From: rickl1@ix.netcom.com
 
 
Emmylou Harris    Stranger Song  written be Leonard Cohen


Emmylou Harris    vocals
Daniel Lanois     guitar

F#m E Esus F#m

  D                      G       D          A
It's true that all the men you knew were dealers 
    Asus           A            E
Who said they were through with dealing 
                          F#m
Every time you gave them shelter 
  E
I know that kind of man 
             F#m
It's hard to hold the hand of anyone 
       E                            F#m
Who is reaching for the sky just to surrender, 
       E                            F#m   E Esus  F#m 
Who is reaching for the sky just to surrender. 
D                    G      D       A
And  sweeping up the jokers that he left behind 
    Asus    A       E
You find he did not leave you very much 
         F#m
Not even laughter 
E                               F#m
Like any dealer he was watching for the card 
                    E
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   E  Esus F#m
He was just some Joseph looking for a manger 
         D               G      D
And then leaning on your window sill 
A                     Asus       A
He'll say one day you caused his will 
E                                       F#m
To weaken with your love and warmth and shelter 
E
And  taking from his wallet 
       F#m
An old schedule of trains, he'll say 
E                               F#m
I told you when I came I was a stranger 
  E                            F#m    E  Esus F#m
I told you when I came I was a stranger 
    D            G        D
But now another stranger seems 
   A           Asus       A
To want you to ignore his dreams 
   E                                   F#m
As though they were the burden of some other 
E
O you've seen that man before 
           F#m
His golden arm dispatching cards 
             E                             F#m
But now it's rusted from the elbows to the finger 
       E                                    F#m
And he wants to trade the game he plays for shelter 
       E                                    F#m  E Esus F#m
Yes he wants to trade the game he knows for shelter. 
  D              G      D     A
I hate to watch another tired man 
   Asus      A
Lay down his hand 
            E                          F#n
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 is curling just like smoke above his shoulder. 
    D           G       D   
You tell him to come in sit down 
A             Asus  A         E 
But something makes you turn around 
    E                                 F#m
The door is open you can't close your shelter 
            E 
You try the handle of the road 
   F#m
It opens do not be afraid 
     E                            F#m
It's you my love, you who are the stranger 
     E                            F#m    E  Esus  F#m
It's you my love, you who are the stranger. 
D                        G     D
Well, I've been waiting, I was sure 
     A                Asus         A
We'd meet between the trains we're waiting for 
E                          F#m
I think it's time to board another 
       E                         F#m
Please understand, I never had a secret chart 
                 E
To get me to the heart of this 
             F#m
Or any other matter 
        E
When he talks like this 
                         F#m
You don't know what he's after 
        E
When he speaks like this, 
                         F#m E Esus  F#m
You don't care what he's after. 
D                    G     D
Let's meet tomorrow if you choose 
A               Asus    A  
Upon the shore, beneath the bridge 
E                                       F#m
that they are building on some endless river 
        E
Then he leaves the platform 
                 F#m
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  E  Esus  F#m 
And you say ok the bridge or someplace later. 
         D               G      D       A
And then sweeping up the jokers that he left behind
    Asus A           E
You find he did not leave you very much 
         F#m
Not even laughter 
E                               F#m
Like any dealer he was watching for the card 
                    E
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   E  Esus F#m
He was just some Joseph looking for a manger 
 

   From <A HREF="/jump/http://www.liveconcerts.com/">http://www.liveconcerts.com/</A>
   KCRW  4/9/97