The Captain Leonard Cohen
Intro
[C] [G] [F] [C]
Now the [C]Captain called me [G]to his bed
He f[F]umbled for my h[C]and
"T[F]ake these silver b[C]ars," he said
"I'm g[G]iving you co[C]mmand "
"Com[C]mand of what, there's [C7]no one here
There's o[F]nly you and [C]me
All the r[G]est are dead or in retreat
Or w[F]ith the e[C]nemy "
"Complain, complain, that's all you've done
Ever since we lost
If it's not the Crucifixion
Then it's the Holocaust "
"May Christ have mercy on your soul
For making such a joke
Amid these hearts that burn like coal
And the flesh that rose like smoke "
"I know that you have suffered, lad
But suffer this awhile
Whatever makes a soldier sad
Will make a killer smile "
"I'm leaving, Captain, I've got to go
There's blood upon your hand
But tell me, Captain, if you know
Of a decent place to stand "
"There is no decent place to stand
In a massacre
But if a woman take your hand
Then go and stand with her "
"I left a wife in Tennessee
And a baby in Saigon
I risked my life but not to hear
Some country-western song "
"Ah, but if you cannot raise your love
To a very high degree
Then you're just the man I've been thinking of
So come and stand with me "
"Your standing days are done," I cried,
"You'll rally me no more
I don't even know what side
We fought on, or what for "
"I'm on the side that's always lost
Against the side of Heaven
I'm on the side of Snake-eyes tossed
Against the side of Seven
And I've read the Bill of Human Rights
And some of it was true
But there wasn't any burden left
So I'm laying it on you "
Now the C[C]aptain he was d[G]ying
But the C[F]aptain wasn't h[C]urt
The s[F]ilver bars were [C]in my hand
I pi[G]nned them to my sh[C]irt
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