Leonard Cohen - Suzanne Chords
Before you play, tune your guitar and use the tools below to set up your view and flow. Using the Transpose tool, switch to D key to play this song with easier chords.
Guitar F chord diagram
Guitar Gm chord diagram
Guitar Am chord diagram
Guitar A# | B♭ chord diagram
[Opening]
[F]Suzanne takes you down to her place by the river.
You can [Gm]hear the boats go by you can spend the night beside her.
And you [F]know that she’s half crazy but that’s why you want to be there.
And she [Am]feeds you tea and oranges that come.
[Bb]All the way from China.
[verse 2]
And just [F]when you mean to tell her that you.
[Gm]Have no love to give her.
Then she [F]gets you on her wavelength and she.
[Gm]Lets the river answer.
That you’ve [F]always been her lover.
[chorus]
And you [Am]want to travel with her and you.
[Bb]Want to travel blind.
And you [F]know that she will trust you.
For you’ve [Gm]touched her perfect body with your [F]mind.
[verse 3]
[F]And Jesus was a sailor when He walked upon the water
And He [Gm]spent a long time watching from his lonely wooden tower.
And [F]when He knew for certain only drowning men could see him.
He said [Am]All men will be sailors then un[Bb]til the sea shall free them.
But [F]He Himself was broken long be[Gm]fore the sky would open.
For[F]saken almost human. He [Gm]sank beneath your wisdom like a [F]stone.
[verse 4]
And you [Am]want to travel with him and you [Bb]want to travel blind.
And you [F]think maybe you’ll trust him.
For he’s [Gm]touched your perfect body with his [F]mind.
[F]Suzanne takes your hand and she leads you to the river.
She is [Gm]wearing rags and feathers from Salvation Army counters.
[Closing]
And the [F]sun pours down like honey on our lady of the harbor.
And she [Am]shows you where to look among the [Bb]garbage and the flowers.
There are [F]heroes in the seaweed there are [Gm]children in the morning.
They are [F]leaning out for love and they will [Gm]lean that way forever.
While Su[F]zanne holds the mirror.
[chorus]
And you [Am]want to travel with her and you [Bb]want to travel blind.
And you [F]know that you will trust her.
For she’s [Gm]touched your perfect body with her [F]mind.
How to play Suzanne on Guitar (Step-by-step)
Leonard Cohen - Suzanne on guitar requires 4 chords and 4 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.
Suzanne uses these transitions most often: F → Gm (12), Gm → F (12), and Am → Bb (6). 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 F - Gm chord transition.
1. F → Gm chord transition
To move from F to Gm;
- Lift your index finger from E string fret 1 and place it on A string fret 1.
- Slide your middle finger from G string fret 2 to E string fret 3.
- Lift your ring finger from A string fret 3 and place it on B string fret 3.
- Slide your pinky from D string fret 3 to E string fret 3.
2. F → Am chord transition
To move from F to Am;
- While playing F, lift your pinky from D string fret 3.
- Lift your index finger from E string fret 1 and place it on B string fret 1.
- Slide your middle finger from G string fret 2 to D string fret 2.
- Lift your ring finger from A string fret 3 and place it on G string fret 2.
3. Am → Bb chord transition
To move from Am to Bb;
- Lift your index finger from B string fret 1 and place it on A string fret 1.
- Slide your middle finger on D string from fret 2 to fret 3.
- Slide your ring finger on G string from fret 2 to fret 3.
- Place pinky on B string fret 3.
4. Bb → F chord transition
To move from Bb to F;
- Lift your index finger from A string fret 1 and place it on E string fret 1.
- Slide your middle finger from D string fret 3 to G string fret 2.
- Lift your ring finger from G string fret 3 and place it on A string fret 3.
- Slide your pinky from B string fret 3 to D string fret 3.
Suzanne chord transition analysis
A short, data-driven summary of the chord flow in Suzanne.
- Suzanne includes 42 chord transitions, 4 of them unique.
- These transitions represent 0.01% of all chord transitions in Chordier.
- Suzanne contains 1 of the top 10 transitions across Chordier.
- These transition patterns show how Suzanne connects to the rest of Chordier. Mastering them helps you move to similar songs faster.After F, the most likely next chords across Chordier are C (40%), G (21%), and Am (11%).
- F → Am: 11%
- F → Gm: 1%
After Gm, the most likely next chords across Chordier are C (15%), F (12%), and Dm (9%).- Gm → F: 12%