Old Friends
Paul Simon
Simon & Garfunkel
Bookends
1968
I wasn't particularly happy with this tune until I actually listened
to the lyrics, but when I did I decided it was really great. I hope
you guys like it too. Some strange chords, but it works well. Play
and enjoy!
Lyrics
Chords
Capo 4th
INTRO (repeated several times):
Fmaj7 Em
+ + + + + +
e:-^0-----------|-^0-----------|
B:-^1-----------|-^0-----------|
G:-^2-----------|-^0-----------|
D:-^3-----------|-^2-----------|
A:--------------|-^2-----------|
E:--------------|-^0-----------|
Here is the first verse:
Old friends Old friends
Fmaj7 Em Fmaj7 Em
+ + + + + + + + + + + +
e:-^0-----------|-^0-----------|-^0-----------|-^0-----------|
B:-^1-----------|-^0-----------|-^1-----------|-^0-----------|
G:-^2-----------|-^0-----------|-^2-----------|-^0-----------|
D:-^3-----------|-^2-----------|-^3-----------|-^2-----------|
A:--------------|-^2-----------|--------------|-^2-----------|
E:--------------|-^0-----------|--------------|-^0-----------|
sit on a park bench like bookends
Am G C G Am G/B C C/B Am
+ + + + + + + + + + + +
e:-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
B:-1---3---5---|-3---1---0---|-----1-------|---------1---|
G:-2---4---5---|-4---2---0---|-------------|-----2-------|
D:-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
A:-------------|-----0---2---|-3-------2---|-0-----------|
E:-------------|-3-----------|-------------|-------------|
A newpaper blown through the grass falls on the
G Am G Am G Am G
+ + + + + + + + + + + +
e:-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
B:-0---1---3---|-1---0---1---|-------------|-0-----------|
G:-0---2---4---|-2---0---2---|---------0---|-----0-------|
D:-------------|-------------|-----0-------|---------0---|
A:-------------|-0-------0---|-------------|-------------|
E:-------------|-----3-------|-3-----------|-------------|
round toes of the high shoes of the
Am G
+ + + + + + + + + + + +
e:-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
B:---------1---|---------1---|---------0---|---------0---|
G:-----2-------|-----2-------|-----0-------|-----0-------|
D:-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
A:-0-----------|-0-----------|-------------|-------------|
E:-------------|-------------|-3-----------|-3-----------|
old friends
Fmaj7 Em
+ + + + + + + + + + + +
e:-^0-----------|-^0-----0-----|-------------|-------------|
B:-^1-----------|-^0-----0-0---|-0-----0-0---|-0-----0-0---|
G:-^2-----------|-^0-----0-0---|-0-----0-0---|-0-----0-0---|
D:-^3-----------|-^2-----2-2---|-2-----2-2---|-2-----2-2---|
A:--------------|-^2-----------|-2-----------|-2-----------|
E:--------------|-^0-----------|-0-----------|-0-----------|
Here is the second verse:
Old friends winter com-
Fmaj7 Em Am G C
+ + + + + + + + + + + +
e:-^0-----------|-^0-----------|-0-----------|-------------|
B:-^1-----------|-^0-----0-0---|-0-----0-0---|-1---3---5---|
G:-^2-----------|-^0-----0-0---|-0-----0-0---|-2---4---5---|
D:-^3-----------|-^2-----2-2---|-2-----2-2---|-------------|
A:--------------|-^2-----------|-------------|-------------|
E:--------------|--------------|-------------|-------------|
panions the old men
G Am G/D Fmaj7 Em
+ + + + + + + + + + + +
e:-------------|-^0-----------|-0-----------|-0-----------|
B:-0---1---3---|-^1-----------|-0-----0-0---|-0-----0-0---|
G:-0---2---4---|-^2-----------|-0-----0-0---|-0-----0-0---|
D:---------0---|-^3-----------|-2-----2-2---|-2-----2-2---|
A:-----0-------|--------------|-2-----------|-2-----------|
E:-3-----------|--------------|-------------|-------------|
lost in their o - vercoats waiting for the sun
Am G C G Am G/B C C/B Am
+ + + + + + + + + + + +
e:-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
B:-1---3---5---|-3---1---0---|-----1-------|---------1---|
G:-2---4---5---|-4---2---0---|-------------|-----2-------|
D:-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
A:-------------|-----0---2---|-3-------2---|-0-----------|
E:-------------|-3-----------|-------------|-------------|
the sounds of the
G Am G
+ + + + + + + + + + + +
e:-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
B:---------1---|---------1---|---------1---|-0---1---3---|
G:-----2-------|-----2-------|-----2-------|-0---2---4---|
D:-2-----------|-------------|-2-----------|-------------|
A:-------------|-0-----------|-------------|-------------|
E:-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
city sifting through trees settles like
Am G Am
+ + + + + + + + + + + +
e:-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
B:-1-----------|-----0-------|---------1---|---------1---|
G:-2-----------|-0-----------|-----2-------|-----2-------|
D:---------0---|-------------|-------------|-2-----------|
A:-------------|-------------|-0-----------|-------------|
E:-----3-------|---------3---|-------------|-------------|
dust on the shoulders of the
G Fmaj7
+ + + + + + + + + + + +
e:-------------|-3-----------|-------------|-------------|
B:-------------|-----0-------|-1-----------|-1-----------|
G:---------0---|---------0---|-2-------2---|-----2-------|
D:-----0-------|-------------|-3---3-------|---------3---|
A:-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
E:-3-----------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
old friends
Em
+ + + + + + + + + + + +
e:-0-----------|-^0-----0-----|-------------|-------------|
B:-1-----------|-^0-----0-0---|-0---0-0-0---|-0---0-0-0---|
G:-2-----------|-^0-----0-0---|-0---0-0-0---|-0---0-0-0---|
D:-3-----------|-^2-----2-2---|-2---2-2-2---|-2---2-2-2---|
A:-------------|-^2-----------|-2-----------|-2-----------|
E:-------------|-^0-----------|-0-----------|-0-----------|
Here is the third verse:
Can you im - a - gine us years from to - day
Am G C G Am G/B C C/B Am
+ + + + + + + + + + + +
e:-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
B:-1---3---5---|-3---1---0---|-----1-------|---------1---|
G:-2---4---5---|-4---2---0---|-------------|-----2-------|
D:-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
A:-------------|-----0---2---|-3-------2---|-0-----------|
E:-------------|-3-----------|-------------|-------------|
sharing a park bench quietly how
G Em
+ + + + + + + + + + + +
e:--------------|-------------|-------------|-----0-------|
B:-^0-----------|-------------|-------------|-0-------0---|
G:-^0-----------|-----0-------|---------0---|-------------|
D:-^0-----------|-------------|-----2-------|-------------|
A:--------------|-------------|-2-----------|-------------|
E:--------------|-3-------3---|-------------|-------------|
terri - bly strange to be seventy
Am G C G Am G/B Asus2
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
e:-------------|-------------|-0-----0-----|-0-----------|-0-----------|-0-----------|
B:-1---3---5---|-3---1---0---|-0-----0-0---|-0---0-0-0---|-0---0-0-0---|-0---0-0-0---|
G:-2---4---5---|-4---2---0---|-2-----2-2---|-2---2-2-2---|-2---2-2-2---|-2---2-2-2---|
D:-------------|-------------|-2-----2-2---|-2---2-2-2---|-2---2-2-2---|-2---2-2-2---|
A:-------------|-----0---2---|-0-----------|-0-----------|-0-----------|-0-----------|
E:-------------|-3-----------|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
Here is the fourth verse:
Old friends memory
Fmaj7 Em Am G C
+ + + + + + + + + + + +
e:-^0-----------|-^0-----------|-0-----------|-------------|
B:-^1-----------|-^0-----0-0---|-0-----0-0---|-1---3---5---|
G:-^2-----------|-^0-----0-0---|-0-----0-0---|-2---4---5---|
D:-^3-----------|-^2-----2-2---|-2-----2-2---|-------------|
A:--------------|-^2-----------|-------------|-------------|
E:--------------|--------------|-------------|-------------|
brushes the same years
G Am G/D Fmaj7 Em
+ + + + + + + + + + + +
e:-------------|-^0-----------|-0-----------|-0-----------|
B:-0---1---3---|-^1-----------|-0-----0-0---|-0-----0-0---|
G:-0---2---4---|-^2-----------|-0-----0-0---|-0-----0-0---|
D:---------0---|-^3-----------|-2-----2-2---|-2-----2-2---|
A:-----0-------|--------------|-2-----------|-2-----------|
E:-3-----------|--------------|-------------|-------------|
silently sharing the same fears
Am G C G Am G/B C C/B Am
+ + + + + + + + + + + +
e:-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
B:-1---3---5---|-3---1---0---|-----1-------|---------1---|---------1---|---------1---|
G:-2---4---5---|-4---2---0---|-------------|-----2-------|-----2-------|-----2-------|
D:-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
A:-------------|-----0---2---|-3-------2---|-0-----------|-0-----------|-0-----------|
E:-------------|-3-----------|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
Here is the bridge (play this three times with vocals last 2 times):
Time it was...
Bb C Csus4 Bb C Csus4 Bb C Csus4 Bb C Csus4
+ + + + + + + + + + + +
e:-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
B:-3---5---6---|-3---5---6---|-3---5---6---|-3---5---6---|
G:-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
D:-3---5---5---|-3---5---5---|-3---5---5---|-3---5---5---|
A:-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
E:-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
C Bb
+ + + + + + + + + + + +
e:-0-----------|-------------|-----0-------|-------------|
B:-----1-------|-------------|-1-------1---|-3---1-------|
G:-0-------0---|-------------|-----0-------|-------------|
D:-----2-------|-------------|-2-------2---|-3---2-------|
A:---------3---|-------------|-------------|---------3---|
E:-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
F C
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
e:-------------|---------0---|-------------|-------------|---------0---|
B:-----1-------|-1h3-1-------|-1-------1---|-------------|-----1-------|
G:-------------|---------0---|-----0-------|-------------|-0-------0---|
D:-3-------3---|-------------|-2-------2---|-------------|-----2-------|
A:-------------|-------------|-----3-------|-------------|-3-----------|
E:-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
Here is the ending:
Bb C Csus4 Bb C Csus4 Bb C Csus4 Bb C Csus4 C
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
e:-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|-0-----------|-------------|
B:-3---5---6---|-3---5---6---|-3---5---6---|-3---5---6---|-----1-------|-------------|
G:-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|-0-------0---|-------------|
D:-3---5---5---|-3---5---5---|-3---5---5---|-3---5---5---|-----2-------|-------------|
A:-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|---------3---|-------------|
E:-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
LYRICS:
Old friends
Old friends sat on their park bench like bookends
A newspaper blown through the grass
Falls on the round toes of the high shoes
Of the old friends
Old friends
Winter companions
The old men lost in their overcoats waiting for the sun
The sounds of the city sifting through trees
Settle like dust on the shoulders
Of the old friends
Can you imagine us years from today
Sharing a park bench quietly
How terribly strange to be seventy
Old friends
Memory brushes the same years
Silently sharing the same fears
Time it was and what a time it was it was
A time of innocence
A time of confidences
Long ago it must be
I have a photograph; preserve your memories
They're all that's left of you
CHORDS:
Fmaj7 xx3210
Am x02210
Asus2 x02200
Em 022000
G/B x20003
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 8-24-97 by Daniel E. Smith.