Boston
View chords used in this chart
Standard Tuning
Capo on the 4th fret
Intro: C G D C x 3 C G D
E A x 4
E A
I went back to Boston
E A
Back to the city you were lost in
E A
I went back to the place
E A
Without your face in the stone
E A
Walked around Harvard Square
E A
The runaway kids are still hanging out there
E
And I took the red line
A E A
All the way across the River Charles
C G
Some things try and try
D C
But they never fly, and they never fly
C G
You reach up from the waves
D C E A E A
And find that you're only waving goodbye
E A
Went walking in Boston
E A
Over a bridge I used to walk on
E
I was looking for my heart
A E A
That I'd flung into that sea of stone
E A
Boston said, you need not apply
E A
For your license to fly
E A
Hey, young lady, don't look so surprised
E A
You know you're not alone
C G
Some things try and try
D C
But they never fly, and they never fly
C G
You reach up from the waves
D C E A E A
And find that you're only waving goodbye
C G D C C G D (C)
E (A)
It was Memorial Day
E (A)
I went to where you lay
E
There were thousands of people
(A) E (A)
Just like you in a giant graveyard
E A
You came all of that way
E A
Looking for the sky, you got a slap in the face
E A
You had a desperate need to be loved
E
You just got put in that place
A
You better know your place, boy
C G
Some things try and try
D C
But they never fly, and they never fly
C G
You reach up from the waves
D C E A E A
And find that you're only waving goodbye
E A
Only waving
E A
You're only waving
E A
You're only waving
E A C G D C C G D (C)
You're only waving goodbye
How to play Boston
Use the controls above to change the key and text size. Follow the highlighted chords while listening, then practice each section slowly before playing at the original tempo.
What is the starting chord?
The first identified chord is C. You can transpose without leaving the page.
Can I play it on guitar or keyboard?
Yes. The chord progression works on acoustic guitar, electric guitar and keyboard. Adapt the voicings to your instrument and level.