G                                               D
The first time it was fathers, the last time it was sons
    G                                 C                   D
And in between your husbands marched away with drums and guns
        G                                  C                 G
But you never thought to question you just went on with your lives
       C                                  Am        C          D   Dsus4 D
'Cause all they'd taught you who to be was mothers, daughters, wives 


[Verse 1]
   G                                          D
You barely just remember the tears your mother shed
      G                                  C                  D
As she sat and read the paper through the lists and lists of dead
       G                                   C                  G
And the gold frame held the photograph your mother kissed each night
       C                                      Am       C        D    Dsus4 D
And the door frame held the shocked and silent stranger from the fight 


[Verse 2]
   G                                               D
And twenty-one years later you had children of your own
   G                                   C                D
The trumpet sounded once again and the soldier boys were gone
       G                                               C              G
And you made their guns and drove their trucks and you tended to their wounds
   C                                      Am         C    D    Dsus4 D
At night you kissed their photographs and prayed for safe returns


[Chorus]
   G                                                D
The first time it was fathers, the last time it was sons
    G                                 C                   D
And in between your husbands marched away with drums and guns
      G                                    C                 G
But you never thought to question you just went on with your lives
      C                                    Am       C          D   Dsus4 D
'Cause all they'd taught you who to be was mothers, daughters, wives 


[Verse 3]
    G                                     D
And when it was all over you had to learn again
   G                                     C                D
To be just wives and mothers though you'd done the work of men
       G                                C             G
So you worked to help the needy and you never trod on toes
        C                                Am     C      D    Dsus4 D
And the photo on the mantelpiece struck a happy family pose


[Verse 4]
         G                                              D
But your daughters grew to women and your little boys to men
        G                                      C            D
And you wished that you were dreaming when the call-up came again
        G                                          C                 G
But you proudly smiled and held your tears as they proudly waved good bye
        C                             Am     C        D  Dsus4 D
But the photos on the mantelpieces it always made you cry


[Chorus] 
    G                                               D
The first time it was fathers, the last time it was sons
     G                                C                   D
And in between your husbands marched away with drums and guns
      G                                    C                 G
But you never thought to question you just went on with your lives
       C                                  Am        C          D   Dsus4 D
'Cause all they'd taught you who to be was mothers, daughters, wives


[Verse 5]
    G                                             D
And now your growing older and in time the photos fade
   G                           C             D
In widowhood you sit back and reflect on the parade
        G                                C                      G
And the passing of your memories as your daughters change their lives
       C                                 Am        C          D   Dsus4 D
Seeing more to their existences than just mothers, daughters, wives


[Chorus] 
   G                                                D
The first time it was fathers, the last time it was sons
     G                                C                   D
And in between your husbands marched away with drums and guns
      G                                    C                 G
But you never thought to question you just went on with your lives
       C                                  Am        C          D   Dsus4 D
'Cause all they'd taught you who to be was mothers, daughters, wives 

        G                                  C                 G
And you never thought to question you just went on with your lives 
       C                                  Am        D7          G  
'Cause all they'd taught you who to be was mothers, daughters, wives