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Southern Cross

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Lyrics & ChordsClick chords to see diagrams

Southern Cross chords
Capo II *
G G  F F  C C C C
G G  F F  C C C G
Got out of Gtown on a Fboat goin' to southern Cislands.
Sailing a Greach beFfore a following Csea.
She was Gmaking for the Ftrades on the Coutside,
And the Gdownhill Frun to PapeeCte.
Off the Gwind on this Fheading lie the CMarquesas.
We got Geighty feet of Fwaterline Cnicely Ammaking Gway.
In a Gnoisy bar in FAvalon, I tried to Ccall you,
But on a Gmidnight watch I Frealized why Ctwice you Amran aGway. (Gthink about)
FThink about how Cmany times FI have Gfallen.
 FSpirits are Cusing me; Flarger voices Gcallin'.
 FWhat heaven brought Cyou and me Fcannot be forGgotten.
I have been CarouFnd the Gworld, Clookin' for that Fwoman-Ggirl
Who Cknows love Fcan enGdure.
And you know it GwiGll.F  F  C  C  C  C  
And you know it GwiGllF  F  C  C  C  G  
When you Gsee the Southern FCross for the Cfirst time,
You Gunderstand now Fwhy you came this Cway.
'Cause the Gtruth you might be Frunnin' from is Cso small,
But it's as Gbig as the Fpromise, the Cpromise of a Amcomin' Gday.
So I'm Gsailing for Ftomorrow. My dreams are a-Cdying.
And my Glove is an Fanchor tied to you, Ctied with a Amsilver Gchain.
I have my ship, and Fall her flags are a-Cflying.
She is Gall that I have Fleft, and Cmusic Amis her Gname. (Gthink about)
FThink about how Cmany times FI have Gfallen.
 FSpirits are Cusing me; Flarger voices Gcallin'.
 FWhat heaven brought Cyou and me Fcannot be forgGotten.
I have been CarouFnd the Gworld, Clookin' for that Fwoman-Ggirl
Who Cknows love Fcan endGure.
And you know it GwiGll.F  F  C  C  C  C  
And you know it GwiGllF  F  C  C  C  G  
G F C  G F C Am G  G F C  G F C Am G
So we Gcheated and we Flied and we Ctested.
And we Gnever failed to Ffail; it was the Ceasiest Amthing to Gdo.
GYou will surFvive being Cbested.
GSomebody fine will Fcome along make me Cforget about Amloving Gyou
                 G    G   F    F   C   C   C    C\   G    G   F    F   C   C    C  G  
In the Southern Cross.
  G= A  
  F= G  
  C= D  
 Am= Bm  
Capo V
  G= E  
  F= D  
  C= A  
 Am= F#m  
Open (These chords are not in the original key)
  G= D  
  F= C  
  C= G  
 Am= Em  
Open (These chords are not in the original key)
  G= C  
  F= Bb  
  C= F  
 Am= Dm  
Set8

All chords in this song (12)

The story behind the song

"Southern Cross" finds its heart in the healing power of the natural world, particularly the sea, after a relationship has ended. It tells of a journey by boat to southern islands, a restless attempt to call someone from a noisy bar, and the quiet hope that someone new will eventually make the memory of loving you fade. Written by Stephen Stills, Rick Curtis, and Michael Curtis, this song from Crosby, Stills & Nash's Daylight Again album, released in 1982, became a staple for its theme of finding solace in motion and the vastness of the ocean. It captures the bittersweet feeling of moving on, propelled by the wind and the promise of a new horizon.

AI-written from these sources:Southern Cross (Crosby, Stills and Nash song) — Wikipedia ↗Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young — Wikipedia ↗MusicBrainz ↗

Story time

Southern Cross

Southern Cross

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Southern Cross

by Crosby, Stills & Nash

Lyrics & chords · Original key · Capo on fret 2 (as written in this song)

Chords in this song · guitar

F#m

Southern Cross chords

Capo II *

G G F F C C C C

G G F F C C C G

G F C

Got out of town on a boat goin' to southern islands.

G F C

Sailing a reach before a following sea.

G F C

She was making for the trades on the outside,

G F C

And the downhill run to Papeete.

G F C

Off the wind on this heading lie the Marquesas.

G F C Am G

We got eighty feet of waterline nicely making way.

G F C

In a noisy bar in Avalon, I tried to call you,

G F C Am G G

But on a midnight watch I realized why twice you ran away. (think about)

F C F G

Think about how many times I have fallen.

F C F G

Spirits are using me; larger voices callin'.

F C F G

What heaven brought you and me cannot be forgotten.

C F G C F G

I have been around the world, lookin' for that woman-girl

C F G

Who knows love can endure.

G G F F C C C C

And you know it will.

G G F F C C C G

And you know it will

G F C

When you see the Southern Cross for the first time,

G F C

You understand now why you came this way.

G F C

'Cause the truth you might be runnin' from is so small,

G F C Am G

But it's as big as the promise, the promise of a comin' day.

G F C

So I'm sailing for tomorrow. My dreams are a-dying.

G F C Am G

And my love is an anchor tied to you, tied with a silver chain.

F C

I have my ship, and all her flags are a-flying.

G F C Am G G

She is all that I have left, and music is her name. (think about)

F C F G

Think about how many times I have fallen.

F C F G

Spirits are using me; larger voices callin'.

F C F G

What heaven brought you and me cannot be forgotten.

C F G C F G

I have been around the world, lookin' for that woman-girl

C F G

Who knows love can endure.

G G F F C C C C

And you know it will.

G G F F C C C G

And you know it will

G F C G F C Am G G F C G F C Am G

G F C

So we cheated and we lied and we tested.

G F C Am G

And we never failed to fail; it was the easiest thing to do.

G F C

You will survive being bested.

G F C Am G

Somebody fine will come along make me forget about loving you

G G F F C C C C G G F F C C C G

In the Southern Cross.

G A

F G

C D

Am Bm

Capo V

G E

F D

C A

Am F#m

Open (These chords are not in the original key)

G D

F C

C G

Am Em

Open (These chords are not in the original key)

G C

F Bb

C F

Am Dm

Set8

About Southern Cross Chords by Crosby, Stills & Nash

Learn how to play Southern Cross by Crosby, Stills & Nash with free guitar chords, lyrics, and interactive chord diagrams. Search for “Southern Cross chords”, “Southern Cross guitar chords”, or “Crosby, Stills & Nash Southern Cross 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 Southern Cross chords and for experienced players who want accurate Southern Cross lyrics and chords in one place. Common chords in this song include G, F, C, Am, A, D.

FAQ — Southern Cross by Crosby, Stills & Nash

How do I play "Southern Cross" by Crosby, Stills & Nash on guitar?

Open the free chords for "Southern Cross" by Crosby, Stills & Nash 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 chords for "Southern Cross" by Crosby, Stills & Nash free?

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Can I transpose "Southern Cross" to a different key?

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

Can I see chord diagrams for "Southern Cross"?

Yes. Tap any chord in "Southern Cross" to instantly see an interactive guitar chord diagram with alternate fingerings.

Is "Southern Cross" easy to play on guitar?

Many players learn "Southern Cross" by Crosby, Stills & Nash with our free chords. Use transpose and chord diagrams to simplify tricky shapes, and browse related songs by Crosby, Stills & Nash below.

What key is "Southern Cross" in?

The chords for "Southern Cross" show the original chord names (including G, F, C, Am, A, D). Use transpose to move the song into any key that fits your voice or capo.