Chords
Famous Blue Raincoat

Famous Blue Raincoat by Leonard Cohen is a letter to a fictional man who had an affair with the narrators wife or lover. The track is noted for its poetic and melancholic lyrics and complex plot, delving into themes of betrayal, regret, and forgiveness. The song echoes Cohens personal experiences and his ability to convey deep human emotions through his songwriting.

Key: A

Introduction:

difficulty
easy |||||
 Am                                                         F 
It's four in the morning, the end of December
         Dm7                                         Em 
I'm writing you now just to see if you're better
 Am                                           F 
New York is cold, but I like where I'm living
                 Dm7                                         Em 
There's music on Clinton Street all through the evening.
 Am                                 Bm                                     Am 
I hear that you're building your little house
                               Bm 
      deep in the desert
               Am                 G 
You're living for nothing now,
                                   Am                                     G 
      I hope you're keeping some kind of record
                   C                                                               G 
Yes, and Jane came by with a lock of your hair
                                                           Am 
She said that you gave it to her
                                                                     Bm           G 
That night that you planned to go clear
 F                             Em 
Did you ever go clear?
 Am                                                             F 
Ah, the last time we saw you you looked so much older
           Dm7                                           Em 
Your famous blue raincoat was torn at the shoulder
 Am                                                     F 
You'd been to the station to meet every train
 Dm7                                             Em 
And you came home without Lili Marlene
                 Am                 Bm                 Am                       Bm 
And you treated my woman to a flake of your life
         Am                       G       Am                             G 
And when she came back she was nobody's wife.
               C                                                                     G 
Well I see you there with the rose in your teeth
                                         Am 
One more thin gypsy thief
                                     Bm               G 
Well I see Jane's awake
 F                         Em 
She sends her regards.
 Am                                                 F 
And what can I tell you my brother, my killer
 Dm7                                 Em 
What can I possibly say?
 Am                                                 F 
I guess that I miss you, I guess I forgive you
 Dm7                                           Em 
I'm glad you stood in my way.
 Am                             Bm             Am                   Bm 
If you ever come by here, for Jane or for me
 Am                       G                         Am                     G 
Your enemy is sleeping, and his woman is free.
                   C                                                     G 
Yes, and thanks, for the trouble you took from her eyes
                                   Am                                               Bm 
I thought it was there for good so I never tried.
         C                                                               G 
And Jane came by with a lock of your hair
                                                           Am 
She said that you gave it to her
                                                                     Bm             G 
That night that you planned to go clear
 F                         Em 
Sincerely, L. Cohen

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