– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
sands of iwo jima – drive by truckers – the dirty south
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
tuning : drop D – tune the low E string down to A D
these are the fingerings for the chords . he plays the bass note first , then
strums the chord , so i have separated them below .
E – – – – – 5 – – | – – – – 5 – – | – – – – 1 – – | – – – – 1 – – |
B – – – – – 6 – – | – – – – 6 – – | – – – – 3 – – | – – – – 3 – – |
G – – – – – 5 – – | – – – – 5 – – | – – – – 0 – – | – – – – 0 – – |
D – – – – – 7 – – | – – – – 7 – – | – – – – 0 – – | – – – – 0 – – |
A – – – – – 5 – – | – 7 – – – – – | – 3 – – – – – | – 2 – – – – – |
D – – 0 – – – – – | – – – – – – – | – – – – – – – | – – – – – – – |
D#sus2 Fsus2 Dm7/G
E – – – – – 1 – – | – – – – 3 – – | – – – – 5 – – |
B – – – – – 4 – – | – – – – 6 – – | – – – – 6 – – |
G – – – – – 3 – – | – – – – 5 – – | – – – – 5 – – |
D – – – – – 1 – – | – – – – 3 – – | – – – – 5 – – |
A – – 1 – – – – – | – 3 – – – – – | – – – – 5 – – |
D – – – – – – – – | – – – – – – – | – 5 – – – – – |
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
| [ Dm7 ] | [ Dm7/E ] | [ G7/C ] | [ G7 ] | x2
( intro – 8 bars )
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
| [ Dm7 ] | [ Dm7/E ] | [ G7/C ] | [ G7 ] | x8
george A . was at the movies in december ’41
they announced it in the lobby what had just gone on
he drove up from birmingham back to the family’s farm
thought he’d get him a deferment there was much work to be done
he was a family man , even in those days
but uncle sam decided he was needed anyway
in the south pacific over half a world away
he believed in god and country , things was just that way
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
| [ D#sus2 ] | . . . | [ Fsus2 ] | . . . | [ Dm7 ] | . . . | [ Dm7/G ] | . . . |
just that way
| [ Dm7 ] | . . . | [ Dm7/G ] | . . . |
( instrumental break – 4 bars )
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
| [ D#sus2 ] | . . . | [ Fsus2 ] | . . . | [ Dm7 ] | . . . | [ Dm7/G ] | . . . | x2
when i was just a kid i spent every weekend
on the farm he grew up on so i guess so did i
and we’d stay up watching movies on that black and white tv
we watched “the sands of iwo jima” starring john wayne
| [ D#sus2 ] | . . . | [ Fsus2 ] | . . . | [ Dm7 ] | . . . | [ Dm7/G ] | . . . |
( instrumental break – 8 bars )
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
| [ Dm7 ] | [ Dm7/E ] | [ G7/C ] | [ G7 ] | x4
every year in june george A . goes to a reunion
of the men that he served with and their wives and kids and grandkids
my great uncle used to take me and i’d watch them recollect
about some things that i could not comprehend
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
| [ D#sus2 ] | . . . | [ Fsus2 ] | . . . | [ Dm7 ] | . . . | [ Dm7/G ] | . . . | x2
and i thought about that movie , asked if it was that way
he just shook his head and smiled at me in such a loving way
as he thought about some friends he will never see again
he said “i never saw john wayne on the sands of iwo jima”
| [ Dm7 ] | [ Dm7/E ] | [ G7/C ] | [ G7 ] | x5
( instrumental break – 20 bars )
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
| [ Dm7 ] | [ Dm7/E ] | [ G7/C ] | [ G7 ] | x4
most of those men are gone now but he goes still every year
and george a’s still doing fine , especially for his years
he’s still living on that homestead in the house that he was born in
and i sure wish i could go see him today
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
| [ D#sus2 ] | . . . | [ Fsus2 ] | . . . | [ Dm7 ] | . . . | [ Dm7/G ] | . . . | x2
he never drove a new car though he could easily afford it
he’d just buy one for the family , take whatever no one wanted
he said a shiny car didn’t mean much after all the things he’d seen
george A . never saw john wayne on the sands of iwo jima
| [ D#sus2 ] | . . . | [ Fsus2 ] | . . . |
( instrumental break – 4 bars )
| [ Dm7 ] | . . . | [ Dm7/G ] | . . . |
george A . never saw john wayne on the sands of iwo jima
| [ D#sus2 ] | . . . | [ Fsus2 ] | . . . | [ Dm7 ] | . . . | . . . | . . . : | |
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