Closer To The Light - Bruce Cockburn

Closer To The Light

View chords used in this chart
n = downstroke (strum)
v = upstroke (strum)
> = accent (downstrum)
} = arpeggiate chord
 
Intro:
G Am
1 , . , . , . , . , . , . , . , .
|---------------------------------|---------------------------0-----|
|-3---------3-------3-----5p3-3-0-|-1-0---------------1-----1-------|
|-4-------------4-------0-4-------|-----2-------2---------2---------|
|-----0-------0-------0-------0---|-------2-----2-------2-------2---|
|---------------------------------|-0-------0-------0-------0-------|
|-3-------3-------3-------3-------|---------------------------------|
 
G Am
3 , . , . , . , . , . , . , . , .
|-3---------3-----5p3-3-3---1---0-|---------------0-------------0---|
|-0-----0-------------------------|-----------1-------------1-3-----|
|---------------0-5p4-4-4---2---2-|-------2---------------2---------|
|-----0-------0-------0-------0---|-----2-------2-------2-------2---|
|---------------------------------|-0-------0-------0-------0-------|
|-3-------3-------3-------3-------|---------------------------------|
 
G Am
5 , . , . , . , . , . , . , . , .
|---------------------------------|---------------0-----------------|
|-3---------3-----3-------0-1-3p1-|-1---------1-------------0**---0-|
|-0-----0-------0-------0---------|-2-----2---------------2-----2---|
|-----0-------0-------0-------0---|-----2-------2-------2-------2---|
|---------------------------------|-0-------0-------0-------0-------|
|-3-------3-------3-------3-------|---------------------------------|
 
G Am n v
7 , . , . , . , . , . , . , . , .
|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|
|-----------0-----0-------3'**----|-----1-1-------------------1-----|
|-------0-------0-------0-----2-0-|-----2-2---0---2-------2---------|
|-----0-------0-------0-----------|-----2-------2-------2-------2---|
|---------------------------------|-0-------0-------0-------0-------|
|-3-------3-------3------(3)------|---------------------------------|
There you
 
Verse:
G Am
9 , . , . , . , . , . , . , . , .
|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|
|-3---------3-----3---------3-----|-0h1p0-------------1-------1-----|
|*0-----0-------0-------0-------0-|-------2---------------2-------2-|
|*----0-------0-------0-------0---|-------------2-------2-------2---|
|---------------------------------|-0-------0-------0-------0-------|
|-3-------3-------3-------3-------|---------------------------------|
go Swimming deeper into mystery Here I re-
 
G Am
11, . , . , . , . , . , . , . , .
|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|
|-3---------3-----3---------3-----|-0h1p0-------------1-------1-----|
|-0-----0-------0-------0-------0-|-------2---------------2-------2-|
|-----0-------0-------0-------0---|-------------2-------2-------2---|
|---------------------------------|-0-------0-------0-------0-------|
|-3-------3-------3-------3-------|---------------------------------|
-main Only seeing where you used to be Stared at the cei-
 
G Am
13, . , . , . , . , . , . , . , .
|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|
|-3---------3-----3---------3-----|-0h1p0-------------1-------1-----|
|-0-----0-------0-------0-------0-|-------2---------------2-------2-|
|-----0-------0-------0-------0---|-------------2-------2-------2---|
|---------------------------------|-0-------0-------0-------0-------|
|-3-------3-------3-------3-------|---------------------------------|
-ling 'Til my ears filled up with tears Never got to
 
G Am cresc.
15, . , . , . , . , . , . , . , .
|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|
|-3---------3-----3-------5p3-3-0-|-1p0-----------------------1-----|
|-0-----0-------0-------0(4)------|-----2-----0---2-------2-------2-|
|-----0-------0-------0-------0---|-----2-----0-x-2-----2-------2---|
|---------------------------------|-0-------0-------0-------0-------|
|-3-------3-------3-------3-------|---------------------------------|
know you And suddenly you're out of here
 
Chorus:
Csus4 C Em
% n v v n v n v n v n v n v n v n v n v n v
17, . , . , . , . , . , . , . , .
|-0---0-0---0-0-0-----0-0-----0-0-|-----0-0-0-0-0-0-----0-0-0-0-0-0-|
|-1---1-1---1-1-1-----1-1-----1-1-|-----0-0-0-0-0-0-----0-0-0-0-0-0-|
|-0---0-0---0-0-0-0---0-0-0---0-0-|-----0-0-0-0-0-0-----0-0-0-0-0-0-|
|-----------------3-------2-------|-----2-2-2-2-2-2-----2-2-2-2-2-2-|
|-3-------3-------3-------3-------|-2-------------------------------|
|---------------------------------|-0---------------0---------------|
Gone from mystery into mystery
 
F G
n v n v n v n v n v n v n v > v n
19, . , . , . , . , . , . , . , .
|-----1-1-1-1-1-1-----1-1-1-1-1-1-|-----3-3---3---3-----3-----3-3---|
|-----1-1-1-1-1-1-----1-1-1-1-1-1-|-----3-3---3---3-----3-----3-3---|
|-----2-2-2-2-2-2-----2-2-2-2-2-2-|-----0-0---0---0-----0-----0-0---|
|-----3-3-3-3-3-3-----3-3-3-3-3-3-|-----0-0-----0-------0-------0---|
|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|
|-1---------------1---------------|-3-------3-------3-------3-------|
Gone from daylight into night Another step
 
Am F
21, . , . , . , . , . , . , . , .
|-----------5---0-----------0-----|-----------1---------------------|
|-----------------------1---------|---------------1------(0h1-0)----|
|-------2-------------------------|---2---0------------(2)-----(2)--|
|-----2-------2-------2-------2---|-----3-------3---------0h2-0-----|
|-0-------0-------0---------------|---------------------3-------3---|
|-------------------------3-------|-1-------1-------1---------------|
deeper into darkness
 
Csus4/G C
23, . , . , . , . , . , . , . , .
|-----------------0---------0-----|-0-------------------------------|
|-----------1-----1---------1-----|-1---------1---------------3-----|
|-------0-------0-------0---0---0-|-0-----0---------------0--(0)-(0)|
|-----3-------3-------3-------3---|-----2-------2h3-2---x-------0---|
|---------------------------------|-3-------3---------------2-------|
|-3-------3-------3-------3-------|---------------------------------|
Clo - -ser to the light. (Another step)
 
________ _ _ _
| 1.
| Am F
| , . , . , . , . , . , . , . , .
|-0---------5---0-----------0-----|-----------1---------------------|
|-------1---------------1---------|---------------1-----------------|
|-2-------------------------------|---2---0-------------------------|
|-----2-------2-------2-------2---|-----3-------3---------0h2-0-----|
|-0-------0-------0---------------|---------------------3-------3---|
|-------------------------3-------|-1-------1-------1---------------|
 
_ _ _ ________
Csus4/G C ||
27, . , . , . , . , . , . , . , . ||
|----------------}0-------0-------|-0--------------------------------||
|-----------1----}1-------1-------|-1---------1---------------3------||
|-------0--------}0-------0-----0-|-0-----0---------------0------(0)*||
|-----3-------3-------3-------3---|(2)--2-------2h3-2---2-------0---*||
|---------------------------------|-3-------3---------------2--------||
|-3-------3-------3-------3-------|----------------------------------||
Verse 2: Walked out-
 
________ _ _ _
| 2,3.
| Am F +
45, . , . , . , . , . , . , . , .
|-----------5---0-----------0-----|-----------1---------------------|
|-----------------------1---------|---------------1-------0h1-0-----|
|-------2-------------------------|---2---0-------------2-------2---|
|-----2-------2-------2-------2---|-----3-------3---------0h2-0-----|
|-0-------0-------0---------------|---------------------3-------3---|
|-------------------------3-------|-1-------1-------1---------------|
deeper into darkness +
 
Csus4/G C
47, . , . , . , . , . , . , . , .
|-----------------0---------0-----|-0-------------------------------|
|-----------1-----1---------1-----|-1---------1---------------3-----|
|-------0-------0-------0---0---0-|-0-----0---------------0--(0)-(0)|
|-----3-------3-------3-------3---|-----2-------2h3-2---x-------0---|
|---------------------------------|-3-------3---------------2-------|
|-3-------3-------3-------3-------|---------------------------------|
Clo - -ser to the light.
 
Middle 8:
G Am
49, . , . , . , . , . , . , . , .
|---------------------------------|---------------------------0-----|
|-3---------3-------3-----5p3-3-0-|-1-0---------------1-----1-------|
|-4-------------4-------0-4-------|-----2---2-------------2---------|
|-----0-------0-------0-------0---|-------2-----2-------2-------2---|
|---------------------------------|-0-------0-------0-------0-------|
|-3-------3-------3-------3-------|---------------------------------|
 
G Am
51, . , . , . , . , . , . , . , .
|-3---------3-----5p3-3-3---1---1-|---0-----------0-------------0---|
|-0-----0-------------------------|-------1-----------------3p1-----|
|---------------0-5p4-4-4---2---2-|---2-------2-----------2---------|
|-----0-------0-------0-------0---|-----2-------2-------2-------2---|
|---------------------------------|-0-------0-------0-------0-------|
|-3-------3-------3-------3-------|---------------------------------|
 
G Am
53, . , . , . , . , . , . , . , .
|-----------------------------0---|---------------0-----------------|
|-3---------3-----3-----0-3p0--(0)|-1-0-------1-------------3p1-----|
|-0-----0-------0---0-------------|-----2---2-------------0-------0-|
|-----0-------0-------0-------0---|-------2-----2-------2-------x---|
|---------------------------------|-0-------0-------0-------0-------|
|-3-------3-------3-------3-------|---------------------------------|
 
G Am
55, . , . , . , . , . , . , . , .
|---------------------------------|---------------------------------||
|-0---------0-----0-------3'**----|-------1-------------------1-----||
|-------0-------0-------0-----2-0h|-2-----2---0---2-------2-------2-||
|-----0-------0-------0---------0h|(2)--2-------2-------2-------2---||
|---------------------------------|-0-------0-------0-------0-------||
|-3-------3-------3------(3)------|---------------------------------||
ds% al coda+
 
+Coda
Csus4/G ritardando...... C
67, . , . , . , . , . , . , . , .
|-----------------0---------0-----|-0-------------------------------||
|-----------1-----1---------1-----|-1-------------------------------||
|-------0-------0-------0---0-----|-0-------------------------------||
|-----3-------3-------3-------3---|-2-------------------------------||
|---------------------------------|-3-------------------------------||
|-3-------3-------3-------3-------|---------------------------------||
Clo - -ser to the light.
 
Closer To The Light
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There you go
Swimming deeper into mystery
Here I remain
Only seeing where you used to be
Stared at the ceiling
'Til my ears filled up with tears
Never got to know you
And suddenly you're out of here
 
Gone from mystery into mystery
Gone from daylight into light
Another step deeper
Into darkness
Closer to the light
 
Walked outside
Summer moon was nearly down
Mist on the fields
Holy stillness all around
Death's no stranger
No stranger than the life I've seen
Still I cried
Still I begged to get you back again
 
Gone from mystery into mystery
Gone from daylight into light
Another step deeper
Into darkness
Closer to the light

How to play Closer To The Light

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 G. 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.

More chords by Bruce Cockburn

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