Mothers Daughters Wives

	  		 


 
    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 


 
   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 

  
    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 

  
   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        C          D   Dsus4 D 
'Cause all they'd taught you who to be was mothers, daughters, wives