[E] [E] [D] [C]
Bass note
How does a [Am]random peasant, some elder son
Of a [E]woodsman, dropped in the middle of a forgotten
[F]spot in the Central Region by Providence, impoverished, in squalor
[C]Grow up to be a [E/G#]hero and a martyr?
[Am]The no-collar home defender without a honor
[E]Got a lot farther
By workin' a lot harder
[F]By bein' a lot smarter
By bein' a self-starter
[C]By thirties, they had placed him in [E/G#]charge of the trade with China
[Am]At middle age, while men were being slaughtered and carted away
[E] across the waves, He struggled and kept his guard up
[F]At site he was hunting for someone who was a part of
The robbers arriving to [C]beg, steal, borrow [E/G$]or barter
Lên xuống
[Am]Then the slanderers came and
Reputation reigned
[E]Our man saw his future drip, drippin’ drown the drain
[F]Put an ink brush to his temple
Connected it to his brain
[C]And he wrote his first refrain
[E/G#]A testament to his pain
[Am]When the word got around, they said, “This guy is insane, man!”
[E]Broke up Thai’s invasion and added more to the mainland
[F]Getcha recognition, don’t forget from whence you came
[C]And the king is giving you a name!
[E/G#]What’s your name, man?”
[Am]Nguyễn Tri Phương’s his new full name
[E/G#]They say that Nguyễn Tri Phương’s his new full name
[F]And there's a million things he hasn't done
[C]But just you wait, [E/G#]just you wait
[Am]In ’58, arrived the ships
Full of shit, French-ridden
[E]Few days later, see Tri Phương and his soldiers panicking,
[F]Half-dead, losing to the French super-weapons,
And he tried everythin’ but the nation fell quick
[Am]Fighting with his brother, the brother committed suicide
[E]Left him with nothin’ but ruined pride
Somethin’ new inside
[F]A voice saying “Phương à, mày phải cố bảo vệ bản thân”
[C]He started retreatin' and readin' every[E/G#] treatise on the shelf
[Am]There would've been nothin' left to do
For someone less astute
[E]He would've been dead or destitute
Without a cent of restitution
[F]Started leadin', fightin' the bandits on the far North
[C]Tradin’ blood and sweat and tears for all[E/G#] the peace he can afford
[Am]Standing for every thief he can get his stance through
[E]lannin' for the future, see him now as he heads to
[F]The town of Thăng Long ready for a new man
[C]In Thăng Long you can [E/G#]be a new man
[Am]In Thăng Long you can be a new man
[F7]In Thăng Long you can be a new man
[Dm9]In Thăng Long you can be a new man
[E7sus]In Thăng Long
[Am]Nguyễn Tri Phương the general,
[F7]We are waiting at the front for you
[Dm9] You should never back down
You always shouldn’t waste your time[E7sus] [E7/B]
Oh, [Am]Nguyễn Tri Phương the general
[F7]When we siege your old capital
[Dm9]Will you win and reclaim your fame?
[Am/C]Will you win and leave us [Dm]to shame?
[Am/E]Vietnam will never [Dm9/F]be [C]the same[E7/G#], oh
[Am]France’s looking for him now
[Am/B]See if you can spot him
[Am/C]A fearless general comin’[Dm7] up from the bottom
[Dm/F]His enemies destroyed his son, [Dm/B]their rifles pointed at him
[Bm7]And then? I’m the [E]damn fool who shot him
[Am]Nguyễn Tri Phương the general,
[F7]He was dyin’ but he wanted to
[Dm9]My men had to back down
He didn’t let them save his [E7sus]life [E7/B]
[Am]Nguyễn Tri Phương the general,
[F7]He would never take a hand from me
[Dm9]The courageous, he’d rather die
[Am/C]So his name ends up [Dm]in a shrine
[Am/E]Vietnam will [Dm9/F]never be[C] the same [E7/G#]when he falls!
[Bm7]Yeah, I'm the [E]damn French that shot him.