LEONARD COHEN - "the partisan" Tablature

subject: c/leonard_cohen/partisan.tab

Leonard Cohen: The Partisan (La Complainte du Partisan)
(French text: Bernard, Music: Anna Marly,
English text: Hy Saret)
from the CD's "Songs from a room", "Greatest Hits" and
"Heart Housed in a Thorn Bush" (Live at Montreux, 1984)


the pattern I play I've learned from a friend (erwin). Its easier to play,
but may be there is a certain loss of quality.

erwins pattern

Am C* E*
e:----------0---------------|-----------0---|-----------0--|
B:-------1-----1------------|--------1------|--------0-----|
G:----2-----------2-----2---|-----0---------|-----1--------|
D:-------------------2------|---------------|--------------|
A:-0------------------------|--3------------|--------------|
E:--------------------------|---------------|--0-----------|
p i m a m i p i p i m a p i m a


The pattern is played two times per bar (indicated by / in first verse).
In the first and second line of every verse there are three chords per bar
and i play the pattern C* and E*.

Cohen plays ?don't really know?

Am C* E*
e:-------------------------0----------|--------------------|-------------------|

B:-------1--------1-----1-----------1-|--------1--------1--|--------0--------0-|

G:----2--------2-----2-----------2----|-----0--------0-----|-----1--------1----|

D:----------2-----------------2-------|-----------2--------|-----------2-------|

A:-0----------------------------------|--3-----------------|--2----------------|

E:------------------------------------|--------------------|-------------------|

p i m p i m p i m p i m etc.

There are twentyfour notes (triplets) per bar, to much for my fingers.


Am Am / Am Am

/C* E* Am
When they poured a-cross the border
/C* E* Am
I was cautioned to sur-render,
/C G /G (2/4)
this I could not do;
F F /C E /Am Am/Am Am
I took my gun and van-ished.

C* E* Am
I have changed my name so often,
C* E* Am
I've lost my wife and children
C G G
but I have many fri-ends,
F F C E /Am Am/Am Am
and some of them are with me.

C* E* Am
An old woman gave us shelter,
C* E* Am
kept us hidden in the garret,
C G G
then the soldiers came;
F F C E Am Am/Am Am
she died without a whis-per.


C* E* Am
There were three of us this morning Hier encor nous ‚tions troi
C* E* Am
I'm the only one this evening Il ne reste plu que moi
C G G
but I must go on; Et je tourne en rond
F F C E Am Am/Am Am
the fron-tiers are my pri-son. Dans la prison des frontieres

C* E* Am
Oh, the wind, the wind is blowing, La vent passe sur les tombles
C* E* Am
through the graves the wind is blowing, La libert‚ reviendra
C G G
freedom soon will come; Oh nous oubliera!
F F C E /Am Am/Am Am
then we'll come from the shad-ows. Nous retrerons dans l'ombre.

C* E* Am
Les Alle-mands ‚-taient chez moi, [The Germans were at my home
C* E* Am
ons m'a dit: "Re-signe toi," They said, "Sign yourself,"
C G G
mais je n'ai pas peur; But I am not afraid
F F C E /Am Am/Am Am
j'ai repris mon ƒr-me. I have retaken my weapon.

C* E Am
J'ai chan-g‚ cent fois de nom, I have changed names a hundred times
C* E* Am
j'ai per-du femme et en-fants I have lost wife and children
C G G
mais j'ai tant d'a-mis; But I have so many friends
F C E Am Am/Am Am
j'ai la France en-tiŠre. I have all of France

C* E* Am
Un vieil homme dans un gre-nier An old man, in an attic
C* E* Am
pour la nuit nous a ca-ch‚s, Hid us for the night
C G G
les Alle-mands l'ont prisent; The Germans captured him
F F C E Am Am/Am Am
il est mort sans surpri-se. He died without surprise.]


C* E* Am
Oh, the wind, the wind is blowing,
C* E* Am
through the graves the wind is blowing,
C G G
freedom soon will come;
F F C E Am Am/Am Am (appregio)
then we'll come from the shad-ows.



Improvements welcome! Adi.Heindl@chemie.uni-regensburg.de