Men Behind The Guns Lyrics - Phil Ochs

Men Behind The Guns
Dm
Let's drink a toast to the admiral
Dm
and here's to the captain bold
AmD
and glory more for the commodore
F
when the deeds of might are told
Dm
They stand to the deck with the battle's wreck
Dm
when the great shells roar and pound
AmD
and never they fear when the foe is nea
F
to lay their orders down-
FD
But off with your hats and three times thre
F
for every sailor's son
Dm
for the men below who fight the foe
F
the men behind the guns
AmD
oh, the men behind the guns
Their hearts a-pounding heavy whe
they swing to port once more -
with never enough of the greenback stuff
they start for the leave ashore
And you'd think perhaps the blue-blouse chap
had better clothes to wear
for the uniforms of officer
could hardly be compared
Warriors bold with straps of gol
that dazzle like the su
outshine the common sailor boys
the lads who serve the guns
oh, the men behind the guns
Say not a word till the shot is hear
that tells the fight is on
and the angry sound of another roun
that says there must be (God? gone??
Over the deep and the deadly sweep
the fire and the bursting shell
where the very air is a mad despair
the throes of a living hell
But down and deep in a mighty shi
unseen by the midday su
you'll find the boys who make the noise
the lads who serve the guns
oh, the men behind the guns
And well they know the cyclone blo
loose from the cannon's steel
The know the hull of the enemy shi
will quiver with the (peal?)
And the decks will rock with the lightning shoc
and shake with the great recoi
while the sea grows red with the blood of the dea
and swallows up her spoil
But not until the final shi
has made her final ru
can we give their rest to the very best
to the lads who serve the guns -
oh, the men behind the guns
Let's drink a toast to the admiral
and here's to the captain bold
and glory more for the commodore
when the deeds of might are told
They stand to the deck with the battle's wreck
when the great shells roar and pound
and never they fear when the foe is nea
to lay their orders down-
But off with your hats and three times thre
for every sailor's son
for the men below who fight the foe
the men behind the guns
oh, the man behind the gun.