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The Guitar

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Aminor

90BPM

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Capo 3
[Verse]
AmIt was a Sunday in east Berlin i chanced upon a Gmarket
I thought how love or lack thereof matched the coins in my Ampocket
but thats OK I have no pay I'm happy all the Gsame
to look through a box of broken clocks and old Atari gamAmes
and Cracks of army uniforms of boGth the west and Ameast
and Cpostcards sent to people who were loGng ago dAmeceased
Ama plastic orange comb left over from the GGDR
and in a nook behind some books an old parlour gAmuitar
Amit was sat upon a wooden packing crate that had been fliGpped
and if the chance a cursory glance you'd call it non desAmcript 
but I double took I stopped to look and it's just one of those tGhings 
I do when at a loss I reached across and lightly brushed the strAmings
Cthe sound both deep and ancient came up Gfrom the hole beAmneath
Cthe kind that comes from timber given in Gto times bequetAmhed
Cenough for me to wonder I put up Gmy hand to hailAm  
Cthe vendor of the table just to Eask... if it's Amfor sale
[Break]
Amwell he had a chin with whiskers in and in between his lGips
he held a cigarette he hadnt lit I took him for Ama gypsy
he stooped and bent and complimented me on my seGlection
to my surprise within his eyes I saw my own reflAmection
CI dont him im not buying I'm jusGt interested to Amknow
Cso I thought how love or lack thereof maGtched my fiscal Amflow
Che asked me for my name and when he handGed it to Amme
Che said it undignified to talk of Emoney... befoAmre history
[Break]
and then he said....
Amif you hold it right up to the light in pencil can be seGen
the signature of the luthier and the date 19Am18
but sir have you got the certificate of authentiGcity
he said whats the point when you can get the story straight from Amme
Ama Russian commander first saw it in a shop window in MunGich
he was on a stroll and felt the roll of deutchmarks in his tunicAm  
he bought it on a whim and to his friend the comGmisar
said if I survive this war alive ill learn to play guitaAmr
Che had one final 7 week Gassignment with his uAmnit
Gand I'm sad to say he was blown away before he learned to tune iAmt
[Break]
Amit was sent back to his greiving widow with the rest of his effeGcts
and it languished there under the stair right where the dust colAmlects
but there came a day when she passed away as well and without kiGn
so through her stash was labelled trash and put out with the binAm  
Cit was only sitting on that lonely streeGt in LenAmingrad
Cfor an hour or two before being rescued Gup by a young laAmd
he was on the hop afraid to stop for long for fear of prGison
a balchevik who had been made awefully sick by cAmommunism
Che was disenchanted by the practice Gof the party Amscheme
Chow it proved all men are equal seemed to Gbe a tad Amextreme
Che walked down by the baltic sea and there he hoGpped a fAmreigter
Cand not a word was heard from him Eagain... until many years Amlater
[Break]
Amthe old man stopped to rest and get his breath and his eyes they started Gglazing
over i told him this story was both trajic and aAmmazing
oh dont stop now i must know how this ends and please be Gquick
do you know whht became of this mutanous balchevAmik?
[Break]
well the old gyspy looked back at me and his eyes they seemed to Gclear
he said in 34 he went ashore in the city of TangAmier
but he came undone as hed become from all those years at Gsea
addicted to, as sailors do, port wine and gin ruAmmmy
Cand one night in a game in a cafGe near the medinAma
Cas the hour grew ever late the balchies Gkitty it grew leAmaner
Cand when his francs were gone he prayed Gupon the evening Amstar
Cthey took the coat that he was wearing, watch and Ering....and that Amguitar
[Break]
Amit was won by a german banker who liked it all just Gfine
who'd grown soft with drinking thinking of his fAmrauline
while still abroad he'd learned some chords and in a few months Glater
when hes again back in berlin hed sit and serenaAmde her
Che was held back in Morocco by the Gstart of World War IIAm  
Cand he learnt she'd met a young cadet and the twGo of them shot tAmhrough
Amhe cursed and spat and vowed that as long as she still lGingered 
he'd much rather than play guitar, cut off all his fingeAmrs
[Break]
Amwell i felt sorry for this banker but it just didnt aligGn
if its 34 didnt the war begin in Am39?
Pedant! he cried, would you deny me a single conGcession
just let me tell you how this thing came into my Ampossession.
i bought it from a local pedler, who bought it from a prGiest
who drove his congregation mad with it to say the leastAm  
he'd picked it up for next to nothing browsing at a parish Gfete
donated out of charity from a deceased eAmstate
[Accel]
of a lovely music teacher who played it for her Gpupils
who'd earlier procured it from a man with dubious scrupoAmls
who'd pinched it from a folk rock busker somewhere in the Gtown
who'd been playing in Alexanderplatz the night the wall came Amdown
he got it cheaply off a man who run a music store for caGsh
who swapped it from a trader with a handlebar moAmustache
who found it in a paper where it had been advertGised
by the son of that German banker who's old girlfriend he Amdespised
you'd think any normal person would have just gone out and sold Git
but he kept it as a token of the time he was cucAmkolded
he hid it in his attick and it survived the war up thereG  
for 30 years until his son went looking for a chAmair
his dad refused to talk of it until he turned up his toeGs
but now its found its way to you just give me 400 AmEuros.
AmThe blood drained right out of the gypsy's face til it was ashenG  
he seemed to be completely overcome by his own pAmassion
i couldnt bare to think this was elaborate salesman pattGer
but like i said i had no bread so it really didnt matterAm  
the story clanged and banged around my head for the wholGe day
in spite of all the other things i saw it wouldnt Amstray
Cbefore i even knew it i found myGself later onAm  
Crushing back to the gypsy but the gEuitar.... and he werAme gone
[Break]
Amive learnt that what you dont buy today may not be there tGomorrow
and you are never strictly poor if youve a friend from which to Amborrow
i thought the old gypsy knew this before he ever saw meG  
because when i went Sunday, he was waiting for mAme
CIve one more thing to sing my friends, if i Gmay be so boAmld,
Cthe guitar of which i sing, is the Gone which i now Amhold
Amand to think of love, and the fullness of, is something i get frGom it
and this song i sing wont mean a thing unless its played upon itAm.

All chords in this song (4)

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The Guitar

by Darren Hanlon

Lyrics & chords · Original key · Capo on fret 3 (as written in this song)

Chords in this song · guitar

Capo 3

[Verse]

Am G

It was a Sunday in east Berlin i chanced upon a market

I thought how love or lack thereof matched the coins in my pocket

but thats OK I have no pay I'm happy all the same

to look through a box of broken clocks and old Atari games

C G Am

and racks of army uniforms of both the west and east

C G Am

and postcards sent to people who were long ago deceased

Am G

a plastic orange comb left over from the GDR

and in a nook behind some books an old parlour guitar

Am G

it was sat upon a wooden packing crate that had been flipped

and if the chance a cursory glance you'd call it non descript

but I double took I stopped to look and it's just one of those things

I do when at a loss I reached across and lightly brushed the strings

C G Am

the sound both deep and ancient came up from the hole beneath

C G Am

the kind that comes from timber given in to times bequethed

C G Am

enough for me to wonder I put up my hand to hail

C E Am

the vendor of the table just to ask... if it's for sale

[Break]

Am G

well he had a chin with whiskers in and in between his lips

he held a cigarette he hadnt lit I took him for a gypsy

he stooped and bent and complimented me on my selection

to my surprise within his eyes I saw my own reflection

C G Am

I dont him im not buying I'm just interested to know

C G Am

so I thought how love or lack thereof matched my fiscal flow

C G Am

he asked me for my name and when he handed it to me

C E Am

he said it undignified to talk of money... before history

[Break]

and then he said....

Am G

if you hold it right up to the light in pencil can be seen

the signature of the luthier and the date 1918

but sir have you got the certificate of authenticity

he said whats the point when you can get the story straight from me

Am G

a Russian commander first saw it in a shop window in Munich

he was on a stroll and felt the roll of deutchmarks in his tunic

he bought it on a whim and to his friend the commisar

said if I survive this war alive ill learn to play guitar

C G Am

he had one final 7 week assignment with his unit

G Am

and I'm sad to say he was blown away before he learned to tune it

[Break]

Am G

it was sent back to his greiving widow with the rest of his effects

and it languished there under the stair right where the dust collects

but there came a day when she passed away as well and without kin

so through her stash was labelled trash and put out with the bin

C G Am

it was only sitting on that lonely street in Leningrad

C G Am

for an hour or two before being rescued up by a young lad

he was on the hop afraid to stop for long for fear of prison

a balchevik who had been made awefully sick by communism

C G Am

he was disenchanted by the practice of the party scheme

C G Am

how it proved all men are equal seemed to be a tad extreme

C G Am

he walked down by the baltic sea and there he hopped a freigter

C E Am

and not a word was heard from him again... until many years later

[Break]

Am G

the old man stopped to rest and get his breath and his eyes they started glazing

over i told him this story was both trajic and amazing

oh dont stop now i must know how this ends and please be quick

do you know whht became of this mutanous balchevik?

[Break]

well the old gyspy looked back at me and his eyes they seemed to clear

he said in 34 he went ashore in the city of Tangier

but he came undone as hed become from all those years at sea

addicted to, as sailors do, port wine and gin rummy

C G Am

and one night in a game in a cafe near the medina

C G Am

as the hour grew ever late the balchies kitty it grew leaner

C G Am

and when his francs were gone he prayed upon the evening star

C E Am

they took the coat that he was wearing, watch and ring....and that guitar

[Break]

Am G

it was won by a german banker who liked it all just fine

who'd grown soft with drinking thinking of his frauline

while still abroad he'd learned some chords and in a few months later

when hes again back in berlin hed sit and serenade her

C G Am

he was held back in Morocco by the start of World War II

C G Am

and he learnt she'd met a young cadet and the two of them shot through

Am G

he cursed and spat and vowed that as long as she still lingered

he'd much rather than play guitar, cut off all his fingers

[Break]

Am G

well i felt sorry for this banker but it just didnt align

if its 34 didnt the war begin in 39?

Pedant! he cried, would you deny me a single concession

just let me tell you how this thing came into my possession.

i bought it from a local pedler, who bought it from a priest

who drove his congregation mad with it to say the least

he'd picked it up for next to nothing browsing at a parish fete

donated out of charity from a deceased estate

[Accel]

of a lovely music teacher who played it for her pupils

who'd earlier procured it from a man with dubious scrupols

who'd pinched it from a folk rock busker somewhere in the town

who'd been playing in Alexanderplatz the night the wall came down

he got it cheaply off a man who run a music store for cash

who swapped it from a trader with a handlebar moustache

who found it in a paper where it had been advertised

by the son of that German banker who's old girlfriend he despised

you'd think any normal person would have just gone out and sold it

but he kept it as a token of the time he was cuckolded

he hid it in his attick and it survived the war up there

for 30 years until his son went looking for a chair

his dad refused to talk of it until he turned up his toes

but now its found its way to you just give me 400 Euros.

Am G

The blood drained right out of the gypsy's face til it was ashen

he seemed to be completely overcome by his own passion

i couldnt bare to think this was elaborate salesman patter

but like i said i had no bread so it really didnt matter

the story clanged and banged around my head for the whole day

in spite of all the other things i saw it wouldnt stray

C G Am

before i even knew it i found myself later on

C E Am

rushing back to the gypsy but the guitar.... and he were gone

[Break]

Am G

ive learnt that what you dont buy today may not be there tomorrow

and you are never strictly poor if youve a friend from which to borrow

i thought the old gypsy knew this before he ever saw me

because when i went Sunday, he was waiting for me

C G Am

Ive one more thing to sing my friends, if i may be so bold,

C G Am

the guitar of which i sing, is the one which i now hold

Am G

and to think of love, and the fullness of, is something i get from it

and this song i sing wont mean a thing unless its played upon it.

About The Guitar Chords by Darren Hanlon

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

FAQ — The Guitar by Darren Hanlon

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