Leonard Cohen - Famous Blue Raincoat Chords
Before you play, tune your guitar and use the tools below to set up your view and flow.
Guitar Am chord diagram
Guitar F chord diagram
Guitar Dm chord diagram
Guitar Em7 chord diagram
Guitar Bm chord diagram
Guitar G chord diagram
Guitar C chord diagram
[Opening]
It’s [Am]four in the morning [F]the end of December
[Dm]I’m writing you now just to [Em7]see if you’re better
[Am]New York is cold but I [F]like where I’m living
There’s [Dm]music on Clinton street [Em7]all through the evening
[verse 2]
[Am]I hear that you’re [Bm]building your little [Am]house deep in the [Bm]desert
[Am]You’re living for [G]nothing now
I hope you’re [Am]keeping some kind of [G]record
[verse 3]
Yes and [C]Jane came by with a lock of your [G]hair
She said that you gave it to [Am]her
That night that you planned to go [Bm]clear [G] [F]did you ever go [Em7]clear
[verse 4]
Oh the [Am]last time we saw you you [F]looked so much older
Your [Dm]famous blue raincoat was [Em7]torn at the shoulder
You’d [Am]been to the station to [F]meet every train
[verse 5]
[Dm]And you came home without [Em7]Lilli Marlene
And you [Am]treated my [Bm]woman to a [Am]flake of your [Bm]life
[Am]And when she came [G]back [Am]she was nobody’s [G]wife
[verse 6]
Well I [C]see you there with the rose in your [G]teeth
One more thin gypsy [Am]thief
Well I see Hane’s a[Bm]wake [G] [F]she sends her re[Em7]gards
[interlude]
[Am] [F] [Dm] [Em7]
[verse 7]
And [Am]what can I tell you my [F]brother my killer
[Dm]What can I possibly [Em7]say?
I [Am]guess that I miss you [F]I guess I forgive you
[verse 8]
[Dm]I’m glad you stood in my [Em7]way
[Am]If you ever come [Bm]by here [Am]for Jane or for [Bm]me
[Am]Well your enemy is [G]sleeping [Am]and his woman is [G]free
[verse 9]
Yes and [C]thanks for the trouble you [G]took from her eyes
I thought it was [Am]there for good so I never [Bm]tried [G]
And [C]Jane came by with a lock of your [G]hair
[Closing]
She said that you gave it to [Am]her
That night that you planned to go [Bm]clear [G] [F]sincerely L [Em7]Cohen
[outro]
[Am] [F] [Dm] [Em7]
How to play Famous Blue Raincoat on Guitar (Step-by-step)
Leonard Cohen - Famous Blue Raincoat on guitar requires 7 chords and 10 core chord transitions. You can find the full step-by-step guide below. Before you start, tune your instrument. The song uses the ↓-↓↑-↑↓↑ pattern; practice it muted first, or simplify to downstrokes while you learn the changes.
Famous Blue Raincoat uses these transitions most often: Am → Bm (10), Em7 → Am (10), and Am → F (8). These transitions may feel a little challenging at first, but with steady practice you can play this song quickly.When you are ready, begin with Am - F chord transition.
1. Am → F chord transition
To move from Am to F;
- Lift your index finger from B string fret 1 and place it on E string fret 1.
- Slide your middle finger from D string fret 2 to G string fret 2.
- Lift your ring finger from G string fret 2 and place it on A string fret 3.
- Place pinky on D string fret 3.
2. F → Dm chord transition
To move from F to Dm;
- While playing F, lift your pinky from D string fret 3.
- Lift your index finger from E string fret 1 and place it on E string fret 1.
- Keep middle finger on G string fret 2.
- Slide your ring finger from A string fret 3 to B string fret 3.
3. Dm → Em7 chord transition
To move from Dm to Em7;
- While playing Dm, first lift your index finger and ring finger.
- Lift your middle finger from G string fret 2 and place it on A string fret 2.
4. Em7 → Am chord transition
To move from Em7 to Am;
- Lift your middle finger from A string fret 2 and place it on D string fret 2.
- Place index finger on B string fret 1.
- Place ring finger on G string fret 2.
5. Am → Bm chord transition
To move from Am to Bm;
- Lift your index finger from B string fret 1 and place it on E string fret 2.
- Slide your middle finger from D string fret 2 to B string fret 3.
- Lift your ring finger from G string fret 2 and place it on D string fret 4.
- Place pinky on G string fret 4.
6. Am → G chord transition
To move from Am to G;
- Lift your index finger from B string fret 1 and place it on A string fret 2.
- Slide your middle finger from D string fret 2 to E string fret 3.
- Lift your ring finger from G string fret 2 and place it on E string fret 3.
7. G → C chord transition
To move from G to C;
- Lift your index finger from A string fret 2 and place it on B string fret 1.
- Slide your middle finger from E string fret 3 to D string fret 2.
- Lift your ring finger from E string fret 3 and place it on A string fret 3.
8. Bm → G chord transition
To move from Bm to G;
- While playing Bm, lift your pinky from G string fret 4.
- Lift your index finger from E string fret 2 and place it on A string fret 2.
- Slide your middle finger from B string fret 3 to E string fret 3.
- Lift your ring finger from D string fret 4 and place it on E string fret 3.
9. G → F chord transition
To move from G to F;
- Lift your index finger from A string fret 2 and place it on E string fret 1.
- Slide your middle finger from E string fret 3 to G string fret 2.
- Lift your ring finger from E string fret 3 and place it on A string fret 3.
- Place pinky on D string fret 3.
10. F → Em7 chord transition
To move from F to Em7;
- While playing F, first lift your index finger, ring finger, and pinky.
- Lift your middle finger from G string fret 2 and place it on A string fret 2.
Famous Blue Raincoat chord transition analysis
A short, data-driven summary of the chord flow in Famous Blue Raincoat.
- Famous Blue Raincoat includes 81 chord transitions, 10 of them unique.
- These transitions represent 0.02% of all chord transitions in Chordier.
- Famous Blue Raincoat contains 4 of the top 10 transitions across Chordier.
- These transition patterns show how Famous Blue Raincoat connects to the rest of Chordier. Mastering them helps you move to similar songs faster.After Am, the most likely next chords across Chordier are F (26%), G (21%), and C (16%).
- Am → F: 26%
- Am → G: 21%
After G, the most likely next chords across Chordier are C (25%), D (24%), and Am (13%).- G → C: 25%
- G → Am: 13%