The Stranger
Leonard Cohen
Chords:
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
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 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
D Em
He'll say, I told you when I came I was a stranger
D Em
I told you when I came I was a stranger
D Em
I told you when I came I was a stranger
D Em
I told you when I came I was a stranger...
Tab:
Intro:
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Verse:
D C D
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