He left his... ..went his lone and so - l-i- tary
View chords used in this chart
|-----------0-----|-----------0-----|-----------0-----|
|-1-----1-----1---|-------1-----1---|-0-----0-----0---|
|-----0---------0-|-----2---------2-|-----0---------0-|
|---2-------------|---2-------------|---2-------------|
|-3---------------|-0---------------|-----------------|
|---------3-------|---------0-------|-0-------0-------|
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
son his hands... ..different work and his
way he gave to me a gift I know I
(1st time)
|-----------0-----|---------------2-||
|-------1-----1---|-------1-----3---||
|-----2---------2-|-----0-----2-----||
|---2-------------|---2-----0-------||
|-0---------------|-3---------------||
|---------0-------|-----------------||
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
heart was known to none
(2nd time)
(h) (h)
|---------------2-|-----------3-----|-----------3-----|
|-1-----1-----1---|-----0-1-----1---|-----0-1-----1---|
|-----2-----2-----|---0-----------0-|---------------0-|
|---2-----0-------|-----0-2---------|-----0-2---------|
|-0---------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-----------------|-3-------3-------|-3-------3-------|
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
never can re- pay
(h)
|-----------3-----|-----------3-----||
|-----0-1-----1---|-0-----0-----0---||
|---0-----------0-|-----0---------0-||
|-----0-2---------|---0-------------||
|-----------------|-----------------||
|-3-------3-------|-3-------3-------||
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
(on to verse 2...)
(Verse 1)
G C/g G Bm C
An only child alone and wild, a cabinet-maker's son
Am Em
His hands were meant for different work and his
Am C D7
heart was known to none
G C/g G Bm C
He left his home and went his lone and solitary way
Am Em Am D7 G
He gave to me a gift I know I never can repay
(Verse 2)
G C/g G Bm C
A quiet man of music, denied a simpler fate
Am Em
He tried to be a soldier once, but his
Am C D7
music wouldn't wait
G C/g G Bm C
He earned his love through discipline, a thund'ring velvet hand
Am Em Am D7 G
His gentle means of sculpting souls took me years to understand
(to chorus)
|---------------2-|-----------------|-----
|-------1-----1---|-------0-1---3---|-----
|-----2-----2-----|-----0-----------|-----
|---2-----0-------|---0-------------|-----
|-0---------------|---------0---2---|-----
|-----------------|-3---------------|-----
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
..years 2 un-der- stand
(Chorus)
C Bm7 C
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-1-----1-----1---|-------3-----3---|-------1-----1---|
|-----0-----0---0-|-----2-----2---2-|-----0-----0---0-|
|---2-----2-------|---4-----4-------|---2-----2-------|
|-3---------------|-2---------------|-3---------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
The leader of the band is tired & his eyes are growing
My life has been a poor attempt to imitate the
G Am Em
|-----------3-----|-----------------|-----------0-----|
|-------0-------0-|-------1-----1---|-0-----0-------0-|
|-----0-------0---|-----2-----2---2-|-----0-------0---|
|---0-------------|---2-----2-------|---2-------------|
|-----------------|-0---------------|-----------------|
|-3-------3-------|-----------------|-0-------0-------|
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
old but his blood runs thru my instrument & his
man I'm just a living leg - a - cy to the
(1st time)
Am F D
|-----------0-----|-1-----1-2-----2-|-----------------|
|-1-----1-------1-|-----1-------3---|-----------------|
|-----2-------2---|---2-------2-----|-----------------|
|---2-------------|-3-------0-------|-----------------|
|-0---------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|---------0-------|-----------------|-----------------|
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
song is in my soul
(2nd time) (**)
Am C G
(h) (h)
|-----------------|-----------3-----|-----------3-----|
|-------1-------1-|-----0-1-----1---|-----0-1-----1---|
|-----2-------0---|---------------0-|---------------0-|
|---2-------2-----|-----0-2---------|-----0-2---------|
|-0-------3-------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-----------------|-3-------3-------|-3-------3-------|
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
leader of the band
(h)
|-----------3-----|-----------3-----||
|-----0-1-----1---|-0-----0-----0---||
|---------------0-|-----0---------0-||
|-----0-2---------|---0-------------||
|-----------------|-----------------||
|-3-------3-------|-3-------3-------||
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
**(After the last verse, go to ending at this point in the
chorus)
(Verse 3)
G C/g G Bm C
My brother's lives were different, for they heard another call
Am Em
One went to Chicago, a-
Am C D7
nother to St. Paul
G C/g G Bm C
Me, I'm in Colorado when I'm not in some motel
Am Em Am D7 G
living out this life I chose and have come to know so well
(Play intro, then on to...)
(Verse 4)
G C/g G Bm C
I thank you for the music and your stories of the road
Am Em
I thank you for the freedom... when it
Am C D7
came my time to go
G C/g G Bm C
I thank you for the kindness and the times when you got tough
Am Em Am D7 G
and, Papa, I don't think I said "I love you" near enough
(to chorus)
(Ending)
|-----------3-----|-----------0-----|-----------0-----|
|-------0-------0-|-------1-----1---|-0-----0-------0-|
|-----0-------0---|-----2---------2-|-----2-------2---|
|---0-------------|---2-------------|---2-------------|
|-----------------|-0---------------|-----------------|
|-3-------3-------|---------0-------|-0-------0-------|
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
I am a li- ving leg -a - cy to the
(h)
|-----------0-----|---------------2-|-----------3-----|
|-------1-------1-|-------1-----1---|-----0-1-----1---|
|-----2-------2---|-----0-----2-----|---0-----------0-|
|---2-------------|---2-----0-------|-----0-2---------|
|-0---------------|-3---------------|-----------------|
|---------0-------|-----------------|-3-------3-------|
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
lea - der of the band
(h) (h)
|-----------3-----|-----------3-----|-----------3-----|
|-----0-1-----1---|-----0-1-----1---|-0-----0-----0---|
|---------------0-|---0-----------0-|-----0---------0-|
|-----0-2---------|-----0-2---------|---0-------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-3-------3-------|-3-------3-------|-3-------3-------|
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
|-----------------|-0---------------|-----------------|
|-3---------3-----|---3---1---0-----|-1---------1-----|
|-------0-------0-|-----------------|-------0-------0-|
|-----3-------3---|-----3-------3---|-----2-------2---|
|-----------------|-----------------|-3---------------|
|-3-------3-------|-3-------0-------|---------3-------|
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
(p)
|---0-------------|-----------0-----|-----------0-----|
|-3---3-1---------|-------1-------1-|-0-----0-------0-|
|-----------0-----|-----2-------2---|-----0-------0---
|-----------------|-----------------|---2-------------|
|-3-------3---2---|-0---------------|-----------------|
|-----------------|---------0-------|-0-------0-------|
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
|-2-----2-----2---|-3-------3-------||
|---3-----3-----3-|-------0---------||
|-----2-----2-----|-----0-----------||
|-0---------------|---0-------------||
|-----------------|-----------------||
|-----------------|-3---------------||
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
How to play He left his... ..went his lone and so - l-i- tary
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.