Intro
F A# F Dm A# F C F
[Verse]
F A# F
Back in June 1940 so history books say
Dm A# F
a young suburban fellow named Ronald Wade
F A# F
raised up his hand and enlisted his name
Dm A# F
to fight the good fight of the day
Dm A# A7 Dm
the battalion moved north training next on the course
A# F C
Wangaratta proud to call them their own
A# C F Dm
and they moved on together .. to camp Bonegilla
A# C F
while the Strathmore was waiting at bay
[Interlude]
F A# F Dm A# F C F
[Verse]
F A# F
The battalion embarked and sailed off on their way
Dm A# F
bound for Tobruk, Guinea and El Alemain
F A# F
and the souls of these brave men were never the same
Dm A# F
as they carried the wounded and slain
Dm A# A7 Dm
and as shells pounded down with death felt all around
A# F C
young Ronald's demeanour retained
A# C F Dm
and with drinks all around those boys painted the town
A# C F
just to celebrate waking that day
[Interlude]
Dm A7 A# F A7 Dm G C A7 Dm A# C F
F A# F
And the rats wouldn't stray they kept fighting
F A# C
and their spirits march on to this day
A# C F Dm
with the enemy scared every rat was prepared
A# C F
to lay his life down for a mate
[Interlude]
F A# F Dm A# F C F
[Verse]
F A# F
The men charged on forward as battlefields raged \
Dm A# F
Rommel was stunned as they dug in again
F A# F
they fought side by side but their fate was unchanged
Dm A# F
their chances were slipping away
Dm A# A7 Dm
and the enemy's tanks blew but one man to hell
A# F C
our mate Rover never would tell
A# C F Dm
the story of how he survived on that day
A# C F
as he watched eight comrades as they fell
[Interlude]
Dm A7 A# F A7 Dm G C A7 Dm A# C F
[Bridge]
Dm A7
And the feeling of being marched into that camp
A# F
was like being dragged down to hell
Dm A7 A# F
with a last swing of faith Ronald's chains were replaced
A A7 Dm
with a gruelling crawl to friendly faces
A# F
with a keener forehand and fine rhythm this man
A7 Dm
made his way back to his homeland
A# F
though the telegram said our mate Rover was dead
C7 A# F
here stood that tough little bastard
[Verse]
A# F
Cross the sea .. through the war
C7 A# F
old mate is back on our shores
A# F
things they'd seen .. fights they'd fought
C7 A# F A# F C7 A# F
Rover out-roved the war
F A# F
And the rats wouldn't stray they kept fighting
F A# C
and their spirits march on to this day
A# C F Dm
now the good fight was won all those brave men were sung
A# C F
as the heroes that helped save Australia