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One Stage Before

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Eminor

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ONE STAGE BEFORE
CAPO 3rd Fret
(pop-up chord fingering may not be accurate, refer to the shapes indicated below)
 Am= x02210
 Am/G= 3x2210
 B7= x21202
 Bm= x24432
 C= x32010
 C/B= x20010
 D= xx0232
 Em= 022000
 G= 320003
 G/F#= 2x0003
[Intro}
Em  C (repeat 6 times)
[Verse I]
EmIt seems to me as Cthough I've been uEmpon this stage beCfore
And Gjuggled aDway the Cnight for the Amsame old EmcrowdC  
These Emharlequins you Csee with me, they Emtoo have held the Cfloor
As Ghere once aDgain they Cstrut and they Amfret their Emhour
I Gsee those half-faDmiliar faces Cin the seC/Bcond AmrowAm/G  
DGhost-like with the Amfootlights in their Bmeyes
But Cwhere or C/Bwhen we Ammet like this last Gtime G/F#I just don't Emknow
AmIt's like a chord that rings and never DdiesB7  
For EminfinityC  Em  C  Em  C  Em  C  
[Verse II]
And Emnow these figures Cin the wings with Emall their restless Ctunes
Are Gwaiting aDround for Csomeone to Amcall their EmnamesC  
They Emwalk the backstage Ccorridors and Emprowl the dressing Crooms
And Gvanish to Dspecks of Clight in the Ampicture Emframes
But Gdid they move uDpon the stage a Cthousand C/Byears aAmgoAm/G  
DIn some play in AmParis or BmMadrid?
And Cwas I C/Bthere aAmmong them then, Gin some G/F#travelling Emshow
And Amis it all still locked inside my DheadB7  
For EminfinityC  Em  C  Em  C  Em  C  
[Verse III]
And Emsome of you are Charmonists to Emall the notes I Cplay
GAlthough we Dmay not Cmeet still you Amknow me EmwellC  
While Emothers talk in Csecret keys and Emtranspose all I Csay
And Gnothing I Ddo or Ctry can get  Amthrough the EmspellC  
So Gone more time we'll Ddim the lights and Cring the C/Bcurtain AmupAm/G  
And Dplay again like    Amall the times Bmbefore
But Cfar beC/Bhind the Ammusic you can Galmost G/F#hear the Emsounds
Of Amlaughter like the waves upon the DshoresB7  
Of EminfinityC  Em  C  Em  C  Em  C  
(repeat one entire progression for the guitar solo)

All chords in this song (10)

The story behind the song

This song evokes a sense of déjà vu, a feeling of having experienced the present moment before, though the details remain elusive. It speaks to the way memories can fade, becoming like specks of light within old picture frames, and laughter can echo like waves on the shore, present but intangible. Al Stewart, known for weaving historical narratives into his folk-rock, here explores a more personal, timeless mystery of memory and recurrence. It's a journey into the elusive nature of time and our place within its repeating patterns.

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

Story time

One Stage Before

One Stage Before

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670,000+ free guitar chords · free-chords.com

One Stage Before

by Al Stewart

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

Chords in this song · guitar

Am/G

C/B

G/F#

ONE STAGE BEFORE

CAPO 3rd Fret

(pop-up chord fingering may not be accurate, refer to the shapes indicated below)

= x02210

Am/G

= 3x2210

= x21202

= x24432

= x32010

C/B

= x20010

= xx0232

= 022000

= 320003

G/F#

= 2x0003

[Intro}

Em C (repeat 6 times)

[Verse I]

Em C Em C

It seems to me as though I've been upon this stage before

G D C Am Em C

And juggled away the night for the same old crowd

Em C Em C

These harlequins you see with me, they too have held the floor

G D C Am Em

As here once again they strut and they fret their hour

G D C C/B Am Am/G

I see those half-familiar faces in the second row

D Am Bm

Ghost-like with the footlights in their eyes

C C/B Am G G/F# Em

But where or when we met like this last time I just don't know

Am D B7

It's like a chord that rings and never dies

Em C Em C Em C Em C

For infinity

[Verse II]

Em C Em C

And now these figures in the wings with all their restless tunes

G D C Am Em C

Are waiting around for someone to call their names

Em C Em C

They walk the backstage corridors and prowl the dressing rooms

G D C Am Em

And vanish to specks of light in the picture frames

G D C C/B Am Am/G

But did they move upon the stage a thousand years ago

D Am Bm

In some play in Paris or Madrid?

C C/B Am G G/F# Em

And was I there among them then, in some travelling show

Am D B7

And is it all still locked inside my head

Em C Em C Em C Em C

For infinity

[Verse III]

Em C Em C

And some of you are harmonists to all the notes I play

G D C Am Em C

Although we may not meet still you know me well

Em C Em C

While others talk in secret keys and transpose all I say

G D C Am Em C

And nothing I do or try can get through the spell

G D C C/B Am Am/G

So one more time we'll dim the lights and ring the curtain up

D Am Bm

And play again like all the times before

C C/B Am G G/F# Em

But far behind the music you can almost hear the sounds

Am D B7

Of laughter like the waves upon the shores

Em C Em C Em C Em C

Of infinity

(repeat one entire progression for the guitar solo)

About One Stage Before Chords by Al Stewart

Learn how to play One Stage Before by Al Stewart with free guitar chords, lyrics, and interactive chord diagrams. Search for “One Stage Before chords”, “One Stage Before guitar chords”, or “Al Stewart One Stage Before 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 One Stage Before chords and for experienced players who want accurate One Stage Before lyrics and chords in one place. Common chords in this song include Am, Am/G, B7, Bm, C, C/B.

FAQ — One Stage Before by Al Stewart

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What key is "One Stage Before" in?

The chords for "One Stage Before" show the original chord names (including Am, Am/G, B7, Bm, C, C/B). Use transpose to move the song into any key that fits your voice or capo.