Leaving on a Jet Plane
John Denver
John Denver
Rhymes and Reasons
1969
John does some wonderful stuff on his 12-string for
this song, and I wish I could do it justice but I
can't. I hope you enjoy the tab anyway. This song
was popularized by Peter, Paul, and Mary, but the
best version is, of course, John's.
Lyrics
Chords
Three guitars:
GUITAR 1: 12-string
GUITAR 2: 6-string
GUITAR 3: 6-string
INTRO:
GUITAR 1 plays tab below
GUITAR 2 tacet
GUITAR 3 tacet
D D7sus4
+ + + + + + + + + + + +
e:-3-2-------0-----|-----------------|-2-------3-------|
B:-------3-------3-|---0---1-------3-|-------1---1-----|
G:-----2-------2---|-----------2-----|-----2---------2-|
D:---------0-------|-0---0---0---0---|---0---------0---|
A:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
E:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
all my
D7 D7sus2
+ + + + + + + + + + +
e:-3-------2-------|-2-------0-------|-0-------0---|
B:---1-------1-----|---1-------1-----|---1---------|
G:-------2-------2-|-------2-------2-|-------2-----|
D:-----0-------0---|-----0-------0---|-----0-------|
A:-----------------|-----------------|-------------|
E:-----------------|-----------------|-------------|
3/4
The verse looks like this:
GUITAR 1 plays tab below
GUITAR 2 tacet
GUITAR 3 tacet
bags are packed...ready to go I'm standin' here outside your door
G C G C
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
e:-------3---------|-------0---------|-------3---------|-------0---------|
B:-----3---------3-|-----1---------1-|-----3---------3-|-----1---------1-|
G:---0---------0---|---0---------0---|---0---------0---|---0---------0---|
D:-----------0-----|-----------2-----|-----------0-----|-----------2-----|
A:-----------------|-3-------3-------|-----------------|-3-------3-------|
E:-3-------3-------|-----------------|-3-------3-------|-----------------|
I hate to wake you up to say goodbye
G C D Dsus4 D
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
e:-------3---------|-------0---------|-------2-------3-|-------2---------|
B:-----3---------3-|-----1---------1-|-----3-------3---|-----3-------3---|
G:---0---------0---|---0---------0---|---2-------2-----|---2-------2-----|
D:-----------0-----|-----------2-----|-0-------0-------|-0-------0-------|
A:-----------------|-3-------3-------|-----------------|-----------------|
E:-3-------3-------|-----------------|-----------------|---------------2-|
Here's the pre-chorus:
GUITAR 1 plays verse tab
GUITAR 2 plays tab below
GUITAR 3 arpeggiates each chord once per measure
so kiss me and smile for me tell me that you'll wait for me
G C G C
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
e:-----3-----------|-----0-----------|-----3-----------|-----0-----------|
B:-----3-----3-----|-----1-----1-----|-----3-----3-----|-----1-----1-----|
G:---0---------0---|---0---------0---|---0---------0---|---0---------0---|
D:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
A:-----------------|-3---------------|-----------------|-3---------------|
E:-3---------------|-----------------|-3---------------|-----------------|
hold me like you'll never let me go cause I'm
G C D
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
e:-----3-----------|-----0-----------|-----2h3-----2h3-|-----2h3-2---2-2-|
B:-----3-----3-----|-----1-----1-----|-----3-------3---|-----3---3---3-3-|
G:---0---------0---|---0---------0---|-----2-------2---|-----2---2---2-2-|
D:-----------------|-----------------|-0-------0-------|-0-------0---0-0-|
A:-----------------|-3---------------|-----------------|-----------------|
E:-3---------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
The chorus sounds like this:
GUITAR 1 plays verse tab
GUITAR 2 plays pre-chorus tab
GUITAR 3 plays tab below
leavin' on a jet plane don't know when I'll be back again
G C G C
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
e:-----3-3-----3-3-|-----0-0-----0-0-|-----3-3-----3-3-|-----0-0-----0-0-|
B:-----3-3-----3-3-|-----1-1-----1-1-|-----3-3-----3-3-|-----1-1-----1-1-|
G:-----0-0-----0-0-|-----0-0-----0-0-|-----0-0-----0-0-|-----0-0-----0-0-|
D:-----0-0-----0-0-|-----------------|-----0-0-----0-0-|-----------------|
A:-----------------|-3-------3-------|-----------------|-3-------3-------|
E:-3-------3-------|-----------------|-3-------3-------|-----------------|
oh babe I hate to go
G C D
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
e:-----3-3-----3-3-|-----0-0-----0-0-|-----2-3-----2-3-|-----2-3-----2-3-|
B:-----3-3-----3-3-|-----1-1-----1-1-|-----3-3-----3-3-|-----3-3-----3-3-|
G:-----0-0-----0-0-|-----0-0-----0-0-|-----2-2-----2-2-|-----2-2-----2-2-|
D:-----0-0-----0-0-|-----------------|-0-------0-------|-0-------0-------|
A:-----------------|-3-------3-------|-----------------|-----------------|
E:-3-------3-------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
+ + + + + + + +
e:-----2-3-----2-3-|-----2-3----^2---|
B:-----3-3-----3-3-|-----3-3----^3---|
G:-----2-2-----2-2-|-----2-2----^2---|
D:-0-------0-------|-0-------0-------|
A:-----------------|-----------------|
E:-----------------|-----------------|
This is the ending:
GUITAR 1 plays tab
GUITAR 2 tacet until G chord
GUITAR 3 tacet until G chord
go___________________________________________________
D Dsus4 D Dsus2 D Dsus3
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
e:-------2-------3-|-------3-------2-|-------2-------0-|-------2-------3-|
B:-----3-------3---|-----3-------3---|-----3-------3---|-----3-------3---|
G:---2-------2-----|---2-------2-----|---2-------2-----|---2-------2-----|
D:-0-------0-------|-0-------0-------|-0-------0-------|-0-------0-------|
A:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
E:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
D Dsus2 D7
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
e:---2-------0-----|-----------------|-^3---------------|-----------------|
B:-------3-------3-|---0---1-----1---|-^3---------------|-----------------|
G:-----------------|-----------2---2-|-^0---------------|-----------------|
D:-0---0---0---0---|-0---0---0-------|-^0---------------|-----------------|
A:-----------------|-----------------|-^2---------------|-----------------|
E:-----------------|-----------------|-^3---------------|-----------------|
LYRICS:
play intro
All my bags are packed and ready to go
I'm standin' here outside your door
I hate to wake you up to say goodbye
But the dawn is breakin' it's early morn'
The taxi's waitin' he's blown his horn
Already I'm so lonesome I could die
PRE-CHORUS
So kiss me and smile for me
Tell me that you'll wait for me
Hold me like you'll never let me go
CHORUS
Cause I'm leavin' on a jet plane
Don't know when I'll be back again
Oh babe I hate to go
There's so many times I let you down
So many times I've played around
I tell you now they don't mean a thing
Every place I go I'll think of you
Every song I sing I'll sing for you
When I come back I'll bring your wedding ring
PRE-CHORUS
CHORUS
Now the time has come to leave you
One more time let me kiss you
Close your eyes I'll be on my way
Dream about the days to come
When I won't have to leave alone
About the times I won't have to say
PRE-CHORUS
CHORUS 2x
play ending
CHORDS:
Dsus4 xx0233
Dsus2 xx0230
D7 xx0212
For other chords, go to my key to chords.
To learn why these chords are named this way, check Dansm's Guitar Chord Theory.
Created on 12-12-97 by Daniel E. Smith.