Simon, Paul – The Boxer

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The Boxer

Simon and Garfunkel

 

Intro:  / C9 - - - / - - - - / C - - - / - - - - /

 

C (2)

I am just a poor boy, though my

  C (½)  C/B (½)   Am
story's seldom    told, I have

     G (2)   

squandered my resistance for a

  F (2)                                                    C (2)  

pocket full of mumbles such are promises

C (½)    C/B (½)   Am
     All lies and    jests, still a

  G                          F (2)                                                     C  
man hears what he wants to hear, and disregards the rest.  Lie la

G (2)               F        C (4)

lie lie lie la lie

 

             C (2)

When I left my home and my family I was

  C (½)     C/B (½)   Am
no more than a     boy, in the

 G (2)
company of strangers, in the

  F (2)                                        C (2)
quiet of the railway station running scared

C (½)  C/B (½)   Am
        Laying     low, seeking

G                      F (2)                                                      C

out the poorer quarters where the ragged people go looking

 G                  F                         C (2, hold second measure)  
for the places only they would know

 

Chorus:

         Am (2)    Em (2)

Lie la lie, Lie la lie lie lie la lie, Lie la

Am (2)      F               G                               C (4)
lie. Lie la lie lie lie la lie, La la lie la lie lie


           C
(2)
Asking only workman's wages I come

  C (½)   C/B (½)   Am
looking for a       job, But I get no

G (2)
offers, Just a

  F (2)                                                          C (2)
come-on from the whores on Seventh Avenue. 

C (½)  C/B (½)   Am
       I do      declare, there were

 G                         F (2)                                                       C

times when I was so lonesome I took some comfort there.  Lie la

G (2)               F        C (2)
lie la lie lie lie

Instrumental:

/ C - - - / - - - - / C - C/B - / Am - - - /

/ G - - - / - - - - / - - - - / - - - - /

/ C - - - / - - - - / C - C/B - / Am - - - /

/ G - - - / F - - - / - - - - / C - - - /

/ G - - - / F - - - / C - - - / - - - - /

 

Chorus

 

               C (2)

Then I'm laying out my winter clothes

         C (½)  C/B (½)   Am
And wishing I was      gone, going

  G (2)
home, where the

  F (2)                                              C (2)

New York City winters aren't bleeding me

Em (2)                 Am (2)  
      Bleeding me

           G (3)      C (4)

going home

 

             C (2)
In the clearing stands a boxer

          C (½)   C/B (½)   Am
And a fighter by his    trade

             G (2)
And he carries the reminders

      F (2)                                                       C (2)
Of ev'ry glove that layed him down or cut him till he cried out

         C (½)   C/B (½)   Am
In his anger and his  shame

           G                   F (2)                                               C
"I am leaving, I am leaving," but the fighter still remains.
G
               F          C (2)

                                                Lie la

 

Ending Chorus x4:

Am (2)    Em (2)

lie, Lie la lie lie lie la lie, Lie la

Am (2)      F               G
lie. Lie la lie lie lie la lie, La la lie la

 

lie

 

Instrumental:

/ C - - - / - - - - / C - C/B - / Am - - - /

/ G - - - / - - - - / - - - - / - - - - /

/ C - - - / - - - - / C - C/B - / Am - - - /

/ G - - - / F - - - / - - - - / C - - - /

/ G - - - / F - - - / C - - - / - - - - /

 

End on C