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Leaves That Are Green by Paul Simon

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Leaves That Are Green

The Paul Simon Songbook, 1965

Capo 2nd fret
Tuning: Standard
Key: Chord diagramD MajorD
Sounding Key: Chord diagramE MajorE

This is an absolutely georgeous song. Paul Travis picks through most of
it. Bar the first four strings at the second fret for the Chord diagramA major 6A6 chord.

I've marked the 4th and 11th bars from the start of the verse. For the
third verse, at the fourth bar play the first two beats only and at the
11th bar play the first two beats only. For the fourth verse, at the 11th
bar, play the first two beats only. After the fourth verse, skip from % to
the ending.

Chord diagramD MajorD                  Chord diagramE minorEm        Chord diagramA major 6A6
e:|--0h2-------2----|--0h2-------2----|--0--------0-----|--2--------2-----|
B:|--------3--------|--------3--------|-----------------|-------2---------|
G:|------2-------2--|------2-------2--|-------0---------|-----2-----------|
D:|--0-------0------|--0-------0------|-----2-------2---|-------------2---|
A:|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|--0------0-------|
E:|-----------------|-----------------|--0------0-------|-----------------|

Chord diagramD MajorD
e:|-----------0-----|--2--------0-----|--3----0h2p0-----|-----------0-----|
B:|-------3---------|-------3---------|-----------------|--3----3---------|
G:|-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---|-------------2---|-----2-------2---|
D:|--0------0-------|--0------0-------|--0--0-----------|--0------0-------|
A:|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
E:|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|

Chord diagramD MajorD                * Chord diagramD MajorD         Chord diagramE minorEm
e:|--2--------0-----|--2--2------2----|-----------------|--0--------0-----|
B:|-------3---------|-----3-----------|--3--------3-----|-----------------|
G:|-----2-------2---|-----2--------2--|-------2---------|-------0---------|
D:|--0------0-------|--0--0-----------|-----0-------0---|-----2-------2---|
A:|-----------------|-----0---0-------|--0------0-------|-----------------|
E:|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|--0------0-------|

I was twenty one years when

Chord diagramA major 6A6       4 Chord diagramD MajorD                  Chord diagramD MajorD
e:|--2--------2-----|-----------0-----|--2--------0-----|--2--------2-----|
B:|-------2---------|-------3---------|-------3---------|-------3---------|
G:|-----------------|-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---|
D:|-----2-------2---|--0------0-------|--0------0-------|--0------0-------|
A:|--0------0-------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
E:|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|

I wrote this   song              I'm twenty two

Chord diagramG+G         Chord diagramD MajorD
e:|--0h2-------2----|--3--------------|-----------0-----|--2--------2-----|
B:|--------3--------|-----------0-----|-------3---------|-------3---------|
G:|------2-------2--|-------0---------|-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---|
D:|--0-------0------|-----0-------0---|--0------0-------|--0------0-------|
A:|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
E:|-----------------|--3------3-------|-----------------|-----------------|

now but I     won't be for   long

11 Chord diagramG+G                  Chord diagramAsus4Asus4
e:|-----------------|--3--------------|-----------------|--0--------------|
B:|-----------0-----|-----------0-----|-----------3-----|-----------3-----|
G:|-------0---------|-------0---------|-------2---------|-------2---------|
D:|-----0-------0---|-----0-----------|-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---|
A:|-----------------|-------------2---|--0------0-------|--0------0-------|
E:|--3------3-------|--3------3-------|-----------------|-----------------|

Time          hurries    on            and the

Chord diagramD MajorD         Chord diagramC majorC         Chord diagramG+G         Chord diagramA augmentedA
e:|--2--------2-----|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
B:|-------3---------|-----------------|-----------0-----|--2--------2-----|
G:|-----2-------2---|------0----------|-------0---------|-------2---------|
D:|--0------0-------|-----------------|-----0-------0---|-----2-------2---|
A:|-----------------|--3------3---0---|-mute------------|--0------0-------|
E:|-----------------|-----------------|--3------3-------|-----------------|

leaves      that are     green           turn to

Chord diagramD MajorD                %
e:|-----------0-----|--0h2-------0----|--0h2-------0----|--2--2------2----|
B:|-------3---------|--------3--------|--------3--------|-----3-----------|
G:|-----2-------2---|------2-------2--|------2-------2--|-----2-----------|
D:|--0------0-------|--0-------0------|--0-------0------|--0--0--------0--|
A:|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----0-----------|
E:|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|

brown                             And they

Chord diagramB minorBm
e:|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
B:|--3--------2-----|--3--------2-----|--3--------2-----|--3--------3-----|
G:|-------4---------|-------4---------|-------4---------|-------4---------|
D:|-----4-------4---|-----4-------4---|-----4-------4---|-----4-------4---|
A:|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
E:|--2------2-------|--2------2-------|--2------2-------|--2------2-------|

wither with the  wind                    and they

Chord diagramAsus4Asus4
e:|--0--------------|--0--------------|--0--------------|-----------------|
B:|-----------3-----|-----------3-----|-----------3-----|--2--------3-----|
G:|-------2---------|-------2---------|-------2---------|-------2---------|
D:|-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---|
A:|--0------0-------|--0------0-------|--0------0-------|--0------0-------|
E:|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|

crumble in your hand             (return to * and repeat)

Solo after second verse:

Chord diagramD MajorD             Chord diagramC majorC     Chord diagramG+G
e:|------5---5------|--0h2-------0----|--0h2------------|-------3---------|
B:|--5----------5---|--------3--------|-----------------|-----------------|
G:|-----------------|------2-------2--|------2----------|-----------------|
D:|----------2------|--0-------0------|--0--------------|-----0-------0---|
A:|--0---0--------0-|-----------------|----------3s2p0--|---------0h2-----|
E:|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|--3--------------|

Chord diagramD MajorD
e:|-----2--0--------|--0h2-------0----|--3-----0h2p0----|-----2-----2-----|
B:|-----------------|--------3--------|-----------------|--3--3-----------|
G:|-----------2-----|------2-------2--|------2---0---2--|-----2-------2---|
D:|--0--0-----------|--0-------0------|--0--------------|--0------0-------|
A:|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
E:|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|

% Ending (after fourth verse):

Chord diagramG+G   Chord diagramA augmentedA     Chord diagramD MajorD
e:|--3--------------|--2--------------|-----------------|-----------------|
B:|------------2----|--3--------------|-----------------|-----------------|
G:|-------0h2-------|--2--------------|-----------------|-----------------|
D:|-----0---0----2--|--0--------------|-----------------|-----------------|
A:|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
E:|--3--------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|

Lyrics:

I was twenty-one years when I wrote this song.
I'm twenty-two now but I won't be for long.
Time hurries on,
And the leaves that are green, turn to brown.
And they wither with the wind,
And they crumble in your hand.

Once my heart was filled with the love of a girl.
I held her close but she faded in the night.
Like a poem I meant to write.
And the leaves that are green turn to brown.
And they wither with the wind,
And they crumble in your hand.

I threw a pebble in a brook,
And watched the ripples run away.
And they never made a sound.
And the leaves that are green turn to brown.
And they wither with the wind,
And they crumble in your hand.

Hello, hello, hello, hello.
Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye, goodbye.
That's all there is.
And the leaves that are green turn to brown.

Words and Music by Paul Simon

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