D G D G

[Verse 1]
D
  They gave me a green uniform
         A                 D
And black boots for my feet
G                D
  18 and wild as hell
  Bm                  G
I thought it would be neat

They put me on a plane
               D        G
To some strange foreign land
       D
I said goodbye to Mom and Dad
       A              G
And hello to Uncle Sam

[Chorus]
D G
   Once I was a soldier

Not afraid to die
    D
But now I'm a little older
                      G
And not afraid to cry

Every day I'm thankful
             A
Just to be alive
Bm
When you've been where I've been
           G     A
Any kind of life
       D    G
Is paradise

[Verse 2]
D
  Christmas of '89
      A                  D
Was a lonely time for me
G                 D
  Panama was prob'ly fine
           Bm                    G
But it was nothin' like Tennessee

Never thought the day would come
          D                  G
When I might have to kill a man
  D
I did not sleep a wink that night
       A               G
But we won for Uncle Sam

[Chorus]
D G
   Once I was a soldier

Not afraid to die
    D
But now I'm a little older
                      G
And not afraid to cry

Every day I'm thankful
             A
Just to be alive
Bm
When you've been where I've been
           G     A
Any kind of life
       D    G
Is paradise

[Instrumental]
D G A

[Outro]
Bm
If you've been where I've been
           G     A
Any kind of life
        Bm  A  G  A
Is paradise
         D    A G
It's paradise
     D   G D
Paradise