Remember Me

By Phil Ochs

      D                          A
Oh, I am the Unknown Soldier who died in World War Two.
  G                                D                 G
I didn't want to fight, it was the only thing to do.
                      D
I was the victim of a world that went insane--
         G              D      A      D
Will you show me that I didn't die in vain.

             G                          D
    Remember me, when the crosses are a burnin',
             A                          D
    Remember me, when the racists come around.
             G                               D
    Remember me, when the tides of peace are turnin',
             A      G            D   A  D
    Remember me and please don't let me down.

On the South Pacific Islands and the Iwo Jima sands
We raised the flag of freedom over many distant lands
And every time I killed a man my own heart felt the pain--
Will you show me that I didn't die in vain.

    Remember me, when the crosses are a burnin',
    Remember me, when the racists come around.
    Remember me, when the tides of peace are turnin',
    Remember me and please don't let me down.

And I carried my old rifle to the European shore
And every friend that died made me die a little more.
Have pity on the man who put a bullet through my brain
And show me that I didn't die in vain.

    Remember me, when the crosses are a burnin',
    Remember me, when the racists come around.
    Remember me, when the tides of peace are turnin',
    Remember me and please don't let me down.

When the Fascists started marching many millions had to pay;
We saw them rise to power but we looked the other way.
It happened once before and it can happen once again--
Will you show me that I didn't die in vain.

    Remember me, when the crosses are a burnin',
    Remember me, when the racists come around.
    Remember me, when the tides of peace are turnin',
    Remember me and please don't let me down.

Notes:

(C) 1963 Appleseed Music; Broadside #43.

{NOTES: For the refrain, the Broadside Tapes 1 liner notes have "when the police dogs come around," but on the recording the words are "when the racists come around."

In the 3rd verse, the liner notes have the third line as "Remember all the people who rode the Fascist train," but on the recording the words are "Have pity on the man who put a bullet through my brain." --gkorsts@agronomy.org]

Chords supplied by Joram Peeters who said: "hey're not the same as Phil Ochs plays it; I think I transponed it one note down, but this is a way it can be played."