This Old Guitar
John Denver

John Denver
Back Home Again
1974

Many people have requested this tune, and I finally got around to it.
When John wrote this, he had been on the pop scene for almost ten years,
and I'm sure every word of this song meant something to him.

Lyrics
Chords

Capo 2nd

INTRO:

   C                 G/B               Am                Em
   +   +   +   +     +   +   +   +     +   +   +   +     +   +   +   +
e:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
B:-------1-------1-|-------0---0-----|-------1---------|-----------0-----|
G:-----0-----0-----|---0-----------0-|---2-------2---2-|-------0-------0-|
D:-------------2---|-----0-------0---|-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---|
A:-3-------3-------|-2-------2-------|-0-------0-------|---2-------------|
E:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-0-------0-------|


   F                 Gsus4             C       G/B       Am
   +   +   +   +     +   +   +   +     +   +   +   +     +   +   +   +
e:-----------------|-------3---------|---------------0-|-----------------|
B:-------1---------|---1-------1---1-|-------1---3-----|---1-------1-----|
G:---2-------2-----|-----0-------0---|---0---------0---|-------2-------2-|
D:-----3---------3-|-----------------|-----2-----------|-----2-------2---|
A:-------------3---|-----------------|-3-------2-------|-0-------0-------|
E:-1-------1-------|-3-------3-------|-----------------|-----------------|


   F                 Gsus4
   +   +   +   +     +   +   +   +
e:-----------------|-------3---------|
B:-------1---------|---1-------1---1-|
G:---2-------2---0-|-----0-------0---|
D:-----3-------3---|-----------------|
A:-----------------|-----------------|
E:-1-------1-------|-3-------3-------|

The VERSE:
       this old   guitar taught me to sing            a love song
   C                 G                 Am                Em
   +   +   +   +     +   +   +   +     +   +   +   +     +   +   +   +
e:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
B:---1-----------1-|-------0---0-----|-------1---1-----|---0-------0-----|
G:-------0---0-----|---0-----------0-|---2-----------2-|-------0-------0-|
D:-----2-------2---|-----0-------0---|-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---|
A:-3-------3-------|-----------------|-0-------0-------|-----------------|
E:-----------------|-3-------3-------|-----------------|-0-------0-------|


     showed me how to laugh and how to cry                         it
   F                 Gsus4             C       G/B       Am      Am7/G
   +   +   +   +     +   +   +   +     +   +   +   +     +   +   +   +
e:-----------------|-------3---------|---0-------------|-----------------|
B:-------1---1-----|---1-------1---1-|-------1---3-----|---1-------1-----|
G:---2-----------3-|-----0-------0---|-----0---------0-|-------2-------0-|
D:-----3-------2---|-----------------|-------------0---|-----2-------2---|
A:-----------------|-----------------|-3-------2-------|-0---------------|
E:-1-------1-------|-3-------3-------|-----------------|---------3-------|


introduced me to some friends of mine  brightened up some days
   F                 Gsus4             C       G/B       Am      Am7/G
   +   +   +   +     +   +   +   +     +   +   +   +     +   +   +   +
e:-----------------|-------3---------|---0-------------|-----------------|
B:-------1---1-----|---1-------1---1-|-------1---3-----|---1-------1-----|
G:---2-----------3-|-----0-------0---|-----0---------0-|-------2-------0-|
D:-----3-------2---|-----------------|-------------0---|-----2-------2---|
A:-----------------|-----------------|-3-------2-------|-0---------------|
E:-1-------1-------|-3-------3-------|-----------------|---------3-------|


it helped me make it through some lonely nights    woa              what a
   F                 Gsus4             C       G/B       Am      Am7/G
   +   +   +   +     +   +   +   +     +   +   +   +     +   +   +   +
e:-----------------|-------3---------|---0-------------|-----------------|
B:-------1---1-----|---1-------1---1-|-------1---3-----|---1-------1-----|
G:---2-----------3-|-----0-------0---|-----0---------0-|-------2-------0-|
D:-----3-------2---|-----------------|-------------0---|-----2-------2---|
A:-----------------|-----------------|-3-------2-------|-0---------------|
E:-1-------1-------|-3-------3-------|-----------------|---------3-------|


   friend to have on a cold and lonely night
   F                 Gsus4             C       G/B       Am      Am7/G
   +   +   +   +     +   +   +   +     +   +   +   +     +   +   +   +
e:-----------------|-------3---------|---0-------------|-----------------|
B:-------1---1-----|---1-------1---1-|-------1---3-----|---1-------1-----|
G:---2-----------3-|-----0-------0---|-----0---------0-|-------2-------0-|
D:-----3-------2---|-----------------|-------------0---|-----2-------2---|
A:-----------------|-----------------|-3-------2-------|-0---------------|
E:-1-------1-------|-3-------3-------|-----------------|---------3-------|


   Fmaj7             Gsus4 G
   +   +   +   +     +   +   +   +
e:-----------0-----|-----------------|
B:-------1---------|---1---0-------0-|
G:---2-----------2-|-----------0-----|
D:-----3-------3---|-----0-------0---|
A:-----------------|-----------------|
E:-1-------1-------|-3-------3-------|

The ENDING:

first, repeat this several times with ad-lib humming:

   C       G/B       Am      Am7/G     F                 Gsus4
   +   +   +   +     +   +   +   +     +   +   +   +     +   +   +   +
e:---0-------------|-----------------|-----------------|-------3---------|
B:-------1---3-----|---1-------1-----|-------1---1-----|---1-------1---1-|
G:-----0---------0-|-------2-------0-|---2-----------3-|-----0-------0---|
D:-------------0---|-----2-------2---|-----3-------2---|-----------------|
A:-3-------2-------|-0---------------|-----------------|-----------------|
E:-----------------|---------3-------|-1-------1-------|-3-------3-------|


then finish with this:

   C       G/B       Am      Am7/G     F                 Gsus4 G            C
   +   +   +   +     +   +   +   +     +   +   +   +     +   +   +   +      +   +   +   +
e:-----------------|---0-------------|-----------------|-----------------|-^0---------------|
B:-------1---3-----|-----------1-----|-------1---1-----|---1---0---0-----|-^1---------------|
G:---0-----------0-|-------2-------0-|---2-----------2-|-------------0---|-^0---------------|
D:-----2-------0---|-----2-------2---|-----3-------3---|-----0-----------|-^2---------------|
A:-3-------2-------|-0---------------|-----------------|-----------------|-^3---------------|
E:-----------------|---------3-------|-1-------1-------|-3-------3-------|------------------|

LYRICS:

play intro

This old guitar taught me to sing a love song
Showed me how to laugh and how to cry
It introduced me to some friends of mine and brightened up some days
And it helped me make it through some lonely nights
What a friend to have on a cold and lonely night


This old guitar gave me my lovely lady
It opened up her eyes and ears to me
It brought us close together and I guess it broke her heart
It opened up the space for us to be
What a lovely place and a lovely space to be


This old guitar gave me my life my living
All the things you know I love to do
To serenade the stars that shine from a sunny mountainside
And most of all to sing my songs for you
I love to sing my songs for you yes I do you know
I love to sing my songs for you

play ending; ad-lib vocals till end


CHORDS:

F	133211 (barre 1st fret) or 103211 (thumb 6th string)
Fmaj7	103210 (thumb 6th string)
Gsus4	3x0013
G/B	x20033
Am7/G	3x2010

To learn why these chords are named this way, check out Dansm's Guitar Chord Theory.