Intro:

|     A     |     A     |     A     |     A     |

A

I think, sir, the battle is over;

                                                          E7

And the young soldier lay down his gun.

I'm tired of running for cover;

                                     A

I'm certain the battle is done.

        D                                    A

O'er sea over there where we fought them

      E7                                      A

It's quiet, for they've all gone away.

All left is the dead and the dyin',

       E7                               A

the blue lyin' long side the grave.

Interlude:

|     G     |     G     |     G     |     G     |

      G

So, you think the battle is over,

                                              D7

and you even lay down your gun.

You carelessly rise from your cover,

                                       G

for you think the battle is done.

         C                                  G

Now, boy, hit the dirt, listen to me,

     D7                               G        D7

for I'm still the one in command.

       G

Get flat on the ground here beside me

       D7                       G

and lay your ear to the sand.

Interlude

|     A     |     A     |     A     |     A     |

       A

Can you here the deafening rumble?

                                           E7

Can you feel the trembling ground?

It's just the horses and wagons

                                         A

that make such deafening sound.

      D                                  A

For ev'ry shot fired had an echo

      E7                                   A      E7

and ev'ry man killed wanted life.

A

There lies your friend, Jim McKinney.

       E7                                   A

Can you take the news to his wife?

Interlude

|     G     |     G     |     G     |     G     |

G

No, son, the battle's not over;

                                  D7

the battle has only begun.

The rest of the battle will cover

                                                 G

the part that has blackened the sun.

       C                                         G

The fight yet to come's not with cannons,

       D7                                  G       D7

Nor will the fight be hand to hand.

G                     

No one will regroup the forces;

      D7                                  G

No charge will a gen'ral command.

Interlude

|     A     |     A     |     A     |     A     |

       A

The battle will rage in the bosom

                                                E7

of mother and sweetheart and wife.

Brother and sister and daughter

                                               A

will grieve for the rest of their lives.

          D                              A

Now, quiet, rise from your cover.

      E7                                   A       E7

Be thankful that God let you live,

    A

to go fight the rest of the battle

      E7                                            A

for those who gave all they could give.

Interlude

|     G     |     G     |     G     |     G     |

  G

I see, sir, the battle's not over;

                                  D7

the battle has only begun.

The rest of the battle will cover

                                                G

this part that has blackened the sun.

       C                                             G

For though there's no sound of the cannon,

       D7                                            G       D7

and though there's no smoke in the sky,

      G

I'm droppin' my gun and the saber,

       D                           G

and ready for battle am I.