Borderline chords by Joni Mitchell

Chords with lyrics

Tuning: Standard (E MajorE A augmentedA D MajorD G+G BB E MajorE)

Intro:

E MajorE    BB    C# minorC#m   BB
E MajorE    BB    C# minorC#m   BB

Verse 1:

E MajorE   A augmentedA          E MajorE
Everybody looks so ill at ease
A augmentedA           E MajorE
So distrustful so displeased
         A augmentedA
Running down the table
     BB       B7B7
I see a borderline
    Em/B     B7B7
Like a barbed wire fence
Em/B         B7B7
Strung tight strung tense
Em/B
Prickling with pretense
 G#m7G#m7
A augmentedA borderline

F#F#      BB        F#F#    BB   F#F#
Why are you smirking at your friend?
      BB
Is this to be the night when
G# minorG#m           F#F# E MajorE
All well-wishing ends?
   A augmentedA       E MajorE
All credibility revoked?
A augmentedA        E MajorE
Thin skin thick jokes!
            A augmentedA
Can we blame it on the smoke,
   BB   E MajorE
This borderline?

Interlude:

E MajorE    BB    C# minorC#m   BB
E MajorE    BB    C# minorC#m   BB

Verse 2:

E MajorE   A augmentedA         E MajorE
Every bristling shaft of pride
      A augmentedA
Church or nation
    E MajorE
Team or tribe
          A augmentedA
Every notion we subscribe to
      BB      B7B7
Is just a borderline
    Em/B      B7B7
Good or bad we think we know
   Em/B         B7B7
As if thinking makes things so!
   Em/B           G# minorG#m
All convictions grow along a borderline
F#F#      BB     F#F#    BB F#F#
Smug in your jaded expertise
   BB
You scathe the wonder world
     G# minorG#m        F#F#
And you praise barbarity
E MajorE     A augmentedA     E MajorE
In this illusionary place
   A augmentedA         E MajorE
This scared hard-edged rat race
        A augmentedA
All liberty is laced with
BB   E MajorE
Borderlines

Interlude:

E MajorE    BB    C# minorC#m   BB
E MajorE    BB    C# minorC#m   BB

Verse 3:

E MajorE    A augmentedA      E MajorE
Every income every age
    A augmentedA       E MajorE
Every fashion-plated rage
           A augmentedA
Every measure every gauge
      BB       B7B7
Creates a borderline
    Em/B        B7B7
Every stone thrown through glass
    Em/B       B7B7
Every mean-streets-kick ass
    Em/B
Every swan caught on the grass
       G# minorG#m
Will draw a borderline
F#F#      BB
You snipe so steady
       F#F#    BB  F#F#
You snub so snide
       BB
So ripe and ready
         G# minorG#m  F#F# E MajorE
To diminish and deride!
      A augmentedA        E MajorE
You're so quick to condescend
  A augmentedA     E MajorE
My opinionated friend
             A augmentedA
All you deface all you defend
      BB   E MajorE   BB  C# minorC#m
Is just a borderline
    BB    E MajorE   BB  C# minorC#m
Just a borderline
     BB    E MajorE   BB  C# minorC#m
Another borderline
     BB    E MajorE
Just a borderline

Other versions of Borderline

Alternative guitar chords and tabs for Borderline by Joni Mitchell