POW- The Prisoner of War Blues
©2002 Garrett Clevenger

Am     POW- the plane is shot down. The
D      pilot ejects above the town.
Am     POW- he hits the ground and
D      attempts to escape but is quickly found. He’s
Bm     surrounded by five rifles and
C      captured like a slave.
Em     Tied up like an animal with no
D      choice but to be brave. He is a
Am     Prisoner Of War. A
D      Prisoner Of War. A
Am     Prisoner Of War.

Am     Isolated. His rank is erased.
D      He has been fated to torture and waste &
Am     ropes and racks and lack of sleep and
D      rotten food and memories deep of
Bm     home and love of child and wife and
C      failed attempts to end his own life. His
Em     nightmares gnaw him whenever he sleeps. His
D      waking is worse when lonliness creeps. He is a
Am     Prisoner Of War.
D      Prisoner Of War. A
Am     Prisoner Of War.

Am     Emotional strength stretches his mind to
D      defeat the torture and passage of time. His
Am     endless hope to be released
D      keeps him alive within the beast. To
Bm     return with honor a soldier is due. His
C      perseverance will see him through.
Em     Would it be better to be shot dead?
D      Killed in action? Blown up instead? He is a
Am     A Prisoner Of War. A
D      A Prisoner Of War. A
Am Em  A Prisoner Of War.

Bm     Splattered drips of red still trickle
F      towards the door, across the floor that
Bm     broke the fall of one more victim,
F      one more prisoner of a war that
Bm     stole compassion, showed us how
F      war is hell when your a POW.

Em Bb Am F G Em C D

C#m     Tattered clothes in shackled rows of
C       skin and bones and eyes like holes.
C#m     Deep and dark, like dungeons, stark yet
C       filled with terror. It tears his heart. It
C#m     sends a shiver down his spine.
C       Another drip, a tear this time.

Bm F Em C D Bm F G

Am     No one would have noticed.
D      No one would have cared.
Am     No one would have ever known if the
D      medic hadn’t dared to
Bm     wonder why the prisoner was
C      lying on the ground. His
Em     face so cold and breathless. His
D      heart could beat no sound. He was a
Am     Prisoner Of War. He was a
D      Prisoner Of War. He was a
Am     Prisoner Of War. He was a
D      Prisoner Of War.
Am Em   He was left to die. Why, oh,
Am     why?