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The Gift Of Years

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Eric Bogle - The Gift of Years
From the album: Voices in the Wilderness (1990)
[Verse 1]
DWell, old friend, Ghere I am, I A7told you I'd be bDack
And as usual mate, I'm blGoody late; it's A775 years down the Dtrack
For the last time hGere I stand in tA7his familiar forDeign land
Back with the mates I lGeft behind, fixed foA7rever in their Dtime
[Verse 2]
ADnd all the ghosts, of aGll the boys who hA7aunt this lonely Dplace
Only one of them wears your cGheery grin & your QueA7ensland joker's fDace
But I drown in all the blGoody dreams of heA7lpless young men's dyiDng screams
I feel your hand give my Garm a shake & your A7voice say "steady, Dmate"
[Verse 3]
ADnd the country that you dGied for, mate, you woA7uld not know it Dnow
The future that we dreaGmed of, mate, got all A7twisted up someDhow
The peace that we were figGhting for, the eA7nd to stupid sensDeless war
So it couldn't hGappen to our kids A7- well old mate, it dDid
[Verse 4]
BDut thank you for the gGift of years & the A7flame that brightly Dburned
For the time you bought & the lesGsons taught, tho' often wA7asted & unDlearned
"Lest we forget" cry the mGultitudes, A7as if I ever Dever could
So forgive an old man's tGears, & thaA7nk you for the yeaDrs

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The Gift Of Years

by Eric Bogle

Lyrics & chords · Original key

Chords in this song · guitar

Eric Bogle - The Gift of Years

From the album: Voices in the Wilderness (1990)

[Verse 1]

D G A7 D

Well, old friend, here I am, I told you I'd be back

G A7 D

And as usual mate, I'm bloody late; it's 75 years down the track

G A7 D

For the last time here I stand in this familiar foreign land

G A7 D

Back with the mates I left behind, fixed forever in their time

[Verse 2]

D G A7 D

And all the ghosts, of all the boys who haunt this lonely place

G A7 D

Only one of them wears your cheery grin & your Queensland joker's face

G A7 D

But I drown in all the bloody dreams of helpless young men's dying screams

G A7 D

I feel your hand give my arm a shake & your voice say "steady, mate"

[Verse 3]

D G A7 D

And the country that you died for, mate, you would not know it now

G A7 D

The future that we dreamed of, mate, got all twisted up somehow

G A7 D

The peace that we were fighting for, the end to stupid senseless war

G A7 D

So it couldn't happen to our kids - well old mate, it did

[Verse 4]

D G A7 D

But thank you for the gift of years & the flame that brightly burned

G A7 D

For the time you bought & the lessons taught, tho' often wasted & unlearned

G A7 D

"Lest we forget" cry the multitudes, as if I ever ever could

G A7 D

So forgive an old man's tears, & thank you for the years

About The Gift Of Years Chords by Eric Bogle

Learn how to play The Gift Of Years by Eric Bogle with free guitar chords, lyrics, and interactive chord diagrams. Search for “The Gift Of Years chords”, “The Gift Of Years guitar chords”, or “Eric Bogle The Gift Of Years 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 The Gift Of Years chords and for experienced players who want accurate The Gift Of Years lyrics and chords in one place. Common chords in this song include D, G, A7.

FAQ — The Gift Of Years by Eric Bogle

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The chords for "The Gift Of Years" show the original chord names (including D, G, A7). Use transpose to move the song into any key that fits your voice or capo.