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Universal Soldier

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Eminor

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[Intro]
|  C|  Am|  D|  D  
[Verse 1]
He is Cfive foot Dtwo, and he's Gsix feet Emfour,
he fCights with Dmissiles and with Gspears.
He's Call of thirtyD-one, and he's Gonly sevEmenteen.
Been a Csoldier for a thousand Amyears.D  
[Verse 2]
He's a CCatholic, a HDindu, an aGtheist, a JEmain,
a CBuddhist and a BDaptist and a JGew.
And he Cknows he shouldn't Dkill, and he Gknows he always wEmill,
killing for mCe my friend and Amme for yDou.
[Verse 3]
And he's fCighting for CDanada, he's fGighting for FrEmance.
He's fCighting for the DU.S.GA.,
and he's Cfighting for the DRussians, and he's fGighting for JEmapan,
and he tChinks we'll put an Amend to war this wDay.
[Verse 4]
And he's Cfighting for demDocracy, he's Gfighting for the EmReds.
He Csays it's for the pDeace of alGl.
He's the Cone who must decDide who's to Glive and who's to dEmie,
and he nCever sees the Amwriting on the wDall.
[Verse 5]
But withCout him, how would DHitler have condemGned him at LEmiebau,
without Chim Caesar wDould have stood alGone.
He's the oCne who gives his Dbody as a Gweapon of the wEmar,
and withCout him all this Amkilling can't go oDn.
[Verse 6]   
He's the uCniversal soldiDer and he reaGlly is to blaEmme,
his ordCers come from fDar away, no mGore.
They come from heCre and there, and yDou and me,
and bGrothers, can't you Emsee,
this is nCot the way we Amput the end to Dwar.

All chords in this song (5)

The story behind the song

"Universal Soldier" delves into the personal accountability for war, highlighting how each individual soldier, regardless of their cause or stature, plays a part in perpetuating conflict. Written by Buffy Sainte-Marie in the early sixties, the song suggests that the "old feudal thinking" of blindly following orders is what ultimately leads to destruction. Donovan's cover in 1965 brought this powerful message to a wider audience, as it speaks to the idea that fighting for democracy or for "the Reds" ultimately leads to the same outcome. At its heart, the song is a plea for recognizing the shared human element in all soldiers and understanding that war itself is not the path to peace.

AI-written from these sources:Universal Soldier (song) — Wikipedia ↗Donovan — Wikipedia ↗

Story time

Universal Soldier

Universal Soldier

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Universal Soldier

by Donovan

Lyrics & chords · Original key

Chords in this song · guitar

[Intro]

C Am D D

| | | |

[Verse 1]

C D G Em

He is five foot two, and he's six feet four,

C D G

he fights with missiles and with spears.

C D G Em

He's all of thirty-one, and he's only seventeen.

C Am D

Been a soldier for a thousand years.

[Verse 2]

C D G Em

He's a Catholic, a Hindu, an atheist, a Jain,

C D G

a Buddhist and a Baptist and a Jew.

C D G Em

And he knows he shouldn't kill, and he knows he always will,

C Am D

killing for me my friend and me for you.

[Verse 3]

C D G Em

And he's fighting for Canada, he's fighting for France.

C D G

He's fighting for the U.S.A.,

C D G Em

and he's fighting for the Russians, and he's fighting for Japan,

C Am D

and he thinks we'll put an end to war this way.

[Verse 4]

C D G Em

And he's fighting for democracy, he's fighting for the Reds.

C D G

He says it's for the peace of all.

C D G Em

He's the one who must decide who's to live and who's to die,

C Am D

and he never sees the writing on the wall.

[Verse 5]

C D G Em

But without him, how would Hitler have condemned him at Liebau,

C D G

without him Caesar would have stood alone.

C D G Em

He's the one who gives his body as a weapon of the war,

C Am D

and without him all this killing can't go on.

[Verse 6]

C D G Em

He's the universal soldier and he really is to blame,

C D G

his orders come from far away, no more.

C D

They come from here and there, and you and me,

G Em

and brothers, can't you see,

C Am D

this is not the way we put the end to war.

About Universal Soldier Chords by Donovan

Learn how to play Universal Soldier by Donovan with free guitar chords, lyrics, and interactive chord diagrams. Search for “Universal Soldier chords”, “Universal Soldier guitar chords”, or “Donovan Universal Soldier chords” and you will find this page — transpose to any key, tap chords for diagrams, and use auto-scroll while you play. Perfect for beginners looking for easy Universal Soldier chords and for experienced players who want accurate Universal Soldier lyrics and chords in one place. Common chords in this song include C, Am, D, G, Em, A.

FAQ — Universal Soldier by Donovan

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Yes. Tap any chord in "Universal Soldier" to instantly see an interactive guitar chord diagram with alternate fingerings.

Is "Universal Soldier" easy to play on guitar?

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What key is "Universal Soldier" in?

The chords for "Universal Soldier" show the original chord names (including C, Am, D, G, Em, A). Use transpose to move the song into any key that fits your voice or capo.