Galveston Bay

by Bruce Springsteen

241
D
Fifteen years Le Bing Son
       G                          D
Fought side by side with the Americans
                          A          D
In the mountains and deltas of Vietnam
 
 
In '75 Saigon fell
    G                  D
and he left his command
                  A                 D
And brought his family to the promised land
 
 
Seabrook Texas and the small towns
        G          D
In the Gulf of Mexico
                           A                D
It was delta country and reminded him of home
 
 
He worked as a machinist, put his money away
                   G                   D
And bought a shrimp boat with his cousin
                      A                  D
And together they harvested Galveston Bay
 
         A                    D
In the mornin' 'fore the sun come up
       G                 D
He'd kiss his sleepin' daughter
 A                      D
Steer out through the channel
               G               D   G   D  
And casts his nets into the water
 
 
Billy Sutter fought with Charlie Company
        G                  D
In the highlands of Quang Tri
            G                        D
He was wounded in the battle of Chu Lai
                A     D
And shipped home in '68
 
            A                           D
There he married and worked the gulf fishing grounds
         G                        D
In a boat that'd been his father's
                   A            D
In the morning he'd kiss his sleeping son
                   G          D   G   D  
And cast his nets into the water
 
                             G                D
Billy sat in front of his TV as the south fell
          G                        D
And the Communists rolled into Saigon
 
He and his friends watched as the refugees came
                      A                               D
Settle on the same streets and worked the coast they grew up on
 
                A                D
Soon in the bars around the harbor was talk
     G            D
Of America for Americans
                    A                        D
Someone said, "You want 'em out, you got to burn 'em out"
             G             D
And brought in the Texas klan
 
                                        G               D
One humid Texas night there were three shadows on the harbor
                         A                   D
Come to burn the Vietnamese boats into the sea
 
In the fire's light shots rang out
      G                         D
Two Texans lay dead on the ground
                    A            D
Le stood with a pistol in his hand
 
              A               D
A jury acquitted him in self defense
        G                     D
As before the judge he did stand
           A                     D
But as he walked down the courthouse steps
                G                     D    A D   G D   D A   2/4 D   4/4 G   D  
Billy said "My friend, you're a dead man"
 
                                G                    D
One late summer night Le stood watch along the waterside
 
Billy stood in the shadows
     G                   D
His K-bar knife in his hand
        A                             D
And the moon slipped behind the clouds
 
                           G                    D
Le lit a cigarette, the bay was as still as glass
 
As he walked by Billy stuck his knife into his pocket
        G                  D
Took a breath and let him pass
 
               A             D
In the early darkness Billy rose up
                G                     D
Went into the kitchen for a drink of water
  A                  D
Kissed his sleeping wife
                  G
Headed into the channel
                              D
And casts his nets into the water
     A         D
Of Galveston Bay

   D  A  G
e|-3--0--3-|
B|-2--2--0-|
G|-3--2--0-|
D|-0--2--0-|
A|----0--2-|
E|-------3-|
              [Verse]
For fifteen years, Le Bin Son
Fought side by side with the Americans
In the mountains and deltas of Vietnam
In '75, Saigon fell and he left his command
And brought his family to the promised land

Seabrook, Texas and the small towns in the Gulf of Mexico
It was delta country and reminded him of home
He worked as a machinist, put his money away
And bought a shrimp boat with his cousin
And together, they harvested Galveston Bay

In the morning before the sun come up, he'd kiss his sleeping daughter
Steer out through the channel and cast his nets into the water
Billy Sutter fought with Charlie Company in the highlands of Quang Tri
He was wounded in the battle of Chu Lai, shipped home in '68
There he married and worked the gulf fishing grounds
In a boat that had been his father's
In the morning, he'd kiss his sleeping son
And cast his nets into the water

Billy sat in front of his TV as the South fell
And the communists rolled into Saigon
He and his friends watched as the refugees came
Settled on the same streets and worked the coast they'd grew up on
Soon in the bars around the harbor was talk of America for Americans
Someone said "You want 'em out, you got to burn 'em out"
And brought in the Texas Klan
One humid Texas night, there were three shadows on the harbor
Come to burn the Vietnamese boats into the sea
In the fire's light, shots rang out
Two Texans lay dead on the ground
Le stood with a pistol in his hand
A jury acquitted him in self-defense
As before the judge he did stand
But as Le walked down the courthouse steps
Billy said "My friend, you're a dead man"

One late summer night, Le stood watch along the waterside
Billy stood in the shadows, his Ka-Bar knife in his hand
And the moon slipped behind the clouds
Le lit a cigarette, the bay was still as glass
As he walked by, Billy stuck his knife into his pocket
Took a breath and let him pass
In the early darkness, Billy rose up
Went into the kitchen for a drink of water
Kissed his sleeping wife, headed into the channel
And cast his nets into the water of Galveston Bay              
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