Lyndon Johnson Told the Nation Chords by Tom Paxton
Tempo:
120.55 bpm
Chords used:
Bm
F#
Em
D
B
Tuning:Standard Tuning (EADGBE)Capo:+0fret
Start Jamming...
[B] [Bm] [Em]
[B] [F#m] [Bm] [F#]
[Bm] I got a letter from LBJ, [E] it said this is your lucky day, [Bm] it's time to put [F#] your khaki [Bm] trousers on.
[F#] [F#m]
[Bm] Though it may seem very queer, [Em] we've got no job to give you here, [Bm] so we are sending [F#] you [F#m] to [Bm] Vietnam.
[G] [D] Lyndon Johnson told the nation, [E] have no fear [Bm] of escalation, I am [F#m] trying everyone [Bm] to please.
[B]
[G] Though it [D] isn't really war, [E] we're sending [Bm] 50,000 more to help save [F#m] Vietnam from [Bm] Vietnamese.
[F#]
[Bm] I jumped off the old troop ship [Em] and sank in mud up to my hips, [Bm] I cussed until [F#] the captain called [B] me down.
[F#m]
[Bm] Never mind how hard it's [Em] raining, think of all the ground we're [Bm] gaining, just don't take [F#] one step outside [Bm] of town.
[G] Lyndon [D] Johnson told the [E] nation, have no [Bm] fear of escalation, I am [F#] trying everyone [B] to please.
[G] Though it [D] isn't really war, [Em] we're sending [Bm] 50,000 more to help save [F#] Vietnam from [Bm] Vietnamese.
[F#]
[Bm] [F#] [Bm] Every night the local [Em] gentry slip out [D] past the sleeping sentry, they go out [F#] to join the old [Bm] VC.
[F#] [Bm] In their nightly little dramas, [E] they put on their black [Bm] pajamas and come [F#] lobbing mortar shells [Bm] at me.
[G] But Lyndon [D] Johnson told the [Em] nation, have no fear [Bm] of escalation, I am [F#m] trying everyone [Bm] to please.
[B] [G] Though it [D] isn't really war, [Em] we're sending [Bm] 50,000 more to help save [F#] Vietnam [A] from [Bm] Vietnamese.
[F#] [Bm] [F#]
[Bm] We'd go around in [E] helicopters like a bunch of big [Bm] grasshoppers searching [F#] for the Viet [Bm] Cong in vain.
[F#]
[Bm] They left a note that they had [Em] gone, had to get down to [Bm] Saigon, their government [F#m] positions [Bm] to maintain.
[G] And Lyndon [D] Johnson [D#] told the [Em] nation, have no [Bm] fear of escalation, I am [F#] trying [B] everyone to please.
[G] Though [D] it isn't really [E] war, we're sending [Bm] 50,000 more to help save [F#] Vietnam from [B] Vietnamese.
[F#]
[Bm] [F#] [Bm] Well here I sit in this rice [E] paddy wondering about Big [Bm] Daddy and I [F#] know that Lyndon [B] loves me [F#] so.
[Bm] Yet how sadly I [Em] remember way back yonder in [Bm] November when he [F#] said I'd never [Bm] have to go.
[G] But Lyndon [D] Johnson told the [E] nation, have no [Bm] fear of escalation, I am [F#] trying [Bm] everyone to [B] please.
[G] Though [D] it isn't really [E] war, we're sending [Bm] 50,000 more to help [F#m] save Vietnam from [Bm] Vietnamese.
[B] [F#m] [Bm] [F#]
[Bm] I got a letter from LBJ, [E] it said this is your lucky day, [Bm] it's time to put [F#] your khaki [Bm] trousers on.
[F#] [F#m]
[Bm] Though it may seem very queer, [Em] we've got no job to give you here, [Bm] so we are sending [F#] you [F#m] to [Bm] Vietnam.
[G] [D] Lyndon Johnson told the nation, [E] have no fear [Bm] of escalation, I am [F#m] trying everyone [Bm] to please.
[B]
[G] Though it [D] isn't really war, [E] we're sending [Bm] 50,000 more to help save [F#m] Vietnam from [Bm] Vietnamese.
[F#]
[Bm] I jumped off the old troop ship [Em] and sank in mud up to my hips, [Bm] I cussed until [F#] the captain called [B] me down.
[F#m]
[Bm] Never mind how hard it's [Em] raining, think of all the ground we're [Bm] gaining, just don't take [F#] one step outside [Bm] of town.
[G] Lyndon [D] Johnson told the [E] nation, have no [Bm] fear of escalation, I am [F#] trying everyone [B] to please.
[G] Though it [D] isn't really war, [Em] we're sending [Bm] 50,000 more to help save [F#] Vietnam from [Bm] Vietnamese.
[F#]
[Bm] [F#] [Bm] Every night the local [Em] gentry slip out [D] past the sleeping sentry, they go out [F#] to join the old [Bm] VC.
[F#] [Bm] In their nightly little dramas, [E] they put on their black [Bm] pajamas and come [F#] lobbing mortar shells [Bm] at me.
[G] But Lyndon [D] Johnson told the [Em] nation, have no fear [Bm] of escalation, I am [F#m] trying everyone [Bm] to please.
[B] [G] Though it [D] isn't really war, [Em] we're sending [Bm] 50,000 more to help save [F#] Vietnam [A] from [Bm] Vietnamese.
[F#] [Bm] [F#]
[Bm] We'd go around in [E] helicopters like a bunch of big [Bm] grasshoppers searching [F#] for the Viet [Bm] Cong in vain.
[F#]
[Bm] They left a note that they had [Em] gone, had to get down to [Bm] Saigon, their government [F#m] positions [Bm] to maintain.
[G] And Lyndon [D] Johnson [D#] told the [Em] nation, have no [Bm] fear of escalation, I am [F#] trying [B] everyone to please.
[G] Though [D] it isn't really [E] war, we're sending [Bm] 50,000 more to help save [F#] Vietnam from [B] Vietnamese.
[F#]
[Bm] [F#] [Bm] Well here I sit in this rice [E] paddy wondering about Big [Bm] Daddy and I [F#] know that Lyndon [B] loves me [F#] so.
[Bm] Yet how sadly I [Em] remember way back yonder in [Bm] November when he [F#] said I'd never [Bm] have to go.
[G] But Lyndon [D] Johnson told the [E] nation, have no [Bm] fear of escalation, I am [F#] trying [Bm] everyone to [B] please.
[G] Though [D] it isn't really [E] war, we're sending [Bm] 50,000 more to help [F#m] save Vietnam from [Bm] Vietnamese.
Key:
Bm
F#
Em
D
B
Bm
F#
Em
[B] _ [Bm] _ _ _ [Em] _ _ _ _
[B] _ _ [F#m] _ _ [Bm] _ _ [F#] _
[Bm] I got a letter from LBJ, [E] it said this is your lucky day, [Bm] it's time to put [F#] your khaki [Bm] trousers on.
[F#] _ [F#m]
[Bm] Though it may seem very queer, [Em] we've got no job to give you here, [Bm] so we are sending [F#] you [F#m] to [Bm] Vietnam. _ _ _
[G] [D] Lyndon Johnson told the nation, [E] have no fear [Bm] of escalation, I am [F#m] trying everyone [Bm] to please.
[B] _
[G] Though it [D] isn't really war, [E] we're sending [Bm] 50,000 more to help save [F#m] Vietnam from [Bm] Vietnamese.
_ [F#] _
[Bm] I jumped off the old troop ship [Em] and sank in mud up to my hips, [Bm] I cussed until [F#] the captain called [B] me down.
[F#m] _ _
[Bm] Never mind how hard it's [Em] raining, think of all the ground we're [Bm] gaining, just don't take [F#] one step outside [Bm] of town. _ _
[G] Lyndon [D] Johnson told the [E] nation, have no [Bm] fear of escalation, I am [F#] trying everyone [B] to please. _ _
[G] Though it [D] isn't really war, [Em] we're sending [Bm] 50,000 more to help save [F#] Vietnam from [Bm] Vietnamese.
[F#] _ _
[Bm] _ _ [F#] _ _ [Bm] Every night the local [Em] gentry slip out [D] past the sleeping sentry, they go out [F#] to join the old [Bm] VC.
_ [F#] _ [Bm] In their nightly little dramas, [E] they put on their black [Bm] pajamas and come [F#] lobbing mortar shells [Bm] at me.
_ [G] But Lyndon [D] Johnson told the [Em] nation, have no fear [Bm] of escalation, I am [F#m] trying everyone [Bm] to please.
[B] _ _ [G] Though it [D] isn't really war, [Em] we're sending [Bm] 50,000 more to help save [F#] Vietnam [A] from [Bm] Vietnamese.
_ [F#] _ _ [Bm] _ _ [F#] _ _
[Bm] We'd go around in [E] helicopters like a bunch of big [Bm] grasshoppers searching [F#] for the Viet [Bm] Cong in vain.
[F#] _
[Bm] They left a note that they had [Em] gone, had to get down to [Bm] Saigon, their government [F#m] positions [Bm] to maintain. _
[G] And Lyndon [D] Johnson [D#] told the [Em] nation, have no [Bm] fear of escalation, I am [F#] trying [B] everyone to please. _ _
[G] Though [D] it isn't really [E] war, we're sending [Bm] 50,000 more to help save [F#] Vietnam from [B] Vietnamese.
[F#] _ _
[Bm] _ _ [F#] _ [Bm] Well here I sit in this rice [E] paddy wondering about Big [Bm] Daddy and I [F#] know that Lyndon [B] loves me [F#] so.
_ [Bm] Yet how sadly I [Em] remember way back yonder in [Bm] November when he [F#] said I'd never [Bm] have to go.
[G] But Lyndon [D] Johnson told the [E] nation, have no [Bm] fear of escalation, I am [F#] trying [Bm] everyone to _ [B] please.
[G] Though [D] it isn't really [E] war, we're sending [Bm] 50,000 more to help [F#m] save Vietnam from [Bm] Vietnamese. _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
[B] _ _ [F#m] _ _ [Bm] _ _ [F#] _
[Bm] I got a letter from LBJ, [E] it said this is your lucky day, [Bm] it's time to put [F#] your khaki [Bm] trousers on.
[F#] _ [F#m]
[Bm] Though it may seem very queer, [Em] we've got no job to give you here, [Bm] so we are sending [F#] you [F#m] to [Bm] Vietnam. _ _ _
[G] [D] Lyndon Johnson told the nation, [E] have no fear [Bm] of escalation, I am [F#m] trying everyone [Bm] to please.
[B] _
[G] Though it [D] isn't really war, [E] we're sending [Bm] 50,000 more to help save [F#m] Vietnam from [Bm] Vietnamese.
_ [F#] _
[Bm] I jumped off the old troop ship [Em] and sank in mud up to my hips, [Bm] I cussed until [F#] the captain called [B] me down.
[F#m] _ _
[Bm] Never mind how hard it's [Em] raining, think of all the ground we're [Bm] gaining, just don't take [F#] one step outside [Bm] of town. _ _
[G] Lyndon [D] Johnson told the [E] nation, have no [Bm] fear of escalation, I am [F#] trying everyone [B] to please. _ _
[G] Though it [D] isn't really war, [Em] we're sending [Bm] 50,000 more to help save [F#] Vietnam from [Bm] Vietnamese.
[F#] _ _
[Bm] _ _ [F#] _ _ [Bm] Every night the local [Em] gentry slip out [D] past the sleeping sentry, they go out [F#] to join the old [Bm] VC.
_ [F#] _ [Bm] In their nightly little dramas, [E] they put on their black [Bm] pajamas and come [F#] lobbing mortar shells [Bm] at me.
_ [G] But Lyndon [D] Johnson told the [Em] nation, have no fear [Bm] of escalation, I am [F#m] trying everyone [Bm] to please.
[B] _ _ [G] Though it [D] isn't really war, [Em] we're sending [Bm] 50,000 more to help save [F#] Vietnam [A] from [Bm] Vietnamese.
_ [F#] _ _ [Bm] _ _ [F#] _ _
[Bm] We'd go around in [E] helicopters like a bunch of big [Bm] grasshoppers searching [F#] for the Viet [Bm] Cong in vain.
[F#] _
[Bm] They left a note that they had [Em] gone, had to get down to [Bm] Saigon, their government [F#m] positions [Bm] to maintain. _
[G] And Lyndon [D] Johnson [D#] told the [Em] nation, have no [Bm] fear of escalation, I am [F#] trying [B] everyone to please. _ _
[G] Though [D] it isn't really [E] war, we're sending [Bm] 50,000 more to help save [F#] Vietnam from [B] Vietnamese.
[F#] _ _
[Bm] _ _ [F#] _ [Bm] Well here I sit in this rice [E] paddy wondering about Big [Bm] Daddy and I [F#] know that Lyndon [B] loves me [F#] so.
_ [Bm] Yet how sadly I [Em] remember way back yonder in [Bm] November when he [F#] said I'd never [Bm] have to go.
[G] But Lyndon [D] Johnson told the [E] nation, have no [Bm] fear of escalation, I am [F#] trying [Bm] everyone to _ [B] please.
[G] Though [D] it isn't really [E] war, we're sending [Bm] 50,000 more to help [F#m] save Vietnam from [Bm] Vietnamese. _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
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