Chords & lyrics

The Stranger Song Chords

Music by: Leonard Cohen · 1967
Genre Folk / World Views 253
0
Guitar

Lyrics & chords

[Intro 1]
[Em][Em]

[Verse 1]
It's [C]true that all the [Bb]men you k[C]new
were [G]dealers
Who said they were through with [D]dealing
Every time you gave them [Em]shelter
I [D]know that kind of man, it's hard
[Em]to hold the hand of anyone
Who is [D]reaching for the sky just to sur[Em]render
Who is [D]reaching for the sky just to sur[Em]render

[Verse 2]
And then [C]sweeping up the [Bb]jokers
[C]that he lef[G]t behind
You find he did not [D]leave you very much,
not even [Em]laughter
Like [D]any dealer he was watching
[Em]for the card that is so high and w[D]ild
He'll never need to deal anoth[Em]er
He was [D]just some Joseph looking
for a [Em]manger
He was [D]just some Joseph looking
for a [Em]manger

[Verse 3]
And then [C]leaning on your [Bb]window [C]sill
He'll [G]say one day you caused his will
To [D]weaken with your love
and warmth and [Em]shelter
And then [D]taking from his wallet
An old [Em]schedule of trains, he'll say
I [D]told you when I came I was a [Em]stranger
I [D]told you when I came I was a [Em]stranger

[Verse 4]
But [C]now another [Bb]stranger [C]seems
To [G]want you to ignore his dreams
As [D]though they were the burden of
some oth[Em]er
Oh, you've [D]seen that man before
His golden [Em]arm dispatching cards
But now it's [D]rusted
from the elbows to the [Em]finger
And he [D]wants to trade the game
he plays for [Em]shelter
Yes, he [D]wants to trade the game
he knows for [Em]shelter

[Verse 5]
Ah, you [C]hate to watch a[Bb]nother [C]tired [G]man
Lay down his hand
like he was [D]giving up the holy game of [Em]poker
And [D]while he talks his dreams
to sleep you [Em]notice there's a highway
That is [D]curling up like smoke
above his [Em]shoulder
It's [D]curling just like smoke
above his [Em]shoulder

[Verse 6]
You [C]tell him to come [Bb]in sit do[C]wn
But [G]something makes you turn around
The [D]door is open you can't close your [Em]shelter
You [D]try the handle of the road,
it o[Em]pens, do not be afraid
It's [D]you my love, you who are the [Em]stranger
It is [D]you my love, you who are the [Em]stranger

[Verse 7]
Well, [C]I've been waiting, [Bb]I was sur[C]e
We'd [G]meet between
the trains we're waiting [D]for
I think it's time to board a[Em]nother
Please [D]understand,
I never had a [Em]secret chart
To get me to the [D]heart of this
or any other [Em]matter
Well, he [D]talks like this
you don't know what he's [Em]after
When he [D]speaks like this
you don't know what he's [Em]after

[Verse 8]
Let's [C]meet tomorrow [Bb]if you c[C]hoose
Up[G]on the shore, beneath the bridge
That [D]they are building on some endless [Em]river
Then he [D]leaves the platform
for the sleeping [Em]car that's warm
You realize, he's [D]only advertising
one more [Em]shelter
And it [D]comes to you, he never was a [Em]stranger
And you [D]say okay,
the bridge or some[Em]place later

[Verse 9]
And then [C]sweeping up the [Bb]jokers[C]
that he [G]left behind
You find he did not [D]leave you very much,
not even [Em]laughter
Like [D]any dealer he was watching
[Em]for the card that is so high and w[D]ild
He'll never need to deal anoth[Em]er
He was [D]just some Joseph looking
for a [Em]manger
He was [D]just some Joseph looking
for a [Em]manger

[Verse 10]
And [C]leaning on your [Bb]window [C]sill
He'll [G]say one day you caused his will
To [D]weaken with your love
and warmth and [Em]shelter
And then [D]taking from his wallet
An old [Em]schedule of trains, he'll say
I [D]told you when I came I was a stran[Em]ger
I [D]told you when I came I was a stran[Em]ger
I [D]told you when I came I was a stran[Em]ger
I [D]told you when I came I was a stran[Em]ger
[Fade out]
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93 BPM