The Stranger Song

The Stranger Song easy guitar chords by Leonard Cohen

1967Folk
Guitar
Tuning

E A D G B E

Capo

No capo

Capo

Transpose

0

Capo
  • Em

  • C

  • Bb

  • G

  • D

  • Em

  • C

  • Bb

  • G

  • D

  • Intro 1

    Verse 1
    It's 
    true 
    that 
    all 
    the 
    men 
    you 
    knew 

    were 
    dealers 

    Who 
    said 
    they 
    were 
    through 
    with 
    dealing 

    Every 
    time 
    you 
    gave 
    them 
    shelter 

    know 
    that 
    kind 
    of 
    man, 
    it's 
    hard 

    to 
    hold 
    the 
    hand 
    of 
    anyone 

    Who 
    is 
    reaching 
    for 
    the 
    sky 
    just 
    to 
    sur
    render 

    Who 
    is 
    reaching 
    for 
    the 
    sky 
    just 
    to 
    sur
    render 

    Verse 2
    And 
    then 
    sweeping 
    up 
    the 
    jokers 

    that 
    he 
    left 
    behind 

    You 
    find 
    he 
    did 
    not 
    leave 
    you 
    very 
    much, 

    not 
    even 
    laughter 

    Like 
    any 
    dealer 
    he 
    was 
    watching 

    for 
    the 
    card 
    that 
    is 
    so 
    high 
    and 
    wild 

    He'll 
    never 
    need 
    to 
    deal 
    anoth
    er 

    He 
    was 
    just 
    some 
    Joseph 
    looking 

    for 
    manger 

    He 
    was 
    just 
    some 
    Joseph 
    looking 

    for 
    manger 

    Verse 3
    And 
    then 
    leaning 
    on 
    your 
    window 
    sill 

    He'll 
    say 
    one 
    day 
    you 
    caused 
    his 
    will 

    To 
    weaken 
    with 
    your 
    love 

    and 
    warmth 
    and 
    shelter 

    And 
    then 
    taking 
    from 
    his 
    wallet 

    An 
    old 
    schedule 
    of 
    trains, 
    he'll 
    say 

    told 
    you 
    when 
    came 
    was 
    stranger 

    told 
    you 
    when 
    came 
    was 
    stranger 

    Verse 4
    But 
    now 
    another 
    stranger 
    seems 

    To 
    want 
    you 
    to 
    ignore 
    his 
    dreams 

    As 
    though 
    they 
    were 
    the 
    burden 
    of 

    some 
    oth
    er 

    Oh, 
    you've 
    seen 
    that 
    man 
    before 

    His 
    golden 
    arm 
    dispatching 
    cards 

    But 
    now 
    it's 
    rusted 

    from 
    the 
    elbows 
    to 
    the 
    finger 

    And 
    he 
    wants 
    to 
    trade 
    the 
    game 

    he 
    plays 
    for 
    shelter 

    Yes, 
    he 
    wants 
    to 
    trade 
    the 
    game 

    he 
    knows 
    for 
    shelter 

    Verse 5
    Ah, 
    you 
    hate 
    to 
    watch 
    a
    nother 
    tired 
    man 

    Lay 
    down 
    his 
    hand 

    like 
    he 
    was 
    giving 
    up 
    the 
    holy 
    game 
    of 
    poker 

    And 
    while 
    he 
    talks 
    his 
    dreams 

    to 
    sleep 
    you 
    notice 
    there's 
    highway 

    That 
    is 
    curling 
    up 
    like 
    smoke 

    above 
    his 
    shoulder 

    It's 
    curling 
    just 
    like 
    smoke 

    above 
    his 
    shoulder 

    Verse 6
    You 
    tell 
    him 
    to 
    come 
    in 
    sit 
    down 

    But 
    something 
    makes 
    you 
    turn 
    around 

    The 
    door 
    is 
    open 
    you 
    can't 
    close 
    your 
    shelter 

    You 
    try 
    the 
    handle 
    of 
    the 
    road, 

    it 
    o
    pens, 
    do 
    not 
    be 
    afraid 

    It's 
    you 
    my 
    love, 
    you 
    who 
    are 
    the 
    stranger 

    It 
    is 
    you 
    my 
    love, 
    you 
    who 
    are 
    the 
    stranger 

    Verse 7
    Well, 
    I've 
    been 
    waiting, 
    was 
    sure 

    We'd 
    meet 
    between 

    the 
    trains 
    we're 
    waiting 
    for 

    think 
    it's 
    time 
    to 
    board 
    a
    nother 

    Please 
    understand, 

    never 
    had 
    secret 
    chart 

    To 
    get 
    me 
    to 
    the 
    heart 
    of 
    this 

    or 
    any 
    other 
    matter 

    Well, 
    he 
    talks 
    like 
    this 

    you 
    don't 
    know 
    what 
    he's 
    after 

    When 
    he 
    speaks 
    like 
    this 

    you 
    don't 
    know 
    what 
    he's 
    after 

    Verse 8
    Let's 
    meet 
    tomorrow 
    if 
    you 
    choose 

    Up
    on 
    the 
    shore, 
    beneath 
    the 
    bridge 

    That 
    they 
    are 
    building 
    on 
    some 
    endless 
    river 

    Then 
    he 
    leaves 
    the 
    platform 

    for 
    the 
    sleeping 
    car 
    that's 
    warm 

    You 
    realize, 
    he's 
    only 
    advertising 

    one 
    more 
    shelter 

    And 
    it 
    comes 
    to 
    you, 
    he 
    never 
    was 
    stranger 

    And 
    you 
    say 
    okay, 

    the 
    bridge 
    or 
    some
    place 
    later 

    Verse 9
    And 
    then 
    sweeping 
    up 
    the 
    jokers 

    that 
    he 
    left 
    behind 

    You 
    find 
    he 
    did 
    not 
    leave 
    you 
    very 
    much, 

    not 
    even 
    laughter 

    Like 
    any 
    dealer 
    he 
    was 
    watching 

    for 
    the 
    card 
    that 
    is 
    so 
    high 
    and 
    wild 

    He'll 
    never 
    need 
    to 
    deal 
    anoth
    er 

    He 
    was 
    just 
    some 
    Joseph 
    looking 

    for 
    manger 

    He 
    was 
    just 
    some 
    Joseph 
    looking 

    for 
    manger 

    Verse 10
    And 
    leaning 
    on 
    your 
    window 
    sill 

    He'll 
    say 
    one 
    day 
    you 
    caused 
    his 
    will 

    To 
    weaken 
    with 
    your 
    love 

    and 
    warmth 
    and 
    shelter 

    And 
    then 
    taking 
    from 
    his 
    wallet 

    An 
    old 
    schedule 
    of 
    trains, 
    he'll 
    say 

    told 
    you 
    when 
    came 
    was 
    stran
    ger 

    told 
    you 
    when 
    came 
    was 
    stran
    ger 

    told 
    you 
    when 
    came 
    was 
    stran
    ger 

    told 
    you 
    when 
    came 
    was 
    stran
    ger 

    [Fade 
    out] 
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