Warren Zevon
Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner

Song : 
B

Intro :
Bm   G   D  A   Bm   A   Bm 

 Bm           D                                     G
 Roland was a warrior from the Land of the Midnight Sun
 G                       D                    A
 With a Thompson gun for hire, fighting to be done
     Bm               D                            G
 The deal was made in Denmark on a dark and stormy day
 G                 D          A              Bm
 So he set out for Biafra to join the bloody fray
 
 Bm                    D                           G
 Through sixty-six and seven they fought the Congo war
 G                D                      A
 Fingers on their triggers, knee-deep in gore
     Bm                   D                          G
 For days and nights they battled the Bantu to their knees
 G                         D              A            Bm
 They killed to earn their living and to help out the Congolese
 
 G          D                    A    Bm
 Roland the Thompson gunner...
 G          D                    A    Bm
 Roland the Thompson gunner...

     Bm               D                            G
 His comrades fought beside him - Van Owen and the rest
 G                        D                      A
 But of all the Thompson gunners Roland was the best
        Bm     D                       G
 So the CIA decided they wanted Roland dead
 G                       D    A                 Bm
 That son-of-a-bitch Van Owen blew off Roland's head
 
 Chorus :        
 D          A                 G        Bm
 Roland the headless Thompson gunner        
 D                A                           
 Norway's bravest son                         
                                       
 A        Bm     A      D         A    G                    Bm
 They can still see his headless body stalking through the night
        D               A                 Bm
 In the muzzle flash of Roland's Thompson gun
        D               A                 G        Bm
 In the muzzle flash of Roland's Thompson gun
 
 Bm                  D                                     G
 Roland searched the continent for the man who'd done him in
 G               D                              A
 He found him in Mombassa in a barroom drinking gin
 Bm               D                              G
 Roland aimed his Thompson gun - he didn't say a word
 G                      D         A        Bm
 But he blew Van Owen's body from there to Johannesburg
 
 G                   D                    A    Bm
 Roland the headless Thompson gunner...
 G                   D                    A    Bm
 Roland the headless Thompson gunner...
 G                   D                    A    Bm
 Roland the headless Thompson gunner...
 
 Bm                   D                                   G
 The eternal Thompson gunner, still wandering through the night
 G                  D                               A
 Now it's ten years later but he still keeps up the fight
    Bm          D                         G
 In Ireland, in Lebanon, in Palestine and Berkeley
 G            G                  G                 D
 Patty Hearst heard the burst of Roland's Thompson gun
 A   Bm
 And bought it