G D | Em | [Verse 1] G D Em Detroit to D.C., C D Am Night train, capitol, parts east G D Em Lone young man takes a seat A D Em And by the rhythm of the rails G D Em Reading all his mother's mail C D Am From a city boy in a jungle town G D Em Postmarked : Saigon [Refrain] G C G He'll go live his mother's dream G C D Join the slowest parade he'll ever see C D Am Her weight of sorrows carried long and carried far G Am Em "Take these, Tommy, to the wall" D G Metro line to the mall site with a tour of Japanese Em He's wandering and lost until G A vet in worn fatigues C G Am Takes him down to where they belong. [Vers 2] G D Em Near a soldier, an ex-marine G D Em With a tattooed dagger and eagle trembling C D Am He bites his lip beside a widow breaking down G D Em She takes her purple heart, makes a fist, strikes the wall [Refrain] G C G All come to live a dream G C D To join the slowest parade they'll ever see C D Am Their weight of sorrows carried long and carried far G Am Em Are taken to the wall D G It's 40 paces to the year that he was slain Em D G His hand's slipping down the wall for it's slick with rain C G Am G How would life have ever been the same C G Am G If this wall had carved in it one less name? [Bridge] Em D G But for Christ's sake, he's been dead over 20 years Em He leaves the letters asking G "who caused my mother's tears C G Am Was it Washington or the Viet Cong?" [Verse 3] G D Em Slow deliberate steps are involved G D Em He takes them away from the black granite wall C D Am Toward the other monuments so white and clean G D Em O, Potomac, what you've seen C D Am Abraham had his war too G Am But an honest war Em Or so it's taught in school.