Leonard Cohen

Night Comes On

Leonard Cohen


Tom: C

     D  G  D  /   D  G  D  /

             D            G             D
     I went down to the place where I knew she lay waiting
                G               A
     Under the marble and the snow
             D           G              D
     I said Mother I'm frightened the thunder and the lightning
                        G           A
     I'll never come through this alone
          G            C            G              C
     She said I'll be with you my shawl wrapped around you
         G            C             G
     My hand on your head when you go
              D                    Am           F                     C
     And the night came on it was very calm, I wanted the night to go on and on
              G                             D  G  D  /
     But she said go back, go back to the world

              D          G                D
     We were fighting in Egypt when they signed this agreement
                  G           A
     That nobody else had to die
                     D         G           D
     There was this terrible sound and my father went down
                       G           A
     With a terrible wound in his side
              G        C            G            C
     He said try to go on take my books take my gun
        G         C            G
     Remember my son how they lied
              D                   Am
     And the night comes on it's very calm
          F                       C
     I'd like to pretend that my father was wrong
              G                              D  G  D  /
     But you don't want to lie, not to the young

              D              G         D
     We were locked in this kitchen I took to religion
                         G               A
     And I wondered how long she would stay
        D         G            D                                   G          A
     I needed so much to have nothing to touch, I've always been greedy that way
             G           C               G          C
     But my son and my daughter climbed out of the water
             G         C           G
     Crying Papa you promised to play
               D                    Am
     And they lead me away to the great surprise
           F                     C
     It's Papa don't peek, Papa cover your eyes
               G                       D  G  D  /
     And they hide, they hide in the world

            D           G           D
     Now I look for her always I'm lost in this calling
                        G              A
     I'm tied to the threads of some prayer
              D            G          D
     Saying when will she summon me when will she come to me
                  G        A
     What must I do to prepare
               G           C              G              C
     When she bends to my longing like a willow like a fountain
           G            C        G
     She stands in the luminous air
              D                   Am
     And the night comes on it's very calm
        F                    C
     I lie in her arms, she says when I'm gone
               G                 D  G  D  /
     I'll be yours, yours for a song

               D           G            D
     Now the crickets are singing, the vesper bells ringing
                         G            A
     The cat's curled asleep in his chair
              D              G          D
     I'll go down to Bill's Bar, I can make it that far
                           G                A
     And I'll see if my friends are still there
              G             C          G             C
     Yes and here's to the few who forgive what you do
              G         C          G
     And the fewer who don't even care
              D                    Am
     And the night comes on, it's very calm
        F                    C
     I want to cross over I want to go home
              G                             D  G  D  /
     But she says go back, go back to the world
     G  /  /  /  /  /  /  /  D  G  D  /  D  G  D