Jason Isbell

Soldiers Get Strange

Jason Isbell


Tom: Em

Intro: Em – C – D  x4  (fourth time, hold C)

I play it starting on 7th fret, drop the G on B string once, like this:

  Em        C    D
E|--7--7--7--3----5--|
B|--8--7--8--5----7--|
G|--9--9--9--5----7--|
D|--9--9--9--5----7--|
A|--7--7--7--3----5--|
E|--x--x--x--x----x--|

Rest of the song I play normally, i.e. Em is 022000


     G          G/F      C             G              G/F        C
You want her to try new things.  She reminds you she wears your ring.
     G       G/F        C                     G            G/F    C
And after a couple o’ drinks, she's a little scared of you.
   G             G/F      C          G              G/F        C
A good friend is hard to find.  You wish you could spend more time
G        G/F      C                     G             G/F        C
towing civilian lines, but they're all scared of you.
                Em                Em/F#  G
  It's not the time that makes it  go   bad
                Em                 Em/F#     G
  It's not the thought of what you could've had
               Em                  Em/F#   G
  It's not the way that her figure  has  changed
        G           G/F           C     (hold)
  It's just that a soldier gets strange

You know she's a real good girl.  She reminds you that every curl
that whips in the wind of the world, is watched by the eyes of God.

But lately your mane's gone white.  You itch in your veins in the night.
Before you "came home alright" you wielded the lightning rod.

  It ain't the time that makes it go South
  It ain't the liquor that burns in your mouth
  Nearly nothing around here's changed
  It's just that a soldier gets strange
          C                           Em
     She turns off the lights so you can't see her body
          C                            Em
     You can't make her fight when you know that you're wrong
           C                   Em
     They call you a hero, so many still fighting
      G               G/F    C     (hold)
     This ain't where you belong

[Instrumental]:  G  G/F  C  x3

Maybe you'll re-enlist.  It couldn't be worse than this.
But think of the things you'll miss, if you're inside the wire again

  It's not the dreams that keep you up late
  It's not the world you saw incinerate
  It's not the way that her figure has changed
  It's just that a soldier gets strange
   G          G/F       C     (hold)
  Most of all you got strange