Close To The Borderline chords by Billy Joel

Tuning: Standard (E A D G B E)

Intro:
A5   D G  x2

Verse 1:
A5                              C
Blackout, heatwave, .44 caliber homicide
G
The bums drop dead and dogs go mad
    D
In packs on the West Side
A5                                                C
Young girl standing on a ledge looks like another suicide
             G
She wants to hit those bricks
                             D
Cause the news at six gotta stick to a deadline

Pre-Chorus:
          E5                   F#5
While the millionaires hide in Beekman Place
    D                      A5
The bag ladies throw their bones in my face
          E5                 F#5
I get attacked by a kid with stereo sound
   D                        A5
I don't want to hear it but he won't turn it down
E5                       F#7sus4
  Life is tough but it's just enough
   F#            E5               D
To hold back the tears until it's closing time

Chorus:
 A5               D
I survived, I'm still alive
                E5
But I'm getting close to the borderline
A5     D    G                   A5           D   G
     Aha   Close to the borderline   Huh   Aha


Verse 2:
A5
A buck three eighty
                                   C
Won't buy you much lately on the street these days
             G
And when you can get gas
                                   D
You know you can't drive fast anymore on the parkways
A5
Rich man, poor man, either way American
   C
Shoved into the lost and found
      G
The no nuke yell we're gonna all go to hell
        D
With the next big meltdown

Pre-Chorus:
         E5               F#5
I got remote control and a color T.V
   D                              A5
I don't change channels so they must change me
      E5                           F#5
I got real close friends that will get me high
     D                              A5
They don't know how to talk and they ain't gonna try
E5                    F#7sus4
 I shouldn't bitch, I shouldn't cry
    F#       E5              D
I'd start a revolution but I don't have time

Chorus:
A5                             D
  I don't know why I'm still a nice guy
                E5
But I'm getting close to the borderline
A5     D    G                   A5           D   G
     Aha   Close to the borderline   Huh   Aha

Bridge:
C#m                           D
   I thought I'd sacrifice so many things
C#m                                 E
   I thought I'd throw them all away
C#m                             F#m
   I didn't think I needed anything
E              D                                E5
   But you can't afford to squander what you're not prepared to pay

Guitar Solo:
A5  C  G  D x2

Pre-Chorus:
E5                      F#5
I need a doctor for my pressure pills
  D                    A5
I  need a lawyer for my medical bills
E5                  F#5
 I need a banker to finance my home
  D                 A
I  need security to back my loan
E5                    F#7sus4
 It isn't new what I'm going through
    F#        E5              D
But everybody knows you got to break sometime

Out-Chorus:
A5                           D
 Another night I fought the good fight
                 E5
But I'm getting closer to the borderline
A5     D    G                   A5           D   G
     Aha   Close to the borderline   Huh   Aha
A5     D    G                   A5           D   G
     Aha   Close to the borderline   Huh   Aha
A5     D    G                   A5           D   G
     Aha   Close to the borderline   Huh   Aha
A5     D    G                   A5           D   G
     Aha   Close to the borderline   Huh   Aha
A5     D    G                   A5           D   G
     Aha   Close to the borderline   Huh   Aha
A5     D    G                   A5           D   G
     Aha   Close to the borderline   Huh   Aha
A5     D    G                   A5           D   G
     Aha   Close to the borderline   Huh   Aha
A5     D    G                   A5           D   G
     Aha   Close to the borderline   Huh   Aha

Fade Out