Page 135
Warren Zevon played this in Bm, Nate plays in Am capo 2 after peachfreeze1 on YT
Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner
by Warren Zevon
Intro: [Am] w/u [C] d/e hammer [F] [Fsus2] [F] [Am] [G] [Am]
[Am] Roland was a [C] warrior from the Land of the Midnight [F] Sun
With a [F] Thompson gun for [C] hire, fighting to be [G] done
The [Am] deal was made in [C] Denmark on a dark and stormy [F] day
So he [F] set out for [C] Biafra to [G] join the bloody [Am] fray
Through sixty-six and seven they fought the Congo war
Fingers on their triggers, knee-deep in gore
For days and nights they battled the Bantu to their knees
They killed to earn their living and to help out the Congolese
[walk up from A to E (ABC CDE)]
( Chorus1
[F] Roland the [C] Thompson gunner [G] [Am] x2 )
His comrades fought beside him - Van Owen and the rest
But of all the Thompson gunners Roland was the best
So the CIA decided they wanted Roland dead
That son-of-a-bitch Van Owen blew off Roland's head
Chorus2 (Harmony):
[C] Roland the [G] headless Thompson [F] gunner
( Time, time, time... For another peaceful war )
[C] Norway's bravest [G] son
( But time stands still for Roland 'til he evens up the score )
They can [Am] still [G] see his [C] headless [G] body
[F] stalking through the [Am] night
In the [C] muzzle flash of [G] Roland's Thompson [Am] gun
In the [C] muzzle flash of [G] Roland's Thompson [F] gun [G] [Am]
[Am] Roland searched the [C] continent for the man who'd done him [F] in
He [F] found him in [C] Mombassa in a barroom drinking [G] gin
[Am] Roland aimed his [C] Thompson gun - he didn't say a [F] word
But he [F] blew Van Owen's [C] body from [G] there to Johannes-[Am] burg
[walk up from A to E (ABC CDE)]
( Chorus3
[F] Roland the headless [C] Thompson gunner [G] [Am] x4 )
(talkin' about the man, now)
The [Am] eternal Thompson [C] gunner,
still wandering through the [F] night
[F] Now it's ten years [C] later but he still keeps up the [G] fight
In [Am] Ireland, in [C] Lebanon, in Palestine and [F] Berk-eley
[F] Patty Hearst (5 strums)
[F] heard the burst (5 strums)
of [F] Roland's Thompson [C] gun [G] and [Am] bought [Am] it
[Am] Roland was a [C] warrior from the Land of the Midnight [F] Sun
With a [F] Thompson gun for [C] hire, fighting to be [G] done
The [Am] deal was made in [C] Denmark on a dark and stormy [F] day
So he [F] set out for [C] Biafra to [G] join the bloody [Am] fray
Through sixty-six and seven they fought the Congo war
Fingers on their triggers, knee-deep in gore
For days and nights they battled the Bantu to their knees
They killed to earn their living and to help out the Congolese
[walk up from A to E (ABC CDE)]
( Chorus1
[F] Roland the [C] Thompson gunner [G] [Am] x2 )
His comrades fought beside him - Van Owen and the rest
But of all the Thompson gunners Roland was the best
So the CIA decided they wanted Roland dead
That son-of-a-bitch Van Owen blew off Roland's head
Chorus2 (Harmony):
[C] Roland the [G] headless Thompson [F] gunner
( Time, time, time... For another peaceful war )
[C] Norway's bravest [G] son
( But time stands still for Roland 'til he evens up the score )
They can [Am] still [G] see his [C] headless [G] body
[F] stalking through the [Am] night
In the [C] muzzle flash of [G] Roland's Thompson [Am] gun
In the [C] muzzle flash of [G] Roland's Thompson [F] gun [G] [Am]
[Am] Roland searched the [C] continent for the man who'd done him [F] in
He [F] found him in [C] Mombassa in a barroom drinking [G] gin
[Am] Roland aimed his [C] Thompson gun - he didn't say a [F] word
But he [F] blew Van Owen's [C] body from [G] there to Johannes-[Am] burg
[walk up from A to E (ABC CDE)]
( Chorus3
[F] Roland the headless [C] Thompson gunner [G] [Am] x4 )
(talkin' about the man, now)
The [Am] eternal Thompson [C] gunner,
still wandering through the [F] night
[F] Now it's ten years [C] later but he still keeps up the [G] fight
In [Am] Ireland, in [C] Lebanon, in Palestine and [F] Berk-eley
[F] Patty Hearst (5 strums)
[F] heard the burst (5 strums)
of [F] Roland's Thompson [C] gun [G] and [Am] bought [Am] it