F F C F
F F C F
C C F F
F C C F


[Verse 1]
F
'Twas with a heart of leaden woe
F    C                   F
Poor Alphonze went to war;
F
And though it's true he did not know
F    C               F
What he was fighting for
F  Bb
He grieved because unto Marie
Bb   F
He'd been but three weeks wed:
F
Tough luck! Another three and he
F   C               F
Was listed with the dead


[Instrumental--Harmonica]
F  F  C  F


[Verse 2]
F
Marie was free if she would fain
F       C
Another spouse to choose;
F
But if she dared to wed again
F   C
Her pension she would lose
F   Bb
And so to mourn she did prefer
Bb  F
Amd widow to remain
F
Like many dames whose husbands were
C
Accounted with the slain


[Instrumental-Harmonica]
F  F  C  F
F  F  C  F


[Verse 3]
F
Yet she was made for motherhood
F    C              F
With hips and belly broad
F
And should have born a bonny brood
F  C                F
To render thanks to God
F   Bb
Ah! If with valour Alphonze hadn't
F
Fallen in the fray
F
Proud Marie would have been a glad
F     C
Great grandmother today


[Instrumental-Harmonica]
F  F  C  F


[Verse 4]
F
Yet maybe it is just as well
F   C                F
Ghe has not bred her kind;
F
The ranks of unemployment swell
F   C                 F
And flats are hard to find
F   Bb
For every year the human race
F
Richly we see increase
F
And wonder how they'll find a place
F     C                   F
Well, that's the curse of Peace


[Instrumental-Harmonica]
F  F  C  F


[Verse 5]
F
So let us hail the gods of war
F    C            F
With joy and jubilation
F
Who favour foolish mankind for
F    C              F
They prune the population;
F   Bb
And let us thank the hungry guns
F
Forever belching doom
F
That slaughter bloodily our sons
F  C             F
To give us elbow room