The Captain chords by
Leonard Cohen

N/A•8 views•

Key: C major•

Verse 1

C

C

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G

G

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F

F

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C

C

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Now the Captain

G

G

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called me to his bed

F

F

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C

C

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He fumbled for my hand

F

F

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C

C

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"Take these silver bars," he said

G

G

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C

C

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"I'm giving you command."

"Command of what,

there's no one here

F

F

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C

C

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There's only you and me

G

G

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All the rest are dead or in retreat

F

F

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Or with the enemy."

C

C

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"Complain, complain,

G

G

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that's all you've done

F

F

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C

C

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Ever since we lost

F

F

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C

C

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If it's not the Crucifixion

G

G

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C

C

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Then it's the Holocaust."

"May Christ have mercy on your soul

F

F

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C

C

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For making such a joke

G

G

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Amid these hearts that burn like coal

F

F

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C

C

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And the flesh that rose like smoke."

Verse 2

C

C

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G

G

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"I know that you have suffered, lad,

F

F

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C

C

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But suffer this awhile:

F

F

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C

C

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Whatever makes a soldier sad

G

G

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C

C

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Will make a killer smile."

"I'm leaving, Captain, I must go

F

F

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C

C

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There's blood upon your hand

G

G

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But tell me, Captain, if you know

F

F

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C

C

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Of a decent place to stand."

Verse 3

C

C

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G

G

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"There is no decent place to stand

F

F

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C

C

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In a massacre;

F

F

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C

C

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But if a woman take your hand

G

G

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Go and stand with her."

C

C

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"I left a wife in Tennessee

F

F

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C

C

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And a baby in Saigon

G

G

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I risked my life, but not to hear

F

F

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Some country-western song."

C

C

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song."

Verse 4

C

C

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G

G

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"Ah but if you cannot raise your love

F

F

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To a very high degree,

C

C

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F

F

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Then you're just the man

C

C

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I've been thinking of

G

G

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C

C

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So come and stand with me."

"Your standing days are

done," I cried,

F

F

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C

C

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"You'll rally me no more.

G

G

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I don't even know what side

F

F

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C

C

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We fought on, or what for."

Verse 5

C

C

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G

G

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"I'm on the side that's always lost

F

F

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C

C

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Against the side of Heaven

F

F

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C

C

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I'm on the side of Snake-eyes tossed

tossed

G

G

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C

C

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Against the side of Seven.

And I've read the Bill of Human Rights

F

F

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C

C

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And some of it was true

G

G

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But there wasn't any burden left

F

F

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C

C

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So I'm laying it on you."

Verse 6

C

C

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G

G

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Now the Captain he was dying

F

F

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C

C

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But the Captain wasn't hurt

F

F

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C

C

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The silver bars were in my hand

G

G

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C

C

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I pinned them to my shirt.

Outro 1

C

C

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F

F

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C

C

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G

G

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F

F

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C

C

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G

G

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F

F

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C

C

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F

F

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C

C

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F

F

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C

C

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G

G

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C

C

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F

F

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An acoustic guitar head with tuning pegs

Tuning:Standard Open Tuner

E ₂

A ₂

D ₃

G ₃

B ₃

E ₄

Guitar Tuner 7 Strings

B ₁

E ₂

A ₂

D ₃

G ₃

B ₃

E ₄

Guitar Tuner 12 stringStandard

E ₃

E ₂

A ₃

A ₂

D ₄

D ₃

G ₄

G ₃

B ₃

B ₃

E ₄

E ₄

Guitar Tuner 6 stringPower

Guitar Tuner 6 stringOpen

Guitar Tuner 6 stringExtras

G ₄

C ₄

E ₄

A ₄

CavaquinhoStandard

D ₄

G ₄

B ₄

D ₅

E ₁

A ₁

D ₂

G ₂

Bass Tuner 5 Strings

B ₀

E ₁

A ₁

D ₂

G ₂

G ₃

D ₄

A ₄

E ₅

C ₃

G ₃

D ₄

A ₄

C ₂

G ₂

D ₃

A ₃

G ₃

D ₄

A ₄

E ₅

G ₃

G ₃

D ₄

D ₄

A ₄

A ₄

E ₅

E ₅

Balalaika Tuner

E ₄

E ₄

A ₄

G ₄

D ₃

G ₃

B ₃

D ₄

Banjo Tuner 4 Strings

C ₃

G ₃

D ₄

A ₄

An acoustic guitar head with tuning pegs

Tuning:Standard Open Tuner

E ₂

A ₂

D ₃

G ₃

B ₃

E ₄

Guitar Tuner 7 Strings

B ₁

E ₂

A ₂

D ₃

G ₃

B ₃

E ₄

Guitar Tuner 12 stringStandard

E ₃

E ₂

A ₃

A ₂

D ₄

D ₃

G ₄

G ₃

B ₃

B ₃

E ₄

E ₄

Guitar Tuner 6 stringPower

Guitar Tuner 6 stringOpen

Guitar Tuner 6 stringExtras

G ₄

C ₄

E ₄

A ₄

CavaquinhoStandard

D ₄

G ₄

B ₄

D ₅

E ₁

A ₁

D ₂

G ₂

Bass Tuner 5 Strings

B ₀

E ₁

A ₁

D ₂

G ₂

G ₃

D ₄

A ₄

E ₅

C ₃

G ₃

D ₄

A ₄

C ₂

G ₂

D ₃

A ₃

G ₃

D ₄

A ₄

E ₅

G ₃

G ₃

D ₄

D ₄

A ₄

A ₄

E ₅

E ₅

Balalaika Tuner

E ₄

E ₄

A ₄

G ₄

D ₃

G ₃

B ₃

D ₄

Banjo Tuner 4 Strings

C ₃

G ₃

D ₄

A ₄

Chords

C
G
F

Capo: 0

Transpose: 0

0

Autoscroll20%

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Frequently asked questions

The original key of The Captain by Leonard Cohen is C major.

The primary chords used in The Captain are C, G, F.

No capo is required for this song.

Yes, this version uses open chords like C, G, F, making it a great song for beginner guitarists.

The tempo of The Captain is approximately 125 beats per minute.

You can easily change the key of The Captain using our Transpose button located in the toolbar. This will automatically update all chord diagrams on the page to match your new key.

Yes! Click the Print icon to generate a clean, one-page version of the chords and lyrics for The Captain. This is perfect for practicing offline or adding to a physical songbook.

Yes, we have integrated a Mini-Tuner directly on this page. Use it to quickly check your string pitch (Standard Tuning: E A D G B E) before you start playing along with Leonard Cohen.

Absolutely. Click the Save or Heart icon to add The Captain to your account. You can access all your saved songs under My Library at any time.

You can view the full chord sheet and lyrics for The Captain by Leonard Cohen on this page for free. We provide high-quality, verified chords to help you start playing immediately.