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The Sad Café

Chords

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Lyrics & ChordsClick chords to see diagrams

  Bm7b57x776x
[Intro]
A    Dm    E      A
A    Dm    E  E7  A
A    Dm    E      A
A    Dm7   E  E7  A
[Verse 1]
  AOut in the Dmshiny night, Ethe rain was softly Afalling
  ATracks that ran down Dmthe boulevard Ehad all been E7washed aAway
  AOut of the Dmsilver light, Ethe past came softly Acalling
  AAnd I remember the Dmtimes we spent Einside the E7Sad CafAé
[Verse 2]
  AOh, it seemed like a Dmholy place, Eprotected by aAmazing grace
  AAnd we would sing Dmright out loud, Ethe things we E7could not Asay
  AWe thought we could Dmchange this world Ewith words like "love" and "Afreedom"
  AWe were part of the Bm7b5lonely crowd Einside the E7Sad CafAé
[Chorus]
F#mOh, expecting to C#m7fly
We would F#mmeet on that beautiful shore in the sweet by and BmbyE  
[Verse 3]
  ASome of their Dmdreams came true, Esome just passed aAway
  AAnd some of them Bm7b5stayed behind, Einside the E7Sad CafAé
[Acoustic Solo]
A     Dm     E      A
A     Bm7b5  E  E7  A
[Bridge]
The Esus4clouds rolled Ein and Esus4hid that Eshore
Esus4Now that EGlory Train, it Esus4don't stop here no Emore
     Dsus4Now I look at the Dyears gone by and Dsus4wonder at the powers that Dbe
     Esus4I don't know why fortune Esmiles on some    Esus4and lets the rest go Efree
[Verse 4]
MmmmmmAm   Maybe the Dmtime has drawn Ethe faces I reAcall
  ABut things in this life chaDmnge very slowly if Ethey eE7ver change at Aall
  ANo use in Dmasking why,   Eit just turned out that Away
  ASo meet me at Bm7b5midnight baby Einside the E7Sad CafAé
  AWhy don't you meet me at Bm7b5midnight, baby, Einside the E7Sad CafAé
[Outro]
    A    Bm7b5    E    E7      Ax8
(fade out)

The story behind the song

"The Sad Café" is a gentle ballad from the Eagles' 1979 album, The Long Run. The song looks back at the optimism of young musicians in Los Angeles, contrasting it with the bitterness and loss felt years later. It expresses a sense of nostalgia for the past, with one of its writers stating it's about "losing your innocence." The song draws inspiration from both a real restaurant, Dan Tana's, and the Troubadour nightclub, a place where the band played early in their career.

AI-written from these sources:The Sad Café — Wikipedia ↗Eagles (band) — Wikipedia ↗

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Chord Book

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The Sad Café

by Eagles

Lyrics & chords · Original key

Bm7b5

7x776x

[Intro]

A Dm E A

A Dm E E7 A

A Dm E A

A Dm7 E E7 A

[Verse 1]

A Dm E A

Out in the shiny night, the rain was softly falling

A Dm E E7 A

Tracks that ran down the boulevard had all been washed away

A Dm E A

Out of the silver light, the past came softly calling

A Dm E E7 A

And I remember the times we spent inside the Sad Café

[Verse 2]

A Dm E A

Oh, it seemed like a holy place, protected by amazing grace

A Dm E E7 A

And we would sing right out loud, the things we could not say

A Dm E A

We thought we could change this world with words like "love" and "freedom"

A Bm7b5 E E7 A

We were part of the lonely crowd inside the Sad Café

[Chorus]

F#m C#m7

Oh, expecting to fly

F#m Bm E

We would meet on that beautiful shore in the sweet by and by

[Verse 3]

A Dm E A

Some of their dreams came true, some just passed away

A Bm7b5 E E7 A

And some of them stayed behind, inside the Sad Café

[Acoustic Solo]

A Dm E A

A Bm7b5 E E7 A

[Bridge]

Esus4 E Esus4 E

The clouds rolled in and hid that shore

Esus4 E Esus4 E

Now that Glory Train, it don't stop here no more

Dsus4 D Dsus4 D

Now I look at the years gone by and wonder at the powers that be

Esus4 E Esus4 E

I don't know why fortune smiles on some and lets the rest go free

[Verse 4]

A Dm E A

Mmmmmmm Maybe the time has drawn the faces I recall

A Dm E E7 A

But things in this life change very slowly if they ever change at all

A Dm E A

No use in asking why, it just turned out that way

A Bm7b5 E E7 A

So meet me at midnight baby inside the Sad Café

A Bm7b5 E E7 A

Why don't you meet me at midnight, baby, inside the Sad Café

[Outro]

A Bm7b5 E E7 A

(fade out)

About The Sad Café Tab by Eagles

Learn how to play The Sad Café by Eagles with free guitar tab, lyrics, and interactive chord diagrams. Search for “The Sad Café chords”, “The Sad Café guitar chords”, or “Eagles The Sad Café chords” and you will find this page — transpose to any key, tap chords for diagrams, and use auto-scroll while you play. Perfect for beginners looking for easy The Sad Café chords and for experienced players who want accurate The Sad Café lyrics and chords in one place. Common chords in this song include Bm7b5, A, Dm, E, E7, Dm7.

FAQ — The Sad Café by Eagles

How do I play "The Sad Café" by Eagles on guitar?

Open the free tab for "The Sad Café" by Eagles on Free Chord Book. Tap any chord to see its diagram, use transpose to change the key, and turn on auto-scroll to play hands-free.

Are the tab for "The Sad Café" by Eagles free?

Yes. The tab for "The Sad Café" by Eagles are 100% free on Free Chord Book — no sign-up required.

Can I transpose "The Sad Café" to a different key?

Yes. Use the transpose buttons on the song page to shift "The Sad Café" up or down by half-steps so it matches your vocal range or capo position.

Can I see chord diagrams for "The Sad Café"?

Yes. Tap any chord in "The Sad Café" to instantly see an interactive guitar chord diagram with alternate fingerings.

Is "The Sad Café" easy to play on guitar?

Many players learn "The Sad Café" by Eagles with our free tab. Use transpose and chord diagrams to simplify tricky shapes, and browse related songs by Eagles below.

What key is "The Sad Café" in?

The tab for "The Sad Café" show the original chord names (including Bm7b5, A, Dm, E, E7, Dm7). Use transpose to move the song into any key that fits your voice or capo.