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The Traitor

Chords

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CNow the Swan it floaFted on the English rivCer
Ah the CRose of High FRomance it opened Cwide
A Esun tanned woman Amyearned me through the FsummerC  
and the Gjudges watched us Ffrom the other Cside
CI told my mother FMother I must leave Cyou
Cpreserve my room but Fdo not shed a Ctear
Should Erumour of a Amshabby ending reacFh youC  
it was Ghalf my fault and Fhalf the atmoCsphere
But the CRose I sickened Fwith a scarlet Cfever
and the CSwan I tempted Fwith a sense of Cshame
She Esaid at last I Amwas her finest FloverC  
and Dif she withered I would be to Eblame
The Cjudges said you Fmissed it by a fCraction
Crise up and brace your tFroops for the aCttack
Ah the Edreamers ride aAmgainst the men of FactionC  
Oh Gsee the men of Faction falling Cback
But I Clingered on her tFhighs a fatal mComent
I Ckissed her lips as Fthough I thirsted Cstill
My Efalsity had Amstung me like a FhornetC  
The Gpoison sank and it Fparalysed my Cwill
I Ccould not move to Fwarn all the younger sColdiers
that Cthey had been Fdeserted from Cabove
So on Ebattlefields from Amhere to BarcelFonaC  
I'm Dlisted with the enemies of Elove
And Clong ago she Fsaid I must be lCeaving,
Ah but Ckeep my body Fhere to lie Cupon
You can Emove it up and dAmown and when I'm sFleepingC  
Run some Gwire through that FRose and wind the CSwan
So Cdaily I Frenew my idle dCuty
I Ctouch her here and Fthere, I know my pClace
I Ekiss her open Ammouth and I praise her FbeautyC  
and Gpeople call me traitFor to my face C  

All chords in this song (6)

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The Traitor

by Leonard Cohen

Lyrics & chords · Original key

Chords in this song · guitar

C F C

Now the Swan it floated on the English river

C F C

Ah the Rose of High Romance it opened wide

E Am F C

A sun tanned woman yearned me through the summer

G F C

and the judges watched us from the other side

C F C

I told my mother Mother I must leave you

C F C

preserve my room but do not shed a tear

E Am F C

Should rumour of a shabby ending reach you

G F C

it was half my fault and half the atmosphere

C F C

But the Rose I sickened with a scarlet fever

C F C

and the Swan I tempted with a sense of shame

E Am F C

She said at last I was her finest lover

D E

and if she withered I would be to blame

C F C

The judges said you missed it by a fraction

C F C

rise up and brace your troops for the attack

E Am F C

Ah the dreamers ride against the men of action

G F C

Oh see the men of action falling back

C F C

But I lingered on her thighs a fatal moment

C F C

I kissed her lips as though I thirsted still

E Am F C

My falsity had stung me like a hornet

G F C

The poison sank and it paralysed my will

C F C

I could not move to warn all the younger soldiers

C F C

that they had been deserted from above

E Am F C

So on battlefields from here to Barcelona

D E

I'm listed with the enemies of love

C F C

And long ago she said I must be leaving,

C F C

Ah but keep my body here to lie upon

E Am F C

You can move it up and down and when I'm sleeping

G F C

Run some wire through that Rose and wind the Swan

C F C

So daily I renew my idle duty

C F C

I touch her here and there, I know my place

E Am F C

I kiss her open mouth and I praise her beauty

G F C

and people call me traitor to my face

About The Traitor Chords by Leonard Cohen

Learn how to play The Traitor by Leonard Cohen with free guitar chords, lyrics, and interactive chord diagrams. Search for “The Traitor chords”, “The Traitor guitar chords”, or “Leonard Cohen The Traitor 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 Traitor chords and for experienced players who want accurate The Traitor lyrics and chords in one place. Common chords in this song include C, F, E, Am, A, G.

FAQ — The Traitor by Leonard Cohen

How do I play "The Traitor" by Leonard Cohen on guitar?

Open the free chords for "The Traitor" by Leonard Cohen 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 "The Traitor" by Leonard Cohen free?

Yes. The chords for "The Traitor" by Leonard Cohen are 100% free on Free Chord Book — no sign-up required.

Can I transpose "The Traitor" to a different key?

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

Can I see chord diagrams for "The Traitor"?

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

Is "The Traitor" easy to play on guitar?

Many players learn "The Traitor" by Leonard Cohen with our free chords. Use transpose and chord diagrams to simplify tricky shapes, and browse related songs by Leonard Cohen below.

What key is "The Traitor" in?

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