Leaves That Are Green
The Paul Simon Songbook, 1965
Capo 2nd fret
Tuning: Standard
Key: D
Sounding Key: E
This is an absolutely georgeous song. Paul Travis picks through most of
it. Bar the first four strings at the second fret for the A6 chord.
I've marked the 4th and 11th bars from the start of the verse. For the
third verse, at the fourth bar play the first two beats only and at the
11th bar play the first two beats only. For the fourth verse, at the 11th
bar, play the first two beats only. After the fourth verse, skip from % to
the ending.
D Em A6
e:|--0h2-------2----|--0h2-------2----|--0--------0-----|--2--------2-----|
B:|--------3--------|--------3--------|-----------------|-------2---------|
G:|------2-------2--|------2-------2--|-------0---------|-----2-----------|
D:|--0-------0------|--0-------0------|-----2-------2---|-------------2---|
A:|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|--0------0-------|
E:|-----------------|-----------------|--0------0-------|-----------------|
D
e:|-----------0-----|--2--------0-----|--3----0h2p0-----|-----------0-----|
B:|-------3---------|-------3---------|-----------------|--3----3---------|
G:|-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---|-------------2---|-----2-------2---|
D:|--0------0-------|--0------0-------|--0--0-----------|--0------0-------|
A:|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
E:|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
D * D Em
e:|--2--------0-----|--2--2------2----|-----------------|--0--------0-----|
B:|-------3---------|-----3-----------|--3--------3-----|-----------------|
G:|-----2-------2---|-----2--------2--|-------2---------|-------0---------|
D:|--0------0-------|--0--0-----------|-----0-------0---|-----2-------2---|
A:|-----------------|-----0---0-------|--0------0-------|-----------------|
E:|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|--0------0-------|
I was twenty one years when
A6 4 D D
e:|--2--------2-----|-----------0-----|--2--------0-----|--2--------2-----|
B:|-------2---------|-------3---------|-------3---------|-------3---------|
G:|-----------------|-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---|
D:|-----2-------2---|--0------0-------|--0------0-------|--0------0-------|
A:|--0------0-------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
E:|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
I wrote this song I'm twenty two
G D
e:|--0h2-------2----|--3--------------|-----------0-----|--2--------2-----|
B:|--------3--------|-----------0-----|-------3---------|-------3---------|
G:|------2-------2--|-------0---------|-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---|
D:|--0-------0------|-----0-------0---|--0------0-------|--0------0-------|
A:|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
E:|-----------------|--3------3-------|-----------------|-----------------|
now but I won't be for long
11 G Asus4
e:|-----------------|--3--------------|-----------------|--0--------------|
B:|-----------0-----|-----------0-----|-----------3-----|-----------3-----|
G:|-------0---------|-------0---------|-------2---------|-------2---------|
D:|-----0-------0---|-----0-----------|-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---|
A:|-----------------|-------------2---|--0------0-------|--0------0-------|
E:|--3------3-------|--3------3-------|-----------------|-----------------|
Time hurries on and the
D C G A
e:|--2--------2-----|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
B:|-------3---------|-----------------|-----------0-----|--2--------2-----|
G:|-----2-------2---|------0----------|-------0---------|-------2---------|
D:|--0------0-------|-----------------|-----0-------0---|-----2-------2---|
A:|-----------------|--3------3---0---|-mute------------|--0------0-------|
E:|-----------------|-----------------|--3------3-------|-----------------|
leaves that are green turn to
D %
e:|-----------0-----|--0h2-------0----|--0h2-------0----|--2--2------2----|
B:|-------3---------|--------3--------|--------3--------|-----3-----------|
G:|-----2-------2---|------2-------2--|------2-------2--|-----2-----------|
D:|--0------0-------|--0-------0------|--0-------0------|--0--0--------0--|
A:|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----0-----------|
E:|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
brown And they
Bm
e:|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
B:|--3--------2-----|--3--------2-----|--3--------2-----|--3--------3-----|
G:|-------4---------|-------4---------|-------4---------|-------4---------|
D:|-----4-------4---|-----4-------4---|-----4-------4---|-----4-------4---|
A:|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
E:|--2------2-------|--2------2-------|--2------2-------|--2------2-------|
wither with the wind and they
Asus4
e:|--0--------------|--0--------------|--0--------------|-----------------|
B:|-----------3-----|-----------3-----|-----------3-----|--2--------3-----|
G:|-------2---------|-------2---------|-------2---------|-------2---------|
D:|-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---|
A:|--0------0-------|--0------0-------|--0------0-------|--0------0-------|
E:|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
crumble in your hand (return to * and repeat)
Solo after second verse:
D C G
e:|------5---5------|--0h2-------0----|--0h2------------|-------3---------|
B:|--5----------5---|--------3--------|-----------------|-----------------|
G:|-----------------|------2-------2--|------2----------|-----------------|
D:|----------2------|--0-------0------|--0--------------|-----0-------0---|
A:|--0---0--------0-|-----------------|----------3s2p0--|---------0h2-----|
E:|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|--3--------------|
D
e:|-----2--0--------|--0h2-------0----|--3-----0h2p0----|-----2-----2-----|
B:|-----------------|--------3--------|-----------------|--3--3-----------|
G:|-----------2-----|------2-------2--|------2---0---2--|-----2-------2---|
D:|--0--0-----------|--0-------0------|--0--------------|--0------0-------|
A:|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
E:|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
% Ending (after fourth verse):
G A D
e:|--3--------------|--2--------------|-----------------|-----------------|
B:|------------2----|--3--------------|-----------------|-----------------|
G:|-------0h2-------|--2--------------|-----------------|-----------------|
D:|-----0---0----2--|--0--------------|-----------------|-----------------|
A:|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
E:|--3--------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
Lyrics:
I was twenty-one years when I wrote this song.
I'm twenty-two now but I won't be for long.
Time hurries on,
And the leaves that are green, turn to brown.
And they wither with the wind,
And they crumble in your hand.
Once my heart was filled with the love of a girl.
I held her close but she faded in the night.
Like a poem I meant to write.
And the leaves that are green turn to brown.
And they wither with the wind,
And they crumble in your hand.
I threw a pebble in a brook,
And watched the ripples run away.
And they never made a sound.
And the leaves that are green turn to brown.
And they wither with the wind,
And they crumble in your hand.
Hello, hello, hello, hello.
Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye, goodbye.
That's all there is.
And the leaves that are green turn to brown.
