We Didn't Know chords by Tom Paxton

Chords with lyrics

• Difficulty: Intermediate

Key: E MajorE

Intro:

 E MajorE             A augmentedA
"We didn't know", said the bürgermeister
E MajorE            B7B7   E MajorE
"About those camps on the edge of town.


       A augmentedA
It was Hitler and his crew
E MajorE        B7B7   E MajorE
That tore the German nation down.
C# minorC#m
We saw the cattle cars, it's true;
E MajorE          B7B7   E MajorE
Maybe they carried a Jew or two.
   C# minorC#m
They woke us up as they rattled through
E MajorE       B7B7     E MajorE
But what did you expect me to do "

Chorus:
E MajorE
We didn't know at all;
A augmentedA        E MajorE
We didn't see a thing.

You can't hold us to blame -
F#F#      B7B7
What could we do?
E MajorE
It was a terrible shame
A augmentedA
But we can't bear the blame.
E MajorE     A augmentedA       B7B7  E MajorE
Oh no, not us, we didn't know.


Verse 1:
E MajorE              A augmentedA
"We didn't know", said the congregation
E MajorE          B7B7    E MajorE
Singing a hymn in a church of white.
            A augmentedA
"The Press was full of lies about us
E MajorE      B7B7   E MajorE
Preacher told us we were right.
C# minorC#m
The outside agitators came;
E MajorE               B7B7   E MajorE
They burned some churches and put the blame
  C# minorC#m
On decent southern people's names
E MajorE          B7B7   E MajorE
To set our colored people aflame.
  C# minorC#m
And maybe some of our boys got hot
E MajorE           B7B7    E MajorE
And a couple of niggers and reds got shot
C# minorC#m
They should have stayed where they belong -
  E MajorE             B7B7      E MajorE
The preacher would've told us if we'd done wrong."

Chorus:
E MajorE
We didn't know at all;
A augmentedA        E MajorE
We didn't see a thing.

You can't hold us to blame -
F#F#      B7B7
What could we do?
E MajorE
It was a terrible shame
A augmentedA
But we can't bear the blame.
E MajorE     A augmentedA       B7B7  E MajorE
Oh no, not us, we didn't know.

Verse 2:
E MajorE             A augmentedA
"We didn't know", said the puzzled voter
E MajorE        B7B7    E MajorE
Watching the President on TV.
           A augmentedA
"I guess we've got to drop those bombs
E MajorE           B7B7  E MajorE
If we're gonna keep South Asia free.
C# minorC#m
The President's such a peaceful man
E MajorE           B7B7   E MajorE
I guess he's got some kind of plan.
   C# minorC#m
They say we're torturing prisoners of war
E MajorE        B7B7      E MajorE
But I don't believe that stuff no more.
  C# minorC#m
Torturing prisoners is a communist game
E MajorE            B7B7    E MajorE
And You can bet they're doing the same.
 C# minorC#m
I wish this war was over and through
E MajorE       B7B7     E MajorE
But what do you expect me to do "

Chorus:
E MajorE
We didn't know at all;
A augmentedA        E MajorE
We didn't see a thing.

You can't hold us to blame -
F#F#      B7B7
What could we do?
E MajorE
It was a terrible shame
A augmentedA
But we can't bear the blame.
E MajorE     A augmentedA       B7B7  E MajorE
Oh no, not us, we didn't know.