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G G D Dsus D


[Verse 1]
D                                     E
Oh, ye whose hearts are resonant, and ring to War's romance
E    G            A         D         Dsus2   D
Hear ye the story of a boy, a peasant boy of France
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A lad uncouth and warped with toil, yet who, when trial came
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Could feel within his soul upleap and soar the sacred flame;
D                                            E
Could stand upright, and scorn and smite, as only heroes may:
E   G               A               D       Dsus2 D      Dsus2  D
Oh, hearken! Let me try to tell the tale of Jean Desprez


[Verse 2]
D                                        E
With fire and sword the Teuton horde was ravaging the land
E   G                               D
And there was darkness and despair, grim death on every hand;
D                                       E
Red fields of slaughter sloping down to ruin's black abyss;
E   G                 A                D
The wolves of war ran evil-fanged, and little did they miss
D                                        E
And on they came with fear and flame, to burn and loot and slay
E     G                                      D       G       D   Dsus D
Until they reached the red-roofed croft, the home of Jean Desprez


[Verse 3]
D                                       E
"Rout out the village one and all!" the Uhlan Captain said
E   G                                   D
"Behold! Some hand has fired a shot. My trumpeter is dead
D                                           E
Now shall they Prussian vengeance know; now shall they rue the day
E   G              A             D            G          D
For by this sacred German slain, ten of these dogs shall pay."
D                                       E
They drove the cowering peasants forth, women and babes and men
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And from the last, with many a jeer the Captain chose he ten
D   G                                      D
Ten simple peasants, bowed with toil, they stood, they knew not why
E                                    D             G        D
Against the grey wall of the church, hearing their children cry;
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Hearing their wives and mothers wail, with faces dazed they stood
E                 G                 D
A moment only ... Ready! Fire! They weltered in their blood


[Instrumental]
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G  A    D  G
D  Dsus D  D


[Verse 4]
D                                       E
But there was one who gazed unseen, who heard the frenzied cries
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Who saw these men in sabots fall before their children's eyes;
D                                E
A Zouave wounded in a ditch, and knowing death was nigh
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He laughed with joy: "Ah! here is where I settle ere I die."
D                                     E
He clutched his rifle once again, and long he aimed and well ...
E G                A               D     G       D    Dsus D
A shot! Beside his victims ten the Uhlan Captain fell
D                                          E
They dragged the wounded Zouave out; their rage was like a flame
E    G             A                  D         G     D
With bayonets they pinned him down, until their Major came
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A blond, full-blooded man he was, and arrogant of eye;
D  E                                      D        G       D
He stared to see with shattered skull his favorite Captain lie
D    G                                D
"Nay do not finish him so quick, this foreign swine," he cried;
D   E               G               D            G    D
"Go nail him to the big church door: he shall be crucified."


[Instrumental]
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E  G  D  Dsus
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[Verse 5]
E    D                                    E
With bayonets through hands and feet they nailed the Zouave there
E   G                 A                D      G      D
And there was anguish in his eyes, and horror in his stare;
G                                      D
"Water! A single drop!" he moaned, but how they jeered at him
E                      A              D       G          D
And mocked him with an empty cup, and saw his sight grow dim;
D   G                         D         A         D
And as in agony of death with blood his lips were wet
D   E              G                  D     G    D   Dsus  D
The Prussian Major gaily laughed, and lit a cigarette


[Verse 6]
D                                     E
But mid the white-faced villagers who cowered in horror by
D   E               G                 D         G      D
Was one who saw the woeful sight, who heard the woeful cry:
G                                   D       G          D
"Water! One little drop, I beg! For love of Christ who died ..."
D  E                               D          G     D
It was the little Jean Desprez who turned and stole aside;
D                                  E
It was the little barefoot boy who came with cup abrim
E   G                               D        G        D
And walked up to the dying man, and gave the drink to him


[Verse 7]
D                                        E
A roar of rage! They seize the boy; they tear him fast away
E   G                                D      G     D
The Prussian Major swings around; no longer is he gay
D                                   E
His teeth are wolfishly agleam; his face all dark with spite:
E   G                   A                  D        G        D
"Go shoot the brat," he snarls, "that dare defy our Prussian might
D                                      E
Yet stay! I have another thought. I'll kindly be, and spare;
E      G              A                  D       G        D
Quick! give the lad a rifle charged, and set him squarely there
D   E                                        D
And bid him shoot, and shoot to kill. Haste! make him understand
E                G                     D      G      D
The dying dog he fain would save shall perish by his hand
D   G                                   D         G         D
And all his kindred they shall see, and all shall curse his name
E                      G                D        G         D      D  Dsus2 D  Dsus2 D
Who bought his life at such a cost, the price of death and shame."


[Verse 8]
D                                               E
They brought the boy, wild-eyed with fear; they made him understand;
E    G                A            D     G      D
They stood him by the dying man, a rifle in his hand
D                                                E
"Make haste!" said they, "the time is short, and you must kill or die."
E   G                           D         G      D
The Major puffed his cigarette, amusement in his eye
E   G                                D
And then the dying Zouave heard, and raised his weary head:
E                          G                    D         G             D
"Shoot, son, 'twill be the best for both; shoot swift and straight," he said
D     G                                      D       G       D
"Fire first and last, and do not flinch; for lost of hope am I;
D   E              G                   D         G     D     D Dsus2 D
And I will murmur: Vive La France! and bless you ere I die."


[Verse 9]
D                                             E
Half-blind with blows the boy stood there, he seemed to swoon and sway;
E    G              A                D      G    D
Then in that moment woke the soul of little Jean Desprez
D                                      E
He saw the woods go sheening down, the larks were singing clear;
E   G                  A                     D          G         D
And oh! the scents and sounds of spring, how sweet they were! how dear!
D  G                                 D           G          D
He felt the scent of new mown hay, a soft breeze fanned his brow;
E                   G                   D        G         D
O God! the paths of peace and toil! How precious were they now


[Verse 10]
G                                    D           G        D
The summer days and summer ways, how bright with hope and bliss!
E                 G                     D        G        D
The autumn such a dream of gold ... and all must stand in this:
D                                    E
This shining rifle in his hand, that shambles all around;
E   G                                    D     G        D
The Zouave there with a dying glare; the blood upon the ground;
D   G                                  D    G     D
The brutal faces round him ringed, the evil eyes aflame;
D    E              G               D     G         D
That Prussian bully standing by, as if he watched a game
D     G                                       D
"Make haste and shoot," the Major sneered; "a minute more I give;
D E              G                    D   G              D
A minute more to kill your friend, if you yourself would live."


[Instrumental]
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G  G  A  Asus  A Asus  A
A


[Verse 11]
D                                   E
They only saw a bare-foot boy, with blanched and twitching face;
E    G                               D     G      D
They did not see within his eyes the glory of his race;
D                                   
The glory of a million men who for fair France have died
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The splendor of self-sacrifice that will not be denied
G                                     D
Yet ... he was but a peasant lad, and oh! but life was sweet ...
E                     G                 D       G     D
"Your minute's nearly gone, my lad," he heard a voice repeat
G                                        D
"Shoot! Shoot!" the dying Zouave moaned; "Shoot! Shoot!" the soldiers said
D    E                    G                    D        G     D    D Dsus2 D  Dsus2 D
Then Jean Desprez reached out and shot ... the Prussian Major dead!