Nostalgia Blues
View chords used in this chart
The picking/strum pattern is probably the toughest thing
about this song. I kind of just try to do some odd
combination of strumming & picking during the verses
& Choruses, then just strumming for the bridges.
Have fun with it (but not too much).
Intro: F C F C
F C C/B Am
F G
verse 1
F C
See you still haven't quit smoking
F C
Is that really all that you can think to say?
F C C/B Am
I remember your bedsheets smudged with ashes and burns
F G
When you stayed up all night reading The Brothers K
F C
I know nostalgia's a Southall waitress
F C
Saving nickels for a rainy day far removed
F C C/B Am
Still I can't ever remember seeing your tongue so tied
F G
Or your hands shake so loose
Bridge 1
F G
Yes, everyone wants to believe their time was special, Nick
Am F
See the dish run away with the spoon
[Refrão] C
Then they settle down
G
And they settle in
Am F
And they curse the night for givin' them all those sweet dreams
C G
All those sweet dreams, they bartered and sold
F C
So long ago
verse 2
F C
Coachie was wise to get out when he did
F C
And hitch his pony to an actual star
F C C/B Am
You know, he's playing the Sydney Opera House tonight
F G
Aren't y'all still sleeping on strangers' wooden floors, yes
F C
How'd you get that iceberg way up on your shoulder, Jim?
F C
Can't we force our old demons into a truce?
F C C/B Am
No, I'm afraid what we did was secret then
F G
Don't act surprised it now applies to you
Bridge 2
F G
I guess everyone thinks genius is in their blood
Am F
Or at least livin' down the street a door or two
[Refrão] C
And then they settle down
G
And they settle in
Am F
And they curse the night for punishing them with those sweet dreams
C G
All those sweet dreams that exposed their soul
F C
So long ago
verse 3
F C
Bobby says the translator's nightmare is finding all the right words
F C
But somehow still gettin' the whole story wrong
F C C/B Am
And all you guitar poets, well you're life's little butchers
F G
Go ahead and put that one in your song
F C
You've got endless tales of love gone bad
F C
I guess our Romeo is really cursed
F C C/B Am
You poke your nose in everyone's dirty clothes
F G
So you can turn 'em into your light, loose verse
Bridge 3
F G
Well, my life isn't neat rhymes and punchlines
Am F
Cheap laughs and your talking blues
F G
And I wish that for just one time
Am F
You could stand inside my shoes
[Refrão] C
You could settle down
G
And you could settle in
Am F
And you could curse the night for givin' you all those sweet dreams
C G
All those sweet dreams I watched corrode
F C
So long ago
verse 4
F C
Well, it's easy to get hung up
F C
On all the things that you'll never have
F C C/B Am
A backyard pool, your mother's love,
F G
John Lennon's autograph
F C
Some people step into an ambulance
F C
While others slip into a trance
F C C/B Am
I've heard the sky blooms Picassos, though
F G
If you stop and give the clouds half a chance
Bridge 4
F G
But I won't go to your funeral, Sue
Am F
But I've got a couch if you ever need a place to crash
[Refrão] C
We could settle down
G
We could settle in
Am F
We could thank the night for givin' us all those sweet dreams
C G
All those sweet dreams, like swords pulled from stones
Am F
While we filled our notebooks with grass, branch, and bone
C
Aw, here's to the sweet dreams
G
That wouldn't leave us alone
F C
So long ago
How to play Nostalgia Blues
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 F. 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.