The Carpenter Next Door
View chords used in this chart
Intro
G C G C D G
[Verso 1]
G
Everybody knew George and Kelly,
C G
In the little house that George had built.
G
He could turn a board into forever,
D
With steady hands and honest grit.
G
Kelly baked the pies for every fundraiser,
C G
George fixed anything that broke.
C G
They never asked for anything,
G
They just gave a little more.
[Refrão]
C
Some folks build a house,
D G
Some folks build a home.
C
Some folks leave a mark
D G
Long after they're gone.
C
Every nail, every wall,
D G D Em
Every dream still stands.
Am
You can still see George
D G G
In the work of his hands.
[Verso 2]
G C
He never drank except independence day
G
Two cold beers and he'd light up.
G
Then he'd tell us stories from the war,
D C
While we all hung on every word.
D G
I thought heroes lived in books,
D/F# Em C
Or somewhere on TV.
G D
Turns out one was living
G Em
Right next door to me.
[Ponte]
Bm
Then Kelly left this world,
C
And something left with her.
G Am
The porch light still came on,
D G
But the laughter disappeared.
[Verso 3]
G C G
I stayed at my parents' place one night,
G
When someone rattled at the door.
D
There stood George in the moonlight,
G
Like I'd never seen before.
C G
Barefoot in an old white diaper,
C G
His eyes were somewhere far away.
D G
He looked at me and softly asked,
C
"Have you seen Kelly today?"
G
I pointed toward the empty house.
Am
He turned without a sound.
C
The strongest man I'd ever known
D C
Couldn't find his way around.
[Refrão]
D
Some folks build a house,
G C
Some folks build a home.
D G
Time can steal tomorrow,
C
But love keeps holding on.
D G
When I pass that little porch,
D Em
I still hear George's laugh.
Am D
He built more than that old house...
G
He built a piece of all of us.
Outro
C
That little house is standing still.
G
The old front porch, the weathered paint.
G D
Funny how the strongest hands
C D
Can't always hold on to yesterday.
G
Maybe somewhere Kelly's smiling,
Em Am
Waiting by that open door...
G
And George is finally home again,
D G
Building forever, once more.
C D G
How to play The Carpenter Next Door
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.