Текст песни с аккордами
Вступление
Jean Desprez by Country Joe McDonald
Vinyl Album: War! War! War! Vanguard Records
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMCBOXTPOVo&list=RDxMCBOXTPOVo&start_radio=1
Poem by Robert W. Service 1916
Music by Country Joe McDonald 1971
Capo 2
Key: D
[Intro]
D D E E
G G D Dsus D
[Verse 1]
D E
Oh, ye whose hearts are resonant, and ring to War's romance
E G D Dsus D
Hear ye the story of a boy, a peasant boy of France
D E
A lad uncouth and warped with toil, yet who, when trial came
E D
Could feel within his soul upleap and soar the sacred flame;
D G D
Could stand upright, and scorn and smite, as only heroes may:
D E D Dsus D Dsus D
Oh, hearken! Let me try to tell the tale of Jean Desprez
[Verse 2]
D E
With fire and sword the Teuton horde was ravaging the land
E G D
And there was darkness and despair, grim death on every hand;
D E
Red fields of slaughter sloping down to ruin's black abyss;
E G D
The wolves of war ran evil-fanged, and little did they miss
D E
And on they came with fear and flame, to burn and loot and slay
E D D Dsus D
Until they reached the red-roofed croft, the home of Jean Desprez
[Verse 3]
D E
"Rout out the village one and all!" the Uhlan Captain said
E D
"Behold! Some hand has fired a shot. My trumpeter is dead
D E
Now shall they Prussian vengeance know; now shall they rue the day
E G A D E D
For by this sacred German slain, ten of these dogs shall pay."
D E
They drove the cowering peasants forth, women and babes and men
E G A D
And from the last, with many a jeer the Captain chose he ten
D G D
Ten simple peasants, bowed with toil, they stood, they knew not why
E D G D
Against the grey wall of the church, hearing their children cry;
G D
Hearing their wives and mothers wail, with faces dazed they stood
E G D
A moment only ... Ready! Fire! They weltered in their blood
[Instrumental]
D D E E
G A D G
D Dsus D D
[Verse 4]
D E
But there was one who gazed unseen, who heard the frenzied cries
E A D G D
Who saw these men in sabots fall before their children's eyes;
D E
A Zouave wounded in a ditch, and knowing death was nigh
E G A D Dsus D
He laughed with joy: "Ah! here is where I settle ere I die."
D E
He clutched his rifle once again, and long he aimed and well ...
E G A D G D Dsus D
A shot! Beside his victims ten the Uhlan Captain fell
D E
They dragged the wounded Zouave out; their rage was like a flame
E G A D G D
With bayonets they pinned him down, until their Major came
D G D
A blond, full-blooded man he was, and arrogant of eye;
D E D G D
He stared to see with shattered skull his favorite Captain lie
D G D
"Nay do not finish him so quick, this foreign swine," he cried;
D E G D G D
"Go nail him to the big church door: he shall be crucified."
[Instrumental]
G G D D
E G D Dsus
D
[Verse 5]
E D E
With bayonets through hands and feet they nailed the Zouave there
E G A D G D
And there was anguish in his eyes, and horror in his stare;
G D
"Water! A single drop!" he moaned, but how they jeered at him
E A D G D
And mocked him with an empty cup, and saw his sight grow dim;
D G D A D
And as in agony of death with blood his lips were wet
D E G D G D Dsus D
The Prussian Major gaily laughed, and lit a cigarette
[Verse 6]
D E
But mid the white-faced villagers who cowered in horror by
D E G D G D
Was one who saw the woeful sight, who heard the woeful cry:
G D G D
"Water! One little drop, I beg! For love of Christ who died ..."
D E D G D
It was the little Jean Desprez who turned and stole aside;
D E
It was the little barefoot boy who came with cup abrim
E G D G D
And walked up to the dying man, and gave the drink to him
[Verse 7]
D E
A roar of rage! They seize the boy; they tear him fast away
E G D G D
The Prussian Major swings around; no longer is he gay
D E
His teeth are wolfishly agleam; his face all dark with spite:
E G A D G D
"Go shoot the brat," he snarls, "that dare defy our Prussian might
D E
Yet stay! I have another thought. I'll kindly be, and spare;
E G A D G D
Quick! give the lad a rifle charged, and set him squarely there
D E D
And bid him shoot, and shoot to kill. Haste! make him understand
E G D G D
The dying dog he fain would save shall perish by his hand
D G D G D
And all his kindred they shall see, and all shall curse his name
E G D G D D Dsus2 D Dsus2 D
Who bought his life at such a cost, the price of death and shame."
[Verse 8]
D E
They brought the boy, wild-eyed with fear; they made him understand;
E G A D G D
They stood him by the dying man, a rifle in his hand
D E
"Make haste!" said they, "the time is short, and you must kill or die."
E G D G D
The Major puffed his cigarette, amusement in his eye
E G D
And then the dying Zouave heard, and raised his weary head:
E G D G D
"Shoot, son, 'twill be the best for both; shoot swift and straight," he said
D G D G D
"Fire first and last, and do not flinch; for lost of hope am I;
D E G D G D D Dsus D
And I will murmur: Vive La France! and bless you ere I die."
[Verse 9]
D E
Half-blind with blows the boy stood there, he seemed to swoon and sway;
E G A D G D
Then in that moment woke the soul of little Jean Desprez
D E
He saw the woods go sheening down, the larks were singing clear;
E G A D G D
And oh! the scents and sounds of spring, how sweet they were! how dear!
D G D G D
He felt the scent of new mown hay, a soft breeze fanned his brow;
E G D G D
O God! the paths of peace and toil! How precious were they now
[Verse 10]
G D G D
The summer days and summer ways, how bright with hope and bliss!
E G D G D
The autumn such a dream of gold ... and all must stand in this:
D E
This shining rifle in his hand, that shambles all around;
E G D G D
The Zouave there with a dying glare; the blood upon the ground;
D G D G D
The brutal faces round him ringed, the evil eyes aflame;
D E G D G D
That Prussian bully standing by, as if he watched a game
D G D
"Make haste and shoot," the Major sneered; "a minute more I give;
D E G D G D
A minute more to kill your friend, if you yourself would live."
[Instrumental]
G G D Dsus2 D Dsus2 D
G G A Asus A Asus A
A
[Verse 11]
D E
They only saw a bare-foot boy, with blanched and twitching face;
E G D G D
They did not see within his eyes the glory of his race;
D
The glory of a million men who for fair France have died
G A D G D
The splendor of self-sacrifice that will not be denied
G D
Yet ... he was but a peasant lad, and oh! but life was sweet ...
E G D G D
"Your minute's nearly gone, my lad," he heard a voice repeat
G D
"Shoot! Shoot!" the dying Zouave moaned; "Shoot! Shoot!" the soldiers said
D E G D G D D Dsus D Dsus D
Then Jean Desprez reached out and shot ... the Prussian Major dead!
Видео клип
Основные табулатуры аккордов, бой
