Salute To A Switchblade
By Tom T. Hall
Tabbed By Larry Mofle
rmofle at satx.rr.com
6/24/04

The recording I have is tuned down 1/4 step.


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Me and Yates, an Army buddy of mine 
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We’re doing three years in Germany at the time 
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We came upon these Frauleins in a bar 
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Yates said, "Darf Ich sie begleiten?"; they said, "Ya." 
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(And "Darf Ich sie begleiten?" means, "Can we sit with you all?") 

Oh, we must have drunk ten quarts of German beer 
My conscience and my sinuses were clear 
I asked that Fraulein if she was a spy 
She said, "Nein, but Du bist ein bissel high." 
(A condition not uncommon to the American soldier) 

Well, later on I went to be excused 
When I returned I was a bit confused 
Yates and his Fraulein had hit the air 
Another guy was sitting in my chair 
(A young soldier whom we shall get to know better) 

I said, "Excuse me mister that's my seat 
I'd like to have it back sir if you please 
That girl's a nurse and I've been awful sick." 
The man looked up at me and said, "Mox Nix" 
(Which means that he was not overly concerned with my health) 


Key of F (F, Bb, C7)

Next thing I knew he had a switchblade knife 
Lord, I didn't know that Fraulein was his wife 
I took off through that Gasthaus like a fool 
Behind me I heard the crashing stools 
(As the police would say, he was in hot pursuit) 

Well, the waitress yelled, "There's MPs on the way!" 
That's one more reason I didn't want to stay 
As I went out the window something went "Swish" 
And I giggled all the way home knowing he'd missed 
(At the time it seemed like a laughing matter) 

But next morning my coat was lying there on the bunk 
And when I saw that coat it made me jump 
That man had cut my coat right down the back 
A little bit more and they'd-a-been playing me Taps 
(And knowing the sad nature of that song, I would decline it) 

Well, later on I heard that guy got stabbed 
They sent him home and didn't that make me glad 
On love and marriage I want to say one thing 
Oh, lady if you're married wear that ring 

And the Army has a new policy: If you can't move it, paint it 
If it has a switchblade knife, salute it 
Not necessarily an incident one would want to write Mother about 
Germany being full of good soldiers, and good people
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