Em x4
Em
I was born to be of service
D
Camp Lejeune just felt like home
Am
I had honor, I found purpose
C
Sir, yes, sir, thatʼs what I know
Em
They sent us to a place
D
Iʼd never heard of weeks before
Am
When youʼre 19 it ainʼt hard to sleep
C
In the desert on Godʼs floor
Am
Close your eyes, stop counting sheep
C
You ainʼt in boot camp anymore
Em
We were taught to shoot our rifles
D
Men and women side by side
Am
Thought weʼd be met as liberators
C
In a thousand-year-old fight
Em
I got this painful ringing in my ear
D
From an IED last night
Am
But no lead-lined Humvee war machine
C
Could save my sergeantʼs life
Am
Three more soldiers, six civilians
C
Need these words to come out right
Chorus:
GD
God of mercy, God of light
AmC
Save your children from this life
GD
Hear these words, this humble plea
AmC
For I have seen the suffering
GD
And with this prayer Iʼm hoping
AmC
That we can be unbroken
Em
tʼs eighteen months now Iʼve been stateside
D
With this medal on my chest
Am
But there are things I canʼt remember
C
And there are things I wonʼt forget
Em
I lie awake at night
D
With dreams the devil shouldnʼt see
Am
I want to scream but I canʼt breathe
C
And, Christ, Iʼm sweating through these sheets
Am
Whereʼs my brothers? Whereʼs my country?
C
Whereʼs my how-things-used-to-be
Chorus:
GD
God of mercy, God of light
AmC
Save your children from this life
GD
Hear these words, this humble plea
AmC
For I have seen the suffering
GD
And with this prayer Iʼm hoping
AmC
That we can be unbroken
Em
My service dogʼs done more for me
D
Than the medication would
Am
There ainʼt no angel thatʼs coming to save me
C
But even if they could
Em
Today twenty-two will die from suicide
D
Just like yesterday, theyʼre gone
Am
I live my life for each tomorrow
C
So their memories will live on
Em
Once we were boys and we were strangers
D
Now weʼre brothers and weʼre men
Am
Someday youʼll ask me "Was it worth it
C
To be of service in the end?"
Am
Well, the blessing and the curse is
C
Yeah, Iʼd do it all again
