Leonard Cohen - Tower of Song Chords
Before you play, tune your guitar and use the tools below to set up your view and flow.
Guitar A chord diagram
Guitar A7 chord diagram
Guitar D chord diagram
Guitar D7 chord diagram
Guitar E7 chord diagram
Guitar F#m | G♭m chord diagram
Guitar E chord diagram
[Opening]
[A]Well my friends are gone and my hair is grey
I ache in the places where I [A7]used to play
And I’m [D]crazy for love [D7]but I’m not coming [A]on
I’m just [E7]paying my rent every[D]day in the [D7]tower of [A]song
[verse 2]
[A]I said to Hank Williams how lonely does it get
Hank Williams hasn’t [A7]answered yet
But I [D]hear him coughing [D7]all night [A]long
A [E7]hundred floors above me [D]in the [D7]tower of [A]song
[verse 3]
[A]I was born like this I had no choice.
I was born with the gift of a [A7]golden voice
And [D]27 angels [D7]from the great be[A]yond
They [E7]tied me to this table right [D]here in the [D7]tower of [A]song
[verse 4]
[A]So you can stick your little pins in that voodoo doll
I’m very sorry baby doesn’t [A7]look like me at all
I’m [D]standing by the window [D7]where the light is [A]strong
They don’t [E7]let a woman kill you [D]not in the [D7]tower of [A]song
[verse 5]
[A]Now you can say that I’ve grown bitter but of this you may be sure:
The rich have got their channels in the [A7]bedrooms of the poor
And there’s a [D]mighty judgment coming [D7]but I may be [A]wrong
You see you [E7]hear these funny voices [D]in the [D7]tower of [A]song
[verse 6]
[F#m]I see you standing on the [E]other side
[F#m]I don’t know how the river [E]got so wide
I [D]loved you baby [D7]way back [A]when
[F#m]And all the bridges are burning that we [E]might have crossed
[F#m]But I feel so close to every[E]thing that we lost
We’ll [D]never have to lose it a[E7]gain
[Closing]
[A]I bid you farewell I don’t know when I’ll be back
They’re moving us tomorrow to that [A7]tower down the track
But you’ll be [D]hearing from me baby [D7]long after I’m [A]gone
I’ll be [E7]speaking to you sweetly from a [D]window
In the [D7]tower of [A]song
How to play Tower of Song on Guitar (Step-by-step)
Leonard Cohen - Tower of Song on guitar requires 7 chords and 9 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.
Tower of Song uses these transitions most often: D → D7 (13), D7 → A (13), and A → A7 (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 A - A7 chord transition.
1. A → A7 chord transition
To move from A to A7;
- While playing A, lift your ring finger from B string fret 2.
- Keep index finger on D string fret 2.
- Lift your middle finger from G string fret 2 and place it on B string fret 2.
2. A7 → D chord transition
To move from A7 to D;
- Lift your index finger from D string fret 2 and place it on G string fret 2.
- Slide your middle finger from B string fret 2 to E string fret 2.
- Place ring finger on B string fret 3.
3. D → D7 chord transition
To move from D to D7;
- Lift your index finger from G string fret 2 and place it on B string fret 1.
- Slide your middle finger from E string fret 2 to G string fret 2.
- Lift your ring finger from B string fret 3 and place it on E string fret 2.
4. D7 → A chord transition
To move from D7 to A;
- Lift your index finger from B string fret 1 and place it on D string fret 2.
- Keep middle finger on G string fret 2.
- Slide your ring finger from E string fret 2 to B string fret 2.
5. A → E7 chord transition
To move from A to E7;
- While playing A, lift your ring finger from B string fret 2.
- Lift your index finger from D string fret 2 and place it on G string fret 1.
- Slide your middle finger from G string fret 2 to A string fret 2.
6. E7 → D chord transition
To move from E7 to D;
- Slide your index finger on G string from fret 1 to fret 2.
- Slide your middle finger from A string fret 2 to E string fret 2.
- Place ring finger on B string fret 3.
7. A → F#m chord transition
To move from A to F#m;
- While playing A, lift your middle finger from G string fret 2.
- Lift your index finger from D string fret 2 and place it on E string fret 2.
- Slide your ring finger from B string fret 2 to A string fret 4.
- Place pinky on D string fret 4.
8. F#m → E chord transition
To move from F#m to E;
- While playing F#m, lift your pinky from D string fret 4.
- Lift your index finger from E string fret 2 and place it on G string fret 1.
- Slide your ring finger from A string fret 4 to D string fret 2.
- Place middle finger on A string fret 2.
9. E → D chord transition
To move from E to D;
- Slide your index finger on G string from fret 1 to fret 2.
- Slide your middle finger from A string fret 2 to E string fret 2.
- Lift your ring finger from D string fret 2 and place it on B string fret 3.
Tower of Song chord transition analysis
A short, data-driven summary of the chord flow in Tower of Song.
- Tower of Song includes 62 chord transitions, 9 of them unique.
- These transitions represent 0.02% of all chord transitions in Chordier.
- These transition patterns show how Tower of Song connects to the rest of Chordier. Mastering them helps you move to similar songs faster.After A, the most likely next chords across Chordier are D (29%), G (13%), and E (12%).
- A → F#m: 6%
- A → E7: 4%
After D, the most likely next chords across Chordier are G (29%), A (17%), and Em (17%).- D → D7: 1%
- D → E7: 1%