Home / The Song Tab Archive / Leonard Cohen

1. CHELSEA HOTEL 
2. YOU KNOW WHO I AM 
3. WHO BY FIRE 
4. ONE OF US CANNOT BE WRONG 
5. HEY THAT'S NO WAY TO SAY GOODBYE 
6. HALLELUJAH 

CHELSEA HOTEL (from the 'New Skin for the Old' Ceremony album 1974)


Notes : Capo 5th fret

The time signature is 3/4, so the bass note on the first
beat of each bar should be played louder.



3/4 C
e-|--------------0-----|--------------------|--------0-----------|
B-|--------------------|--------------------|--------------1-----|
G-|--------0-----------|--------------------|-----0-----0-----0--|
D-|--------------------|--------------------|--------2-----2-----|
A-|--3-----------------|--------------------|--3-----------------|
E-|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|

I re - mem - ber you


G F C
e-|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|
B-|--------3-----3-----|--------1-----1-----|--------1-----1-----|
G-|-----------4-----4--|-----------2-----2--|-----0-----0-----0--|
D-|--------5-----5-----|--------3-----3-----|--------2-----2-----|
A-|--------------------|--------------------|--3-----------------|
E-|--3-----------------|--1-----------------|--------------------|

well in the Chel - sea Ho - tel, you were


C/E G Am
e-|--------------------|--------------------|--------0-----------|
B-|--------1-----1-----|--------3-----3-----|--------1-----0-h1--|
G-|-----0-----0-----0--|-----4-----4-----4--|--------------------|
D-|--2-----2-----2-----|--------5-----5-----|--------------------|
A-|--------------------|--------------------|--0-----------------|
E-|--------------------|--3-----------------|--------------------|

talk - ing so brave and so sweet


Am/E C G
e-|--------0-----------|--------------------|--------------------|
B-|--------------1-----|--------1-----1-----|--------3-----3-----|
G-|--------------------|-----0-----0-----0--|-----4-----4-----4--|
D-|--2-----------------|--------2-----2-----|--------5-----5-----|
A-|--------------------|--3-----------------|--------------------|
E-|--------------------|--------------------|--3-----------------|

Giv - ing me head on the


F C F
e-|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|
B-|--------1-----1-----|--------1-----1-----|--------1-----1-----|
G-|-----2-----2-----2--|-----0-----0-----0--|-----2-----2-----2--|
D-|--------3-----3-----|--------2-----2-----|--------3-----3-----|
A-|--------------------|--3-----------------|--------------------|
E-|--1-----------------|--------------------|--1-----------------|

un - made bed while the lim - ou - sines


G
e-|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|
B-|--------1-----1-----|--------3-----3-----|--------3-----3-----|
G-|-----2-----2-----2--|-----4-----4-----4--|-----4-----4-----4--|
D-|--3-----3-----3-----|--------5-----5-----|--5-----5-----5-----|
A-|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|
E-|--------------------|--3-----------------|--------------------|

wait in the street


Am
e-|--------0-----------|--------------------|--------------------|
B-|--------1-----0-h1--|--------1-----0-----|--------1-----1-----|
G-|--------------------|--------------------|-----2-----2-----2--|
D-|--------------------|--2-----------------|--------3-----3-----|
A-|--0-----------------|--------------------|--------------------|
E-|--------------------|--------------------|--1-----------------|

Those were the rea - sons and that was New


F C C/B
e-|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|
B-|--------1-----1-----|--------1-----1-----|--------3-----3-----|
G-|-----2-----2-----2--|-----0-----0-----0--|-----0-----0-----0--|
D-|--3-----3-----3-----|--------2-----2-----|--------0-----0-----|
A-|--------------------|--3-----------------|--2-----------------|
E-|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|

York, we were running for the money and the


Am Am/E F
e-|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|
B-|--------------0-h1--|--------1-----0-----|--------1-----1-----|
G-|--------------------|-----2-----2-----0--|-----2-----2-----2--|
D-|--------------------|--2-----------------|--------3-----3-----|
A-|--0-----------------|--------------------|--------------------|
E-|--------------------|--------------------|--1-----------------|

flesh and that was called


C C/E
e-|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|
B-|--------1-----1-----|--------1-----1-----|--------1-----1-----|
G-|-----2-----2-----2--|-----0-----0-----0--|-----0-----0-----0--|
D-|--3-----3-----3-----|--------2-----2-----|--2-----2-----2-----|
A-|--------------------|--3-----------------|--------------------|
E-|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|

love for the work - ers in song probably


F G
e-|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|
B-|--------1-----1-----|--------1-----1-----|--------3-----3-----|
G-|-----2-----2-----2--|-----2-----2-----2--|-----4-----4-----4--|
D-|--------3-----3-----|--3-----3-----3-----|--------5-----5-----|
A-|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|
E-|--1-----------------|--------------------|--3-----------------|

still is for those of them left


F
e-|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|
B-|--------3-----3-----|--------1-----1-----|--------1-----1-----|
G-|-----4-----4-----4--|-----2-----2-----2--|-----2-----2-----2--|
D-|--5-----5-----5-----|--------3-----3-----|--3-----3-----3-----|
A-|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|
E-|--------------------|--1-----------------|--------------------|

and then you got a - way


C C/E C
e-|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|
B-|--------1-----1-----|--------1-----1-----|--------1-----1-----|
G-|-----0-----0-----0--|-----0-----0-----0--|-----0-----0-----0--|
D-|--------2-----2-----|--2-----2-----2-----|--------2-----2-----|
A-|--3-----------------|--------------------|--3-----------------|
E-|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|

did - n't you ba - by ? you just turned your


C/B Am Am/E
e-|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|
B-|--------3-----3-----|--------1-----0-h1--|--------1-----0-----|
G-|-----0-----0-----0--|-----2-----2--------|-----2----5-2-----0--|
D-|--------0-----0-----|--------2-----------|--2-----------------|
A-|--2-----------------|--0-----------------|--------------------|
E-|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|

back on the crowd


F C
e-|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|
B-|--------1-----1-----|--------1-----1-----|--------1-----1-----|
G-|-----2-----2-----2--|-----2-----2-----2--|-----0-----0-----0--|
D-|--------3-----3-----|--3-----3-----3-----|--------2-----2-----|
A-|--------------------|--------------------|--3-----------------|
E-|--1-----------------|--------------------|--------------------|

You got a - way, I never once heard you say,


C/E F
e-|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|
B-|--------1-----1-----|--------1-----1-----|--------1-----1-----|
G-|-----0-----0-----0--|-----2-----2-----2--|-----2-----2-----2--|
D-|--2-----2-----2-----|--------3-----3-----|--3-----3-----3-----|
A-|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|
E-|--------------------|--1-----------------|--------------------|

I need you I don't


C F
e-|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|
B-|--------1-----1-----|--------1-----1-----|--------1-----1-----|
G-|-----0-----0-----0--|-----0-----0-----0--|-----2-----2-----2--|
D-|--------2-----2-----|--2-----2-----2-----|--------3-----3-----|
A-|--3-----------------|--------------------|--------------------|
E-|--------------------|--------------------|--1-----------------|

need you I need you


C C/E
e-|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|
B-|--------1-----1-----|--------1-----1-----|--------1-----1-----|
G-|-----2-----2-----2--|-----0-----0-----0--|-----0-----0-----0--|
D-|--3-----3-----3-----|--------2-----2-----|--2-----2-----2-----|
A-|--------------------|--3-----------------|--------------------|
E-|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|

I don't need you, and


F Am
e-|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|
B-|--------1-----1-----|--------1-----1-----|--------1-----0-h1--|
G-|-----2-----2-----2--|-----2-----2-----2--|-----2-----2--------|
D-|--------3-----3-----|--3-----3-----3-----|--------2-----------|
A-|--------------------|--------------------|--0-----------------|
E-|--1-----------------|--------------------|--------------------|

all of that ji - ving a - round.


Am/E G
e-|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|
B-|--------0-h1--0-----|--------3-----3-----|--------3-----3-----|
G-|-----2-----------0--|-----4-----4-----4--|-----4-----4-----4--|
D-|--2-----------------|--------5-----5-----|--5-----5-----5-----|
A-|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|
E-|--------------------|--3-----------------|--------------------|

I re - ...
LYRICS:

I remember you well in the Chelsea Hotel,
you were talking so brave and so sweet,
giving me head on the unmade bed,
while the limousines wait in the street.
Those were the reasons and that was New York,
we were running for the money and the flesh.
And that was called love for the workers in song
probably still is for those of them left.

Ah but you got away, didn't you babe,
you just turned your back on the crowd,
you got away, I never once heard you say,
I need you, I don't need you,
I need you, I don't need you
and all of that jiving around.

I remember you well in the Chelsea Hotel
you were famous, your heart was a legend.
You told me again you preferred handsome men
but for me you would make an exception.
And clenching your fist for the ones like us
who are oppressed by the figures of beauty,
you fixed yourself, you said, "Well never mind,
we are ugly but we have the music."

And then you got away, didn't you babe...

I don't mean to suggest that I loved you the best,
I can't keep track of each fallen robin.
I remember you well in the Chelsea Hotel,
that's all, I don't even think of you that often.

YOU KNOW WHO I AM 


Am (riff 2x)
Am Bm
I cannot follow you my love
Am Bm
You cannot follow me
D A
I am the distance you put between
G G/F# E
All of the moments that we will be

CHORUS:
D A
You know who I am
D A
You've stared at the sun
D A
Well I am the one who loves
G G/# E Am (riff)
Changing from nothing to one

Sometimes I need you naked
Sometimes I need you wild
I need you to carry my children in
And I need you to kill a child ...CHORUS

If you should ever track me down
I will surrender there
And I will leave with you one broken man
Whom I will teach you to repair ...CHORUS

I cannot follow you, my love
You cannot follow me
I am the distance you put between
All of the moments that we will be ...CHORUS


Am (normal pattern) Am (riff)
E --------------------------- ------------------------------
B -----1---1--------1---1---- -----0---1---3---1---0h1p0----
G -----2---2--------2---2---- -----2---2---2---2---2--------
D ---2---2---2----2---2---2-- ---2---2---2---2---2----------
A -0------------0------------ -0----------------------------
E --------------------------- ------------------------------


NOTE: Use the normal pattern for all the chords, changing it slightly when 
appropriate
(i.e. D only uses strings D-E).
(from "Songs From a Room", 1968) 

WHO BY FIRE 
From the "New Skin for the Old Ceremony" album.


Am/E
> > > > >
e-|--------------------------------------------------|
B-|--1-----------------------------------------------|
G-|--------2-----------2-----------2-----------2-----|
D-|-----------2-----2-----2-----2-----2-----2-----2--|
A-|--------------------------------------------------|
E-|--0----------(0)---------(0)----------0-----------|
i i i t t i i t t i i t t i i
t

Am/F
> > > > >
e-|--------------------------------------------------|
B-|--1-----------------------------------------------|
G-|--------2-----------2-----------2-----------2-----|
D-|-----------2-----2-----2-----2-----2-----2-----2--|
A-|--------------------------------------------------|
E-|--1----------(1)---------(1)---------(1)----------|
i i i t t i i t t i i t t i i
t

E(7)
> > > > > > > >
e-|--------------------------------------------------|
B-|--------------------------------------------------|
G-|--------1-----1-----1-----1-----1-----1-----1-----|
D-|-----2-----2-----2-----2-----2-----2-----2-----2--|
A-|--------------------------------------------------|
E-|--0-----------------------------------------------|
t t i t i t i t i t i t i t i t



> > > > > > > >
e-|--------------------------------------------------|
B-|--------------------------------------------------|
G-|--1-----1-----1-----1-----1-----1-----1-----1-----|
D-|-----2-----2-----2-----2-----2-----2----2------2--|
A-|--------------------------------------------------|
E-|--------------------------------------------------|
i t i t i t i t i t i t i t i t


Am G Am
> > > > >
e-|--------------------------------------------------|
B-|--1-----------0-----------1-----------------------|
G-|--------2-----------0-----------2-----------2-----|
D-|-----2-----2-----0-----0-----2-----2-----2-----2--|
A-|--------------------------------------0-----------|
E-|--------------------------------------------------|
m t i t m t i t m t i i t t i t

Who by fire

Am G Am
> > > > >
e-|--------------------------------------------------|
B-|--1-----------0-----------1-----------------------|
G-|--------2-----------0-----------2-----------2-----|
D-|-----2-----2-----0-----0-----2-----2-----2-----2--|
A-|--------------------------------------0-----------|
E-|--------------------------------------------------|
m t i t m t i t m t i i t t i t

Who by water


C/E G/D C/E
> > > > >
e-|--------------------------0-----------------------|
B-|--1-----------3-----------------------1-----------|
G-|--------0-----------0-----------0-----------0-----|
D-|-----2-----2-----0-----0-----2-----2-----2-----2--|
A-|--------------------------------------------------|
E-|--------------------------------------------------|
m t i t m t i t r t i t m t i t

Who in the sun - shine


C/E G/D C/E
> > > > >
e-|--------------------------0-----------------------|
B-|--1-----------3-----------------------1-----------|
G-|--------0-----------0-----------0-----------0-----|
D-|-----2-----2-----0-----0-----2-----2-----2-----2--|
A-|--------------------------------------------------|
E-|--------------------------------------------------|
m t i t m t i t r t i t m t i t

Who in the night - time


Am G Am
> > > > >
e-|--------------------------------------------------|
B-|--1-----------0-----------1-----------------------|
G-|--------2-----------0-----------2-----------2-----|
D-|-----2-----2-----0-----0-----2-----2-----2-----2--|
A-|--------------------------------------0-----------|
E-|--------------------------------------------------|
m t i t m t i t m t i i t t i t

Who by high ordeal


Am G Am
> > > > >
e-|--------------------------------------------------|
B-|--1-----------0-----------1-----------------------|
G-|--------2-----------0-----------2-----------2-----|
D-|-----2-----2-----0-----0-----2-----2-----2-----2--|
A-|--------------------------------------0-----------|
E-|--------------------------------------------------|
m t i t m t i t m t i i t t i t

Who by common trial


C/E G/D C/E
> > > > >
e-|--------------------------0-----------------------|
B-|--1-----------3-----------------------1-----------|
G-|--------0-----------0-----------0-----------0-----|
D-|-----2-----2-----0-----0-----2-----2-----2-----2--|
A-|--------------------------------------------------|
E-|--------------------------------------------------|
m t i t m t i t m t i t m t i t

Who in your merry merry month of May,


C/E G/D C/E
> > > > >
e-|--------------------------0-----------------------|
B-|--1-----------3-----------------------1-----------|
G-|--------0-----------0-----------0-----------0-----|
D-|-----2-----2-----0-----0-----2-----2-----2-----2--|
A-|--------------------------------------------------|
E-|--------------------------------------------------|
m t i t m t i t r t i t m t i t

Who by very slow decay and


Am/E
> > > > >
e-|--------------------------------------------------|
B-|--1-----------------------------------------------|
G-|--------2-----------2-----------2-----------2-----|
D-|-----2-----2-----2-----2-----2-----2-----2-----2--|
A-|--------------------------------------------------|
E-|--------------0-----------0-----------0-----------|
m t i i t t i i t t i i t t i i

Shall I say

Am/F
> > > > >
e-|--------------------------------------------------|
B-|--------------------------------------------------|
G-|--------2-----------2-----------2-----------2-----|
D-|-----2-----2-----2-----2-----2-----2-----2-----2--|
A-|--------------------------------------------------|
E-|--1-----------1-----------1-----------1-----------|
t t i i t t i i t t i i t t i i

is

E/B
> > > > > > > >
e-|--------------------------------------------------|
B-|--0-----------------------------------------------|
G-|--1-----1-----1-----1-----1-----1-----1-----1-----|
D-|-----2-----2-----2-----2-----2-----2-----2-----2--|
A-|--2-----------------------------------------------|
E-|--------------------------------------------------|
m t i t i t i t i t i t i t i t
i
t

calling

> > > > > > > >
e-|--------------------------------------------------|
B-|--------------------------------------------------|
G-|--1-----1-----1-----1-----1-----1-----1-----1-----|
D-|-----2-----2-----2-----2-----2-----2-----2-----2--|
A-|--------------------------------------------------|
E-|--------------------------------------------------|



Lyrics :


And who by fire, who by water,
who in the sunshine, who in the night time,
who by high ordeal, who by common trial,
who in your merry merry month of may,
who by very slow decay,
and who shall I say is calling?

And who in her lonely slip, who by barbiturate,
who in these realms of love, who by something blunt,
and who by avalanche, who by powder,
who for his greed, who for his hunger,
and who shall I say is calling?

And who by brave assent, who by accident,
who in solitude, who in this mirror,
who by his lady's command, who by his own hand,
who in mortal chains, who in power,
and who shall I say is calling?

ONE OF US CANNOT BE WRONG 


Accompaniment Pattern: written for A Major

E----------------------------|----------------------------|
B-----------2---------2------|-----------2---------2------|
3/4 G-----------2---------2------|-----------2---------2------|
D------2---------2---------2-|------2---------2---------2-|
A-0--------------------------|-0--------------------------|
E----------------------------|----------------------------|

A / A / A / A /

/A / /Bm /Bm /
I lit a thin green candle
D /D /A /A
to make you jealous of me
/A /A /Bm /Bm
but the room just filled up with mosquitoes
/D /D /E /E
they heard that my body was free.
/F#m /F#m /C#m /C#m
Then I took the dust of a long sleepless night
/D /D /A /A
and I put it in your little shoe
/Bm /Bm /G /G
and then I confess that I tortured the dress
/Bm /A /G /G /
that you wore for the world to look through.


A / A / A / A /

/A / /Bm /Bm /
I showed my heart to the doctor
D /D /A /A
he said I'd just have to quit
/A /A /Bm /Bm
then he wrote himself a perscription
/D /D /E /E
and your name was mentioned in it.
/F#m /F#m /C#m /C#m
Then he locked himself in a library shelf
/D /D /A /A
with the details of our honeymoon
/Bm /Bm
and I hear from the nurse
/G /G
that he's gotten much worse
/Bm /A /G /G
and his practice is all in a ruin.


A / A / A / A /

/A / /Bm /Bm /
I heard of a saint who had loved you
/D /D /A /A
So I studied all night in his school
/A /A /Bm /Bm
he taught that the duty of lovers
/D /D /E /E
is to tarnish the golden rule.
/F#m /F#m /C#m /C#m
And just when I was sure
/C#m /C#m
that his teachings were pure
/Bm /Bm /A /A
he drowned himself in the pool
/Bm /Bm /G /G
his body is gone but back here on the lawn
/Bm /A /G /G
his spirit continues to drool.

A / A / A / A /

/A / /Bm /Bm /
An Eskimo showed me a movie
D /D /A /A
he'd recently taken of you
/A /A /Bm /Bm
the poor man could hardly stop shivering,
/D /D /E /E
his lips and his fingers were blue.
/F#m /F#m
I suppose that he froze
/C#m /C#m
when the wind took your clothes
/D /D /A
and I guess he just never got warm
/Bm /Bm /G /G
but you stand there so nice in your blizzard of ice
/Bm /A /G /G
o, please let me come into the storm.




HEY, THAT'S NO WAY TO SAY GOODBYE
(from Songs of Leonard Cohen, 1967)

A
I loved you in the morning our kisses deep and warm
F#m
Your hair upon the pillow like a sleepy golden storm
D
Yes, many loved before us I know that we are not new
A
In city and in forest they smiled like me and you
F#m
But now it's come to distances and both of us must try
D
Your eyes are soft with sorrow
E A E
Hey, that's no way to say goodbye

I'm not looking for another
As I wander in my time
Walk me to the corner
Our steps will always rhyme
You know my love goes with you
As your love stays with me
It's just the way it changes
Like the shoreline and the sea
But let's not talk of love or chains
And things we can't untie
Your eyes are soft with sorrow
Hey, that's no way to say goodbye

I loved you in the morning
Our kisses deep and warm
Your hair upon the pillow
Like a sleepy golden storm
Yes, many loved before us
I know that we are not new
In city and in forest
They smiled like me and you
But let's not talk of love or chains
And things we can't untie
Your eyes are soft with sorrow
Hey, that's no way to say goodbye

Hallelujah 


G Em 
I heard there was a secret chord 

G Em
that David played and it pleased the Lord,

C G
But you don't really care for music do you.

G C D
It goes like this the fourth the fifth, 

Em C D
the minor fall and the major lift

D Em
The baffled king composing hallelujah

C Em C G-D-G
Halleluja, Halleluja, Halleluja, Halleluja


Easy.

Roderick

From: Harlan L Thompson 

HALLELUJAH- Leonard Cohen

C G
C C/B Am 
Now I C C/B Am
that David played and it pleased the Lord
F G C G 
But you don't really care for music do ya
C F E
It goes like this the fourth the fifth
Am F
the minor fall and the major lift
G E Am
The baffled king composing hallelujah
F Am F C G C G
Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah


Your faith was strong but you needed proof
You saw her bathing on the roof
Her beauty and the moonlight overthrew ya
She tied you to a kitchen chair
She broke your throne, and she cut your hair
And from your lips she drew the Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah

You say I took the name in vain
I don't even know the name
But if I did, well really, what's it to ya?
There's a blaze of light in every word
It doesn't matter which you heard
The holy or the broken Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah

I did my best, it wasn't much
I couldn't feel, so I tried to touch
I've told the truth, I didn't come to fool ya
And even though it all went wrong
I'll stand before the Lord of Song
With nothing on my tongue but Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah

(from Various Positions, 1984)