Chords for Jim Radford - The Shores of Normandy

_ _ _ _ _ _ [N] Tonight we are honoured to have a veteran of the Normandy invasion with us on stage.
He was a crew member of a ship that set sail on the 6th of June and at 15 he must have been one of the youngest there, so please welcome Jim Radford. _
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_ _ How do you feel today seeing us all gathered and remembering these events? _ _
_ _ _ _ _ Contrasting emotions, I think.
Glad and sad.
I'm glad that I survived, I've had 70 years of a good life and I'm very sad every time I think of D-Day and about all the poor devils who never made it back.
_ _ People I'm thinking about on this day and every year.
You went on to become a folk singer.
We're going to hear a song that Jim wrote about the day which is called The Shores of Normandy, but just before you sing it, tell us how you came to write it, Jim. _ _ _
_ It's actually the first song I ever wrote and the clue to why I wrote it is in the last verse.
_ I didn't go back to Adam Antshares until about 1960 and I didn't expect to be moved, but when I did go back and stood on the beach that I'd last seen covered in bodies and saw children building sandcastles, _ I wept.
_ And that's when I decided to write the song.
Jim Radford and The Shores of Normandy.
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the cold grey light of the 6th of June, _ _ in the year of _ 44, _ _ _ _ the Empire larks sailed [C] out from Poe _ _ [F] to join with thousands _ [G] more. _ _
_ The [Am] largest fleet [F] the world had seen, _ _ _ we [C] sailed in closely _ [C] _ _ and _ _ we set our course _ [F] for Normandy [C] _ at the [D] dawning of the day. _ _
_ _ _ [E] There was not one man _ _ [A] in all our crew _ but [E] knew what lay in store.
_ _ _ _ For we [A] had waited [F] for that day [Am] _ through [C] _
five long years [F] of war. _ _
_ _ _ _ [C] We knew that many would not return _ _ but all our hearts were [Em] true _ _ for _ _ [F] we were bound _ for [Em] Normandy _ _ _ where [F] we had a [G] job to [C] do. _
_ _ _ _ _ [E] Now the Empire larks was a [Em] deep sea tug _ [C] with a crew of 33 _ _ and _ _ [Am] I was just the [F] galley boy _ on [C] my first trip to sea.
_ _ _ [G] _ _ I [Am] little thought when I left [C] home _ _ of the [F] dreadful sights I'd see [G] _
_ when _ [F] _ I came to manhood _ [Em] on the day _ that I first [Dm] saw [G] Normandy. _ _
[C] _ _ _ _ _ _ At our rematch off the beach of gold, neath the [G] rocket's deadly glare, _ _ we towed [G] our block ships into [C]
place [Em] _ _ and we [F] built a harbour [G] there.
_ _ _ Mid [Am] shot and shell we built [B] it well _ as [Am] history [G] does agree _ _ while [C] _
brave men [G] died in the [F]
swirling [Em] tide _ on the [C] shores of _ Normandy. _ _ _ _ _
_ [G] For every _ hero's name that's [Am] known a [F] thousand died as [C] well _ _ on [Am] _ stakes and wires their bodies hung _ _ _ [C] wrapped in the ocean's swell.
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_ _ [Am] And many a mother wept [F] that day _ for the sons they loved so [G] well.
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Men [Am] who cracked a joke _ and cats [C] a smoke _ as they [F] stormed the gates of hell. _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ As the years pass by I can still recall _ the [F] men I saw that [Em] day _ who _ [Dm] died upon that [C] blood soaked sand _ where [F] now sweet children [G] play.
_ _ And _ [Am] those of you who were [G] unborn _ _ _ _
[C] who've lived in [G] liberty _ _ _ _ remember _ [Am] _ _ those who [F] made it so _ on the [C]
shores of _ Normandy. _ _ _
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