Leonard Cohen – The Stranger Song (Guitar Intro)

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Chords

[Intro] C C+9 C C+9 G Am A5 Am Asus4 Am A5 Am Em Em7 Em
D Dsus2 D Dsus4 D Dsus2 D Em Em D Dsus2 D Dsus4 D Dsus2 D Em Em Em

[Verse 1]

     C                 C+9     C        G
It's true that all the men you knew were dealers

                                Am
Who said they were through with dealing

                         Em      Em7  Em
Every time you gave them shelter

  D
I know that kind of man

             Em
It's hard to hold the hand of anyone

       D                               Em
Who is reaching for the sky just to surrender

       D                               Em        Em7  Em   Em7  Em
Who is reaching for the sky just to surrender
[Verse 2]
         C                C+9   C       G
And then sweeping up the jokers that he left behind

                    Am
You find he did not leave you very much

         Em       Em7  Em
Not even laughter

     D                          Em
Like any dealer he was watching for the card

                    D
That is so high and wild

                         Em
He'll never need to deal another

       D                              Em
He was just some Joseph looking for a manger

        D                             Em     Em7  Em Em7  Em
He was just some Joseph looking for a manger
[Verse 3]
         C               C+9    C
And then leaning on your window sill

      G
He'll say one day you caused his will

   Am                                     Em
To weaken with your love and warmth and shelter

         D
And then taking from his wallet

   Em
An old schedule of trains, he'll say

  D                            Em
I told you when I came I was a stranger

  D                            Em     Em7  Em Em7  Em
I told you when I came I was a stranger
[Verse 4]
    C           C+9      C         G
But now another stranger seems  To want you to ignore his dreams

   Am                                  Em
As though they were the burden of some other

         D
O you've seen that man before

    Em
His golden arm dispatching cards

    D                                     Em
But now it's rusted from the elbow to the finger

       D                                    Em
And he wants to trade the game he plays for shelter

       D                                    Em     Em7  Em Em7  Em
Yes he wants to trade the game he knows for shelter
[Verse 5]
       C             C+9     C     G
Ah you hate to watch another tired man Lay down his hand

            Am                         Em
Like he was giving up the holy game of poker

    D
And while he talks his dreams to sleep

    Em
You notice there's a highway

        D                               Em
That is curling up like smoke above his shoulder

     D                                 Em     Em7  Em Em7  Em
It's curling just like smoke above his shoulder
[Verse 6]
     C               C+9    C    G
You tell him to come in sit down But something makes you turn around

    Am                                Em
The door is open you can't close your shelter

    D
You try the handle of the road

   Em
It opens do not be afraid

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

     D                            Em
It's you my love, you who are the stranger
[Verse 7]
      C                  C+9   C          G                                     Am
Well, I've been waiting, I was sure  We'd meet between the trains we're waiting for

                            Em
I think it's time to board another

       D                         Em
Please understand, I never had a secret chart

                 D
To get me to the heart of this

             Em
Or any other matter

        D                                        Em
When he talks like this you don't know what he's after

        D                                          Em     Em7  Em Em7  Em
When he speaks like this, you don't know what he's after
[Verse 8]
       C            C+9    C        G
Let's meet tomorrow if you choose Upon the shore, beneath the bridge

     Am                                Em
That they are building on some endless river

        D
Then he leaves the platform

                 Em
For the sleeping car that's warm

                  D                         Em
You realize, he's only advertising one more shelter

       D                            Em
And it comes to you, he never was a stranger Em     Em7  Em Em7  EmEm
And you say okay the bridge or someplace later [Verse 9]
         C                C+9   C       G
And then sweeping up the jokers that he left behind

                    Am
You find he did not leave you very much

         Em       Em7  Em
Not even laughter

     D                          Em
Like any dealer he was watching for the card

                    D
That is so high and wild

                         Em
He'll never need to deal another

       D                              Em
He was just some Joseph looking for a manger

        D                             Em     Em7  Em Em7  Em
He was just some Joseph looking for a manger
[Verse 10]
         C               C+9    C
And then leaning on your window sill

      G
He'll say one day you caused his will

   Am                                     Em
To weaken with your love and warmth and shelter

         D
And then taking from his wallet

   Em
An old schedule of trains, he'll say

  D                            Em        Em7  Em
I told you when I came I was a stranger

  D                            Em        Em7  Em
I told you when I came I was a stranger
[Outro]
   D                           Em        Em7  Em
I told you when I came I was a stranger

   D                           Em        Em7  Em  Em7  Em  Em7  Em
I told you when I came I was a stranger...