Universal Soldier

By Buffy Sainte-Marie
Rise Up Singing chapter: Peace, p.164
In the key of C:
F G C Am / F G C - / F G Em Am / F - Dm G

I really like Buffy Sainte-Marie. A lot.
Donovan also did a pretty well-known version of this.

Lyrics:
He's 5 foot 2 and he's 6 feet 4
He fights with missiles and with spears
He's all of 31 and he's only 17
He's been a soldier for a thousand years

He's a Catholic, a Hindu, an atheist, a Jain
A Buddhist and a Baptist and a Jew
And he knows he shouldn't kill and he knows he always will
Kill you for me my friend and me for you

And he's fighting for Canada, he's fighting for France
He's fighting for the U.S.A.
And he's fighting for the Russians, he's fighting for Japan
And he thinks we'll put an end to war that way

And he's fighting for democracy, he's fighting for the reds
He says it's for the peace of all
He's the one who must decide who's to live and who's to die
And he never sees the writing on the wall

But without him how would Hitler have condemned him at Dachau?
Without him Caesar would have stood alone
He's the one who gives his body as the weapon of the war
And without him all this killing can't go on

He's the universal soldier and he really is to blame
His orders comes from far away no more
They come from him and you and me, and people can't you see
This is not the way we put an end to war

New verses written by "anonymous":

They are business women, union workers, teachers, even priests
They say a strong defense will save men's lives
They have to give their money because it is the law
Yet without this money killing can't go on

They are universal citizens, they really are to blame
Their money goes to carry on the war
It comes from them and you and me, it isn't hard to see
This is not the way we put an end to war