Famous Blue Raincoat
View chords used in this chart
Verse
C#m picking pattern:
e|----------------------------------------------|
B|----5-----5-----------------------------------|
G|-------6-----6--------------------------------|
D|----------------------------------------------|
A|-4--------------4-----------------------------|
E|----------------------------------------------|
A picking pattern
e|-----0---0-------------------------------------|
B|-------2---2-----------------------------------|
G|-----------------------------------------------|
D|-----------------------------------------------|
A|-0------------0--------------------------------|
E|-----------------------------------------------|
F#m7 picking pattern
e|----0-----0-------------------------------------|
B|-------2-----2----------------------------------|
G|------------------------------------------------|
D|------------------------------------------------|
A|------------------------------------------------|
E|-2---------------2------------------------------|
G#m7 picking pattern
e|--------------------------------4-------------|
B|-----4-----4------5------4--------------------|
G|----------------------------------------------|
D|----------------------------------------------|
A|----------------------------------------------|
E|-4------4-----4------4------4-----------------|
Pre-Chorus
C#m picking pattern:
e|-----------------------------------------------|
B|----5-----5------------------------------------|
G|-------6-----6---------------------------------|
D|-----------------------------------------------|
A|-4--------------4------------------------------|
E|-----------------------------------------------|
D#m picking pattern (building)
e|-----------------------------------------------|
B|---7-----7-------------------------------------|
G|------8-----8----------------------------------|
D|-----------------------------------------------|
A|-6-------------6-------------------------------|
E|-----------------------------------------------|
D#m picking pattern (desert)
e|-----------------6---------------------------------|
B|-----7-----7--------7-----7------------------------|
G|--------8-----8--------8----8----------------------|
D|---------------------------------------------------|
A|-6-----------------------------6-------------------|
E|---------------------------------------------------|
B picking pattern
e|-------------------------------------------|
B|----------4--------------------------------|
G|-----4-------------------------------------|
D|-------------------------------------------|
A|--2-----2----------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------------|
Chorus
E picking pattern
e|-------------------------------------------------|
B|----------9--------------------------------------|
G|----9--------9-----------------------------------|
D|-------------------------------------------------|
A|-7-----7-----------------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------------------|
B picking pattern
e|-------------------------------------------------|
B|---------4---------------------------------------|
G|----4-------4------------------------------------|
D|-------------------------------------------------|
A|-2----2------------------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------------------|
C#m picking pattern
e|--------------------------------------------------|
B|---------5----------------------------------------|
G|----6-------6-------------------------------------|
D|--------------------------------------------------|
A|-4----4-------------------------------------------|
E|--------------------------------------------------|
D#m picking pattern
e|---------6----------------------------------------|
B|----7-------7-------------------------------------|
G|--------------------------------------------------|
D|--------------------------------------------------|
A|-6----6-------------------------------------------|
E|--------------------------------------------------|
A picking pattern (only play the first 4 as you lead into it)
e|--------------5-----------------------------------|
B|---------5------5---------------------------------|
G|--------------------------------------------------|
D|--------------------------------------------------|
A|--------------------------------------------------|
E|-4---5-----5--------------------------------------|
G#m7 picking pattern
e|---------------4-----------------------------------|
B|------4---4----------------------------------------|
G|--------4---4--------------------------------------|
D|---------------------------------------------------|
A|---------------------------------------------------|
E|-4-------------------------------------------------|
Intro
C#m
verse 1
C#m A
It's four in the morning, the end of December
F#m7 G#m7
I'm writing you now just to see if you're better
C#m A
New York is cold, but I like where I'm living
F#m7 G#m7
There's music on Clinton Street all through the evening
Pre-Chorus
C#m D#m C#m D#m
I hear that you're building your little house deep in the desert
C#m B C#m B
You're living for nothing now; I hope you're keeping some kind of record
Chorus 1
E B
Yes, and Jane came by with a lock of your hair
C#m
She said that you gave it to her
D#m B
That night that you planned to go clear
A G#m7
Did you ever go clear?
verse 2
C#m A
Ah, the last time we saw you, you looked so much older
F#m7 G#m7
Your famous blue raincoat was torn to shoulder
C#m A
You'd been to the station to meet every train
F#m7 G#m7
And you came home without Lili Marlene
Pre-Chorus
C#m D#m C#m D#m
And you treated my woman to a flake of your life
C#m B C#m B
And when she came back she was nobody's wife
Chorus 2
E B
Well I see you there with the rose in your teeth
C#m
One more thin gypsy thief
D#m B
Well I see Jane's awake
A G#m7
She sends her regards
verse 3
C#m A
And what can I tell you my brother, my killer
F#m7 G#m7
What can I possibly say?
C#m A
I guess that I miss you, I guess I forgive you
F#m7 G#m7
I'm glad you stood in my way
Pre-Chorus
C#m D#m C#m D#m
If you ever come by here, for Jane or for me
C#m B C#m B
Well, your enemy is sleeping, and his woman is free
Chorus 3
E B
Yes, and thanks, for the trouble you took from her eyes
C#m D#m B
I thought it was there for good so I never tried
E B
And Jane came by with a lock of your hair
C#m
She said that you gave it to her
D#m B
That night that you planned to go clear
A G#m7
Sincerely, L. Cohen
Outro
C#m A F#m7 G#m7
How to play Famous Blue Raincoat
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#m. 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.