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Leonard Cohen - The Stranger Song

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Intro:
Em

       
C                
Bb       
C        
G     
It's true that all the men you knew were dealers
                                 
D     
Who said they were through with dealing
                           
Em   
Every time you gave them shelter
    
D                  
I know that kind of man
              
Em                    
It's hard to hold the hand of anyone
        
D                               
Em   
Who is reaching for the sky just to surrender
        
D                               
Em   
Who is reaching for the sky just to surrender

           
C              
Bb      
C      
G         
And then sweeping up the jokers that he left behind
                      
D                
You find he did not leave you very much
          
Em     
Not even laughter
     
D                           
Em         
Like any dealer he was watching for the card
                     
D  
That is so high and wild
                           
Em   
He'll never need to deal another
        
D                              
Em   
He was just some Joseph looking for a manger
        
D                              
Em   
He was just some Joseph looking for a manger

          
C               
Bb     
C  
And then leaning on your window sill
       
G                             
He'll say one day you caused his will
    
D                                     
Em   
To weaken with your love and warmth and shelter
          
D                    
And then taking from his wallet
          
Em                        
An old schedule of trains, he'll say
   
D                              
Em   
I told you when I came I was a stranger
   
D                              
Em   
I told you when I came I was a stranger

     
C             
Bb     
C   
But now another stranger seems
    
G                           
To want you to ignore his dreams
     
D                                 
Em   
As though they were the burden of some other
          
D                  
O you've seen that man before

           
Em                   
His golden arm dispatching cards
              
D                            
Em   
But now it's rusted from the elbow to the finger
        
D                                     
Em   
And he wants to trade the game he plays for shelter
        
D                                     
Em   
Yes he wants to trade the game he knows for shelter

        
C              
Bb     
C     
G 
Ah you hate to watch another tired man
              
G  
Lay down his hand
             
D                          
Em  
Like he was giving up the holy game of poker
      
D                               
And while he talks his dreams to sleep
     
Em                     
You notice there's a highway
         
D                                
Em    
That is curling up like smoke above his shoulder
      
D                                  
Em    
It's curling just like smoke above his shoulder

     
C               
Bb      
C  
You tell him to come in sit down
     
G                             
But something makes you turn around
     
D                                  
Em   
The door is open you can't close your shelter
      
D                       
You try the handle of the road
   
Em                    
It opens do not be afraid
       
D                             
Em   
It's you my love, you who are the stranger
       
D                             
Em   
It's you my love, you who are the stranger

      
C                  
Bb     
C  
Well, I've been waiting, I was sure
      
G                                     
D 
We'd meet between the trains we're waiting for
                             
Em   
I think it's time to board another
       
D                          
Em         
Please understand, I never had a secret chart
                  
D           
To get me to the heart of this
              
Em   
Or any other matter
         
D                                       
Em   
When he talks like this you don't know what he's after
          
D                                        
Em   
When he speaks like this, you don't know what he's after

       
C            
Bb       
C   
Let's meet tomorrow if you choose
  
G                               
Upon the shore, beneath the bridge
       
D                                
Em  
That they are building on some endless river
         
D                 
Then he leaves the platform

                  
Em            
For the sleeping car that's warm
                  
D                          
Em   
You realize, he's only advertising on more shelter
        
D                              
Em   
And it comes to you, he never was a stranger
         
D                                
Em  
And you say okay the bridge or someplace later


And then sweeping up the jokers that he left behind...
Bridge:
D Em Em C x4

And leaning on your window sill...

Ending:
Em C D Em x4
Leonard Cohen
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