Chords:
{t:Stranger Song, The}
{artist:Ken Middleton cov. of Leonard Cohen}
{key: Bm}
Reggae version Ken Middleton
{c:Reggae strum [Bm]}
{c: Thanks to Ronald Dobson}
It's [G] true that all the [F] men you [G] knew were [D] dealers
Who said they were through with [A] dealing
Every time you gave them [Bm] shelter
I [A] know that kind of man
It's hard to [Bm] hold the hand of anyone
Who's [A] reaching for the sky just to sur-[Bm]render
Who is [A] reaching for the sky just to sur-[Bm]render
And then [G] sweeping up the [F] jokers [G] that he [D] left behind
You'll [D] find he did not [A] leave you very much
Not even [Bm] laughter
Like [A] any dealer he was watching for the [Bm] card
That is so high and [A] wild
He'll never need to deal an[Bm] other
He was [A] just some Joseph looking for a [Bm] manger
He was [A] just some Joseph looking for a [Bm] manger
And then [G] leaning on your [F] window [G] sill
He'll [D] say one day you caused his will
To [A] weaken with your love and warmth and [Bm] shelter
And then [A] taking from his wallet
An old [Bm] schedule of trains, he'll say
I [A] told you when I came I was a [Bm] stranger
I [A] told you when I came I was a [Bm] stranger
Oh but [G] now another [F] stranger [G] seems
To [D] want you to ignore his dreams
As [A] though they were the burden of some [Bm] other
You've [A] seen that man before
His golden [Bm] arm dispatching cards
But now it's [A] rusted from the elbow to the [Bm] finger
And he [A] wants to trade the game he plays for [Bm] shelter
Yes he [A] wants to trade the game he knows for [Bm] shelter
Ah you [G] hate to watch a[F] nother [G] tired [D] man
Lay down his hand
Like he was [A] giving up the holy game of [Bm] poker
And [A] while he talks his dreams to sleep
You [Bm] notice there's a highway
That is [A] curling up like smoke above his [Bm] shoulder
It's [A] curling just like smoke above his [Bm] shoulder
Well, you [G] tell him to come [F] in sit [G] down
But [D] something makes you turn around
The [A] door is open you can't close your [Bm] shelter
You [A] try the handle of the road
It [Bm] opens do not be afraid
It's [A] you my love, you, who are the [Bm] stranger
Well, I[G] 've been waiting, [F] I was [G] sure
We'd [D] meet between the trains we're waiting [A] for
I think it's time to board a[Bm] nother
Please [A] understand, I never had a [Bm] secret chart
To get me to the [A] heart of this or any other [Bm] matter
When he [A] talks like this you don't know what he's [Bm] after
When he [A] speaks like this, you don't know what he's [Bm] after
Let's [G] meet tomorrow [F] if you [G] choose
Up[D] on the shore, beneath the bridge
That [A] they are building on some endless [Bm] river
Then he [A] leaves the platform
For the sleeping [Bm] car that's warm
You realize, he's [A] only advertising one more [Bm] shelter
And it [A] comes to you, he never was a stranger
And you [A] say okay the bridge or someplace [Bm] later
And then [G] sweeping up the [F] jokers [G] that he [D] left behind
You'll [D] find he did not [A] leave you very much
Not even [Bm] laughter
Like [A] any dealer he was watching for the [Bm] card
That is so high and [A] wild
He'll never need to deal an[Bm] other
He was [A] just some Joseph looking for a [Bm] manger
He was [A] just some Joseph looking for a [Bm] manger
And then [G] leaning on your [F] window [G] sill
He'll [D] say one day you caused his will
To [A] weaken with your love and warmth and [Bm] shelter
And then [A] taking from his wallet
An old [Bm] schedule of trains, he'll say
I [A] told you when I came I was a [Bm] stranger
I [A] told you when I came I was a [Bm] stranger
I [A] told you when I came I was a [Bm] stranger
