Leonard Cohen - The Stranger Song
Live at the Paris Theatre, London - 1968
F#m F#sus4 F#m
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D/A C D/A A
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[Verse 1]
F#m D/A C D/A A
It's true that all the men you knew were dealers
A E
Who said they were through with dealing
E F#m F#sus4 F#m
Every time you gave them shelter
E Esus4 E
I know that kind of man
F#m F#sus4 F#m
It's hard to hold the hand of anyone
E Esus4 E F#m F#sus4 F#m
Who's reaching for the sky just to surrender
E Esus4 E F#m F#sus4 F#m F#sus4
Who is reaching for the sky just to surrender
[Verse 2]
F#m D/A C D/A A
And then sweeping up the jokers that he left behind
A E
You'll find he did not leave you very much
F#m F#sus4 F#m
Not even laughter
E Esus4 E F#m
Like any dealer he was watching for the card
F#sus4 F#m E
That is so high and wild
E Esus4 F#m F#sus4 F#m
He'll never need to deal another
E Esus4 E F#m F#sus4 F#m
He was just some Joseph looking for a manger
E Esus4 E F#m F#sus4 F#m F#sus4
He was just some Joseph looking for a manger
[Verse 3]
F#m D/A C D/A
And then leaning on your window sill
A A
He'll say one day you caused his will
E F#m F#sus4 F#m
To weaken with your love and warmth and shelter
E Esus4 E
And then taking from his wallet
F#m F#sus4 F#m
An old schedule of trains, he'll say
E Esus4 E F#m F#sus4 F#m
I told you when I came I was a stranger
E Esus4 E F#m F#sus4 F#m
I told you when I came I was a stranger
[Verse 4]
F#m D/A C D/A
Oh but now another stranger seems
A A
To want you to ignore his dreams
E E F#m F#sus4 F#m
As though they were the burden of some other
E Esus4 E
You've seen that man before
F#m F#sus4 F#m
His golden arm dispatching cards
E Esus4 E F#m F#sus4 F#m
But now it's rusted from the elbow to the finger
E Esus4 E F#m F#sus4 F#m
And he wants to trade the game he plays for shelter
E Esus4 E F#m F#sus4 F#m
Yes he wants to trade the game he knows for shelter
[Verse 5]
F#m D/A C D/A A
Ah you hate to watch another tired man
E E F#m F#sus4 F#m
Like he was giving up the holy game of poker
E E
And while he talks his dreams to sleep
F#m F#sus4 F#m
You notice there's a highway
E Esus4 E F#m F#sus4 F#m
That is curling up like smoke above his shoulder
E Esus4 E F#m F#sus4 F#m
It's curling just like smoke above his shoulder
[Verse 6]
F#m D/A C D/A
Well, you tell him to come in sit down
A A
But something makes you turn around
E E F#m F#sus4 F#
The door is open you can't close your shelter
E Esus4 E
You try the handle of the road
F#m F#sus4 F#m
It opens do not be afraid
E Esus4 E F#m F#sus4 F#m
It's you my love, you, who are the stranger
E Esus4 E F#m F#sus4 F#m
It's you my love, you, who are the stranger
[Verse 6]
F#m D/A C D/A
Well, I have been waiting, I was sure
A A E
We'd meet between the trains we're waiting for
E F#m F#sus4 F#m
I think it's time to board another
E Esus4 E F#m
Please understand, I never had a secret chart
F#sus4 F#m E
To get me to the heart of this
Esus4 E F#m F#sus4 F#m
Or any other matter
E Esus4 E F#m F#sus4 F#m
When he talks like this you don't know what he's after
E Esus4 E F#m F#sus4 F#m
When he speaks like this, you don't know what he's after
[Verse 7]
F#m D/A C D/A
Let's meet tomorrow if you choose
A A
Upon the shore, beneath the bridge
E E F#m F#sus4 F#m
That they are building on some endless river
E
Then he leaves the platform
Esus4 E F#m
For the sleeping car that's warm
F#sus4 F#m E Esus4 E F#m F#sus4 F#m
You realize, he's only advertising one more shelter
E Esus4 E F#m F#sus4 F#m
And it comes to you, he never was a stranger
E Esus4 E F#m F#sus4 F#m
And you say okay the bridge or someplace later
[Verse 8]
F#m D/A C D/A A
And then sweeping up the jokers that he left behind
A E
You find he did not leave you very much
F#m F#sus4 F#m
Not even laughter
E Esus4 E F#m
Like any dealer he was watching for the card
F#sus4 F#m E
That is so high and wild
E Esus4 F#m F#sus4 F#m
He'll never need to deal another
E Esus4 E F#m F#sus4 F#m
He was just some Joseph looking for a manger
E Esus4 E F#m F#sus4 F#m F#sus4
He was just some Joseph looking for a manger
[Verse 9]
F#m D/A C D/A
And then leaning on your window sill
A A
He'll say one day you caused his will
E E F#m F#sus4 F#m
To weaken with your love and warmth and shelter
E Esus4 E
And taking from his wallet
F#m F#sus4 F#m
An old schedule of trains, he'll say
E Esus4 E F#m F#sus4 F#m F#sus4
I told you when I came I was a stranger
E Esus4 E F#m F#sus4 F#m F#sus4
I told you when I came I was a stranger
E Esus4 E F#m F#sus4 F#m F#sus4
I told you when I came I was a stranger