I've been looking for the chords to this epic song for a while, but no luck, so I decided to figure it myself. Finally done - not sure it's 100% correct, but almost there, I guess. I've put the entire chords and lyrics on a page on my website. I'll use MCP's tune identifiers here.

THE IRON MAN
(Tom Paxton)

      Asus2                     Dsus2
  The orders came, the midnight rain
      Asus2                   Dsus2
  Was driving down the window pane. 
       Asus2                      Dsus2  
  They rose like cattle, mess-kit rattle
  Fmaj7                 E      Asus2
  Showed them green and new to battle. [A]
  
  
  Asus2
  Out on the road, the mud knee-high,
      Dsus2
  The tortured trucks were slithering by.
  Asus2
  Toward the ruptured, shattered sky,
       F                  Em       Asus2
  They strove - it hardly mattered why. [B]
  
  
       Asus2
  He's right, the song has just begun. 
       Gadd9
  We'd never kill a man so young.
       F
  He's right, the song has just begun. 
       F#dim               Asus2
  We'd never kill a man so young. [C]
  
  
  A                        D            A
  Winter came early to the house on the hill,
           D        A
  Frost to wind and snow.
                             D          A
  The builders looked at its unfinished frame,
  G    D/F#      E
  Then turned to go.
    A                   D       A
  A small foundation, a pile of sand,
                      D          A
  A rusty hammer in a cold, cold hand.
     D                            A
  It wasn't a big house that they planned,
                            E           A
  But winter came early and winter came hard. [D]
  
  
  Dm
  Frost on the blankets of the strong boys' room.
  
  Heat for the sissies, for the prep-school pansies.
  
  Ice cold showers for the cool platoon.
                         F Dm
  Once a month a card to momma. [E]
  
  
  D                     C  G/B       A   D
  Play me the taps, the quadrangle's sleeping.
                       C   G/B     A  D
  Here in his rack, my roommate is weeping.
  G             D     G           D
  Someone is weeping; I'll be all right.
      G          D
  Goodnight, goodnight. [F]
  
  
  G           C/G     G
  Angie, from where I stand,
                        C/G     G
  The water breaks on a spit of sand,
  D7/F#
  How does it survive?
  
  Angie, for all I know,
  
  The sand is tired and ready to go,
       G                D7/F#
  It's less than alive.
      Em
  But you, so ready to leave,
                                                 D7/F#
  The first trembling leaf to break loose in the fall.
  
  Angie, so ready to fly,
  
  Is there time to ask why?
                      G    D7/F#
  Is there no time at all?
  Em                                Am
  Or, is there nothing hidden I can blame?
  D                      G
  Angie, if Angie's your name. [G]
  
  
  Em
  Angie, I was getting along;
  G
  Nothing quite right, but nothing too wrong;
           D7/F#
  I didn't know you existed.
  
  I ran my life like a safe machine,
  
  Lost myself in a safe routine,
      G            D7/F#    Em
  But now it's all twisted.
                      Am
  With my hand on the knife
                     G
  For the rest of my life. [H]
  

I think part "D" is the only part in 3/4 time. The rest of the song are all in 4/4.

Not my favorite Tom Paxton song, but it's indeed interesting. The "Angie" part is fabulous.

Jason