Mothers Daughters Wives chords by The Corries

• Capo on 3rd

Capo 3


  G                        D
The first time it was fathers, the last time it was sons
  G                 C          D
And in between your husbands marched away with drums and guns
    G                 C         G
But you never thought to question you just went on with your lives
    C                 Am    C     D  Dsus4 D
'Cause all they'd taught you who to be was mothers, daughters, wives


verse 1
  G                     D
You barely just remember the tears your mother shed
   G                 C         D
As she sat and read the paper through the lists and lists of dead
    G                  C         G
And the gold frame held the photograph your mother kissed each night
    C                   Am    C    D  Dsus4 D
And the door frame held the shocked and silent stranger from the fight

verse 2
  G                        D
And twenty-one years later you had children of your own
  G                  C        D
The trumpet sounded once again and the soldier boys were gone
    G                        C       G
And you made their guns and drove their trucks and you tended to their wounds
  C                   Am     C  D  Dsus4 D
At night you kissed their photographs and prayed for safe returns



  G                        D
The first time it was fathers, the last time it was sons
  G                 C          D
And in between your husbands marched away with drums and guns
   G                  C         G
But you never thought to question you just went on with your lives
   C                  Am    C     D  Dsus4 D
'Cause all they'd taught you who to be was mothers, daughters, wives


verse 3
  G                   D
And when it was all over you had to learn again
  G                   C        D
To be just wives and mothers though you'd done the work of men
    G                C       G
So you worked to help the needy and you never trod on toes
    C                Am   C   D  Dsus4 D
And the photo on the mantelpiece struck a happy family pose


verse 4
     G                       D
But your daughters grew to women and your little boys to men
    G                   C      D
And you wished that you were dreaming when the call-up came again
    G                     C         G
But you proudly smiled and held your tears as they proudly waved good bye
    C               Am   C    D Dsus4 D
But the photos on the mantelpieces it always made you cry


  G                        D
The first time it was fathers, the last time it was sons
   G                C          D
And in between your husbands marched away with drums and guns
   G                  C         G
But you never thought to question you just went on with your lives
    C                 Am    C     D  Dsus4 D
'Cause all they'd taught you who to be was mothers, daughters, wives


Verse 5
  G                       D
And now your growing older and in time the photos fade
  G              C       D
In widowhood you sit back and reflect on the parade
    G                C           G
And the passing of your memories as your daughters change their lives
    C                 Am    C     D  Dsus4 D
Seeing more to their existences than just mothers, daughters, wives


  G                        D
The first time it was fathers, the last time it was sons
   G                C          D
And in between your husbands marched away with drums and guns
   G                  C         G
But you never thought to question you just went on with your lives
    C                 Am    C     D  Dsus4 D
'Cause all they'd taught you who to be was mothers, daughters, wives

    G                 C         G
And you never thought to question you just went on with your lives
    C                 Am    C     D  Dsus4 D
'Cause all they'd taught you who to be was mothers, daughters, wives