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On The Border

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F#minor

90BPM

Lyrics & ChordsClick chords to see diagrams

#----------------------------------PLEASE NOTE---------------------------------#
#------------------------------------------------------------------------------##
                F#m
                F#mThe fishing boats go out across the evening water
                DSmuggling guns and arms across the Spanish border
                The Bmwinds whip up the waves so loud
                The Aghost moon sails aGmong the clouds
                And F#mturns the rifles Einto silver F#mon the border
                F#mOn my wall the colours of the maps are running
                From DAfrica the winds they talk of changes coming
                The Bmtorches flair up in the night
                The Ahand that sets the Gfarms alight
                Has F#mspread the word to Ethose who're waiting F#mon the border
                AIn the vllage where I grew up
                Em7Nothing seems the same
                But still you Dnever see the change from day to Aday
                                                   D     C#[C#  B   A   G#   F#   F= single notes] 
                And no one notices the customs slip away
                F#m
                F#mLate last night the rain was knocking on my window
                I Dmoved across the darkened room and in the lampglow
                I Bmthought I saw down in the street
                The Aspirit of the Gcentury
                F#mTelling us that Ewe're all standing F#mon the border
                AIn the islands where I grew up
                Em7Nothing seems the same
                It's just the Dpatterns that remain an empty Ashell
                But there's a Dstrangeness in the air 
                                  C#[C#  B   A   G#   F#   F= single notes]
                You feel too well
                F#m
                F#mThe fishing boats go out across the evening water
                DSmuggling guns and arms across the Spanish border
                The Bmwinds whip up the waves so loud
                The Aghost moon sails aGmong the clouds
                And F#mturns the rifles Einto silver F#mon the border
                DOn the border
                F#mOn the border
                DOn the border
                F#m(fade out)

All chords in this song (12)

The story behind the song

Al Stewart is known for weaving historical narratives into his folk-rock songs, but "On The Border" offers a more personal, reflective mood. It captures a sense of quiet observation, watching the world shift around you – the fishing boats heading out, the winds from Africa carrying whispers of change – yet never quite seeing the transformation in the day-to-day. It’s a feeling of being present at a pivotal moment, aware of forces at play, but still waiting for the clear signs of what's next.

AI-written from these sources:Al Stewart — Wikipedia ↗MusicBrainz ↗

Story time

On The Border

On The Border

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On The Border

by Al Stewart

Lyrics & chords · Original key

Chords in this song · guitar

F#m

Em7

#----------------------------------PLEASE NOTE---------------------------------#

#------------------------------------------------------------------------------##

F#m

The fishing boats go out across the evening water

Smuggling guns and arms across the Spanish border

The winds whip up the waves so loud

A G

The ghost moon sails among the clouds

F#m E F#m

And turns the rifles into silver on the border

F#m

On my wall the colours of the maps are running

From Africa the winds they talk of changes coming

The torches flair up in the night

A G

The hand that sets the farms alight

F#m E F#m

Has spread the word to those who're waiting on the border

In the vllage where I grew up

Em7

Nothing seems the same

D A

But still you never see the change from day to day

D C# B A G# F# F

[C# = single notes]

And no one notices the customs slip away

F#m

Late last night the rain was knocking on my window

I moved across the darkened room and in the lampglow

I thought I saw down in the street

A G

The spirit of the century

F#m E F#m

Telling us that we're all standing on the border

In the islands where I grew up

Em7

Nothing seems the same

D A

It's just the patterns that remain an empty shell

But there's a strangeness in the air

C# B A G# F# F

[C# = single notes]

You feel too well

F#m

The fishing boats go out across the evening water

Smuggling guns and arms across the Spanish border

The winds whip up the waves so loud

A G

The ghost moon sails among the clouds

F#m E F#m

And turns the rifles into silver on the border

On the border

F#m

On the border

F#m

(fade out)

About On The Border Chords by Al Stewart

Learn how to play On The Border by Al Stewart with free guitar chords, lyrics, and interactive chord diagrams. Search for “On The Border chords”, “On The Border guitar chords”, or “Al Stewart On The Border 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 On The Border chords and for experienced players who want accurate On The Border lyrics and chords in one place. Common chords in this song include F#m, D, Bm, A, G, E.

FAQ — On The Border by Al Stewart

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What key is "On The Border" in?

The chords for "On The Border" show the original chord names (including F#m, D, Bm, A, G, E). Use transpose to move the song into any key that fits your voice or capo.