THE STRANGER SONG  (Leonard Cohen)
 
 
       D            C        D        A 
It's true that all men you knew were dealers 
                                 E 
Who said they were through with dealing
                         F#m
every time you gave them shelter
   E                                 F#m  
I know that kind of man It's hard to hold the hand of anyone
       E                              F#m
Who's reaching for the sky just to surrender
       E                              F#m 
who's reaching for the sky just to surrender


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


          D               C      D
And then leaning on your window sill
       A                   
he'll say one day you caused his will
    E                                    F#m
to weaken with your love and warmth and shelter
          E                             F#m
And then taking from his wallet an old schedule of trains, he'll say
   E                            F#m
I told you when I came I was a stranger 
   E                            F#m      
I told you when I came I was a stranger


     D             C       D 
But now another stranger seems 
     A      
to want to ignore his dreams
     E                                 F#m
as though they were the burden of some other
           E                 
O, you've seen that kind of man before
    F#m 
his golden arm dispatching cards
              E                           F#m
But now it's rusted from the elbow to the finger
           E                                  F#m
 yes, he wants to trade the game he knows for shelter


     D              C   
You hate to watch another
 D     A
tired man lay down his hand
             E                         F#m
Like he was giving up the holy game of poker
     E         
And while he talks his dreams to sleep
    F#m 
you notice there's a highway
         E                               F#m  
That is curling up like smoke above his shoulder
      E                               F#m 
It's curling up like smoke above his shoulder


     D               C       D
You tell him to come in sit down
     A             
but something makes you turn around
     E                                 F#m
The door is open you can't close your shelter
     E                            F#m  
You try the handle of the road it opens do not be afraid
      E                           F#m
It's you my love you who are the stranger
       E                           F#m 
It is you my love you who are the stranger


      D                C      D
Well I've been waiting I was sure
      A                                     E
we'd meet between the trains we're looking for
                             F#m
I think it's time to board another
        E                       F#m
Please understand I never had a secret chart
                   E                        F#m
to get me to the heart of this or any other matter
          E                                      F#m 
When he talks like this you don't know what he's after
          E                                       F#m  
When he speaks like this you don't know what he's after


       D            C        D
Let's meet tomorrow if you choose
  A   
upon the shore beneath the bridge
       E                               F#m
That they are building on some endless river
         E                                   F#m 
Then he leaves the platform for the sleeping car that's warm
                  E                         F#m
you realize he's only advertising one more shelter
        E                           F#m 
And it comes to you he never was a stranger
         E                              F#m
And you say Ok, the bridge or someplace later.


           D              C       D
And then sweeping up the jokers that
    A
he left behind you find
            E                            F#m 
He did not leave you very much not even laughter
     E                          F#m                               E   
Like any dealer he was watching for the card that is so high and wild
                          F#m
he'll never need to deal another
        E                             F#m
He was just some Joseph looking for a manger
        E                             F#m
He was just some Joseph looking for a manger.


          D               C      D
And then leaning on your window sill
       A
he'll say one day you caused his will
    E                                    F#m
To weaken with your love and warmth and shelter
          E                             F#m
And then taking from his wallet an old schedule of trains he'll say
    E                           F#m   
I told you when I came I was a stranger
   E                            F#m  
I told you when I came I was a stranger