Air Corps Lament chords by Dick Jonas

Chords with lyrics

Key: A augmentedA

🎸 Verse 1:
   E MajorE
Mine eyes have seen the days of men who ruled the fighting sky
   A augmentedA                     E MajorE
With hearts that laughed at death and lived for nothing but to fly
  E MajorE
But now those hearts are grounded and those days are long gone by
  A augmentedA      E MajorE
The Air Force is gone to hell


🎸 Chorus:
E MajorE
Glory, flying regulations
A augmentedA            E MajorE
Have them read at every station
E MajorE
Crucify the man who breaks one
  A augmentedA          E MajorE
The Air Force is shot to hell

🎸 Verse 2:
  E MajorE
My bones have felt their pounding throb a hundred thousand strong
 A augmentedA                E MajorE
A augmentedA mighty airborne legion, sent to right the deadly wrong
  E MajorE
But now it's only memory, it only lives in song
  A augmentedA      E MajorE
The Air Force is gone to hell

🎸 Verse 3:
  E MajorE
The lordly Flying Fortress and the Liberator, too
   A augmentedA               E MajorE
Once wrote the doom of Germany with contrails in the blue
  E MajorE
But now the skies are empty and our planes are wet with dew
  A augmentedA    E MajorE
And we can't fly for hell

🎸 Verse 4:
  E MajorE
Hap Arnold built a fighting team that sang the fighting song
 A augmentedA                E MajorE
About the wild blue yonder in the days when men were strong
  E MajorE
But now, we're closely supervised for fear we may do wrong
  A augmentedA      E MajorE
The Air Force is gone to hell

🎸 Chorus:
E MajorE
Glory, flying regulations
A augmentedA            E MajorE
Have them read at every station
E MajorE
Crucify the man who breaks one
  A augmentedA          E MajorE
The Air Force is shot to hell

🎸 Verse 5:
    E MajorE
I have seen them in their T-Bolts when their eyes were dancing flame
   A augmentedA                   E MajorE
I've seen their screaming power dives that blasted Goering's name
  E MajorE
But now they fly like sissies and they hang their heads in shame
   A augmentedA    E MajorE
Their spirit's shot to hell

🎸 Verse 6:
   E MajorE
They flew B-26's through a living hell of flak
  A augmentedA                E MajorE
And bloody, dying pilots gave their lives to bring them back
  E MajorE
But now they all play ping-pong in the operations shack
   A augmentedA      E MajorE
Their technique's gone to hell

🎸 Verse 7:
  E MajorE
You heard your pounding fifties blaze from wings of polished steel
  A augmentedA              E MajorE
The purring of your Merlin was a song your heart could feel
  E MajorE
But now, the L-5 charms you with its moaning, groaning squeal
  A augmentedA         E MajorE
And it won't climb for hell

🎸 Chorus:
E MajorE
Glory, flying regulations
A augmentedA            E MajorE
Have them read at every station
E MajorE
Crucify the man who breaks one
  A augmentedA          E MajorE
The Air Force is shot to hell

🎸 Verse 8:
     E MajorE
Have you ever climbed a Lightning up to where the air is thin
     A augmentedA                  E MajorE
Have you aimed her long nose downward just to hear the screaming din
     E MajorE
Have you tried to do it lately? Better not; You'll auger in
  A augmentedA      E MajorE
And then you'll sure catch hell!

🎸 Verse 9:
    E MajorE
We were cocky, bold and happy when we played the angels' game
  A augmentedA                 E MajorE
We split the blue with buzzing and we rolled our way to fame
  E MajorE
But now that's all verboten and we're all so gol-durn tame
  A augmentedA    E MajorE
Our spirit's shot to hell

🎸 Verse 10:
  E MajorE
One day I buzzed an airfield with another reckless chap
  A augmentedA               E MajorE
We flew a hot formation with his wingtip in my lap
  E MajorE
But there's a new directive and we'll have no more of that
  A augmentedA        E MajorE
Or you will burn in hell!

🎸 Chorus:
E MajorE
Glory, flying regulations
A augmentedA            E MajorE
Have them read at every station
E MajorE
Crucify the man who breaks one
  A augmentedA          E MajorE
The Air Force is shot to hell


🎸 Verse 11:
   E MajorE
Mine eyes get dim with tears when I recall the days of old
   A augmentedA                 E MajorE
When pilots took their choice of being old, or young and bold
 E MajorE
Alas
I have no choice and I will live to be quite old
  A augmentedA      E MajorE
The Air Force is gone to hell


🎸 Verse 12:
  E MajorE
But smile awhile, my pilots though your eyes may still be wet
   A augmentedA                 E MajorE
Some day we'll meet in heaven where the rules have not been set
  E MajorE
And God will show us how to buzz and roll and really let
  A augmentedA     E MajorE
The Air Force fly like hell!

🎸 Outro:
E MajorE
Glory, no more regulations
A augmentedA
Rip them down at every station
E MajorE
Ground the guy who tries to make one
  A augmentedA   E MajorE       A augmentedA
And let us fly like hell!