Soldiers Get Strange Chords
by Jason Isbell
Soldiers Get Strange by Jason Isbell is a moderately challenging guitar song played in the key of C. It uses the chords Em, C, D, G, B, G/F and Em/F#. Use the transpose and diagram tools on this page to change the key, see each shape, or simplify the chords.
Jason Isbell - Soldiers Get Strange
Intro: Em – C – D x4 (fourth time, hold C)
I play it starting on 7th fret, drop the G on B string once, like this:
Em C D
e--7--7--7--3----5--
B--8--7--8--5----7--
G--9--9--9--5----7--
D--9--9--9--5----7--
A--7--7--7--3----5--
E--x--x--x--x----x--
Rest of the song I play normally, i.e. Em is 022000
G G/F C G G/F C
You want her to try new things. She reminds you she wears your ring.
G G/F C G G/F C
And after a couple o’ drinks, she's a little scared of you.
G G/F C G G/F C
A good friend is hard to find. You wish you could spend more time
G G/F C G G/F C
towing civilian lines, but they're all scared of you.
Em Em/F# G
It's not the time that makes it go bad
Em Em/F# G
It's not the thought of what you could've had
Em Em/F# G
It's not the way that her figure has changed
G G/F C (hold)
It's just that a soldier gets strange
You know she's a real good girl. She reminds you that every curl
that whips in the wind of the world, is watched by the eyes of God.
But lately your mane's gone white. You itch in your veins in the night.
Before you "came home alright" you wielded the lightning rod.
It ain't the time that makes it go South
It ain't the liquor that burns in your mouth
Nearly nothing around here's changed
It's just that a soldier gets strange
C Em
She turns off the lights so you can't see her body
C Em
You can't make her fight when you know that you're wrong
C Em
They call you a hero, so many still fighting
G G/F C (hold)
This ain't where you belong
Instrumental: