
So take a shower and shine your shoes you got no time to lose
You are young men you must be living, yeah
Take a shower and shine your shoes you got no time to lose
You are young men you must be living, go now you are forgiven
I just copied another version, but i tweaked the chord progression a bit
Yeah and the men stood fast with their guns on their shoulders
Not knowing what to do with the contradicting orders
The general said, he would do his own duty but he would
Extend it no further the men could go as they pleased
But not a man moved, their eyes gazed straight ahead
Till one by one they stepped back and not a word was said
And the old general was left with his
Own words echoing in his head, he then prepared to fight
He said, "I have seen the others and I have discovered
That this fight is not worth fighting
Oh and I've seen their mothers
And I will no other to follow me where I'm going"
So take a shower and shine your shoes you got no time to lose
You are young men you must be living, yeah
Take a shower and shine your shoes you got no time to lose
You are young men you must be living, go now you are forgiven