The Boxer - Simon & Garfunkel
Version 8 of 8
- The Boxer (Chords) (v1)Rating: 4.78 / 5.00
- The Boxer (Chords) (v2)Rating: 4.74 / 5.00
- The Boxer (Chords) (v3)Rating: 4.77 / 5.00
- The Boxer (Chords) (v4)Rating: 4.55 / 5.00
- The Boxer (Chords) (v5)Rating: 4.83 / 5.00
- The Boxer (Chords) (v6)Rating: 4.7 / 5.00
- The Boxer (Chords) (v7)Rating: 4.76 / 5.00
Tuning: Half-Step Down, Eb Ab Db Gb Bb Eb
Song: The boxer
Artist: Simon & Garfunkel
Composer: Paul Simon
Album: Bridge over troubled water
Tabbed by DJ 1st Sept 2015
To hear the original album track, copy and paste this link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4G-YQA_bsOU
TUNING: The original album version is not quite in standard pitch.
Paul Simon is tuned down almost a semi tone to D# G# C# F# A# D#
(The song will now sound in the approx. key of B)
FINE TUNING: To add further fine tuning all the strings can be tuned
up approx.+20 cents above the dropped tuning. Using a chromatic tuner
can make this easier.
Alternatively, to avoid any retuning at all, live versions are more
likely to be in standard tuning and standard pitch.
Here's a link to one live version:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hiWLB3HJFwI
The above live version is slightly slower in tempo, and also includes
an additional vocal verse, in place of the instrumental break used on
the 'Bridge over troubled water' album. I've included this additional
vocal verse at the bottom of the page.
The original album intro, played by Fred Carter Jnr., is in a double
dropped D tuning. Paul Simon would often not bother playing this part
when playing live, or would play a standard tuning variation of it.
I include tablature of both options.
Please IGNORE ANY CHORD BOX DIAGRAMS the website displays, they are
generated automatically from a generic database and not my choices,
please use the voicings shown below in the text column numbers.
= x32010 = 320003 = x33211
= 332010 = xx3003 = 022000
= x2xxxx = xx2003 = 133211
= x02210 = xx0003 = 320001
h = hammer-on p = pull-off ^ = emphasise the beat
For the alternating bass note on the C chord, just use the C/G shape
for both chords and emphasise the bass note on the 5th string
and then the 6th string.
For the double-stop riff in the verses see tablature at the bottom
of the page.
Please take a second to just scroll down to the bottom of the page
and select a star rating for my tab, it would be much appreciated.
======================================================================
[Intro - Adapt
See b
e |---3-p0----
B |--------3--
G |-----------
D |-----------
A |-----------
E |-----------
ed for standar
ottom of page
0-----0-----0-
--3-----3-----
----3-----0---
--------------
--------------
--------------
d tuning]
for Double dro
--------------
3----1------1-
--0----h3-0---
--------------
--------------
--------------
pped D version
--|
--|
--|
--|
--|
--|
[Verse 1]
| / / / /
| / / / /
|
I am just a po
or boy, though
my story’s se
l - dom told,
I have squande
red my resista
nce for a pock
et full of mum
bles,
Such are promi
- ses,
all
lies and jes
t,
Still, a man h
ears what he w
/
ants to hear,
and disregards
the rest!
Mmm - mm, mmm,
mm, mmm! Mmm
, mmm, mmm--
/
---, mm------
--------!
[Verse 2]
When I
left my home
and my fami -
ly, I was no m
ore than a b
oy,
In the company
of strangers,
in the quiet
of the railway
station,
Running scared
,
lay - ing
low,
Seeking out th
e poorer quart
ers, where the
ragged people
go,
Looking for th
e places only
they would kno
w------!
[Chorus]
Lie - la - li
e----! Lie -
la, lie -lie
-lie, la -lie!
Lie - la - li
e----! Lie -
la, lie -lie
-lie, la -lie!
La -la, la lie
-lie-----! |
/ / / /
| / / / /
|
[Verse 2]
Asking on
ly workman’s w
ages, I come
looking for a
job,
But I get no o
ffers,
Just a come-on
from the whor
es on 7th Ave
- nue,
I do de -
clare, there w
ere times, whe
n I was so lon
esome,
...I took some
comfort there
! La, la... l
ie - lie -lie,
la -lie!
| / / /
/ | / /
/
/ / | / /
/ / |
[Picollo trumpet and lap steel guitar duet Break]
| / / / /
| / / / /
| / / /
/ | / / /
/ |
| / / / /
| / / / /
| / / /
/ | / / /
/ |
| / / / /
| / / / /
| / / /
/
/ | / / /
/ |
| / / / /
| / / / /
| / / /
/ | / / /
/ |
| / / / /
| / / / /
| / / /
/ |
[Chorus]
Lie - la - li
e-----! Lie
- la, lie -lie
-lie, la -lie
!
Lie - la - li
e-----! Lie
- la, lie -lie
-lie, la -lie
!
La -la, la lie
-lie-------!
| / / / /
| / / / /
|
[Verse 3]
Then I’
m laying out m
y winter cloth
es, and wishin
g I was gone,
Going home
...where the N
ew York City w
inters aren’t
bleeding me,
| / / / /
| Leadin
g me--------,
going home,
| / / / /
| / / /
/ | / /
/
/ / | / /
/ / |
[Verse 4]
| / / / /
| / / / /
|
In the clearin
g stands a box
er, and a figh
ter by his tr
ade,
And he carries
the reminders
of every glov
e that laid hi
m down,
Or cut him 'ti
l he cried out
, in his a
nger and his
shame,
^ ^
'I am leaving,
I am leaving!
',
But the fighte
r still re - m
ains! Mmm -mm.
.. mm!
| / / / /
| / / / /
|
[Chorus]
Lie - la - li
e-----! Lie
- la, lie -lie
-lie, la -lie
!
Lie - la - li
e-----! Lie
- la, lie -lie
-lie, la -lie
!
[Chorus- repeats]
||: La -la, la
-la, lie-----
! Lie - la, l
ie -lie -lie,
la -lie!
Lie - la - li
e! Lie - la,
lie -lie -lie,
la -lie! :||
[x8]
[Coda]
...Lie--------
-------! | /
/ / / | /
/ / / |
| / / / /
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| / / /
/ | / / /
/ |
| / / / /
| / / / /
| / / /
/ | / / /
/ |
| / / / /
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/ | / / /
/ |
| / / / /
| / / / /
| / / /
/ | / /
/ / ||
======================================================================
ADDITIONAL VERSE - a live performance alternative that was used instead
of the Instrumental Verse that was used on the original album.
Now
the years are
rolling by me
,
They are rocki
ng e - ven - l
y,
And I am older
than I once w
as, and younge
r than I'll be
/
,
That's not un
- usu - al,
no, it is - n
/
't strange,
After changes
upon changes w
e are, more or
less, the sam
e,
After changes
we are, more o
r less, the sa
me-------!
======================================================================
[Double stop riff] / = Slide notes up \ = Slide notes down
...and disre
- gards the
(
rest! Mmm -
mm, mm--------
---!
...the ragged
...I took s
But the fighte
We are, more o
e
B
G
D
A
E
peop -le
ome com - fort
r still re -
r less, the
|-------------
|---1----/3---
|-------------
|---2----/3---
|-------------
|-------------
go, look -
there! La,
mains, mmm -
same, af -
--------------
/5-----\3----\
--------------
/5-----\3----\
--------------
--------------
ing for the places...
la, lie-lie-lie, la -lie!
mm, mm-----------!
ter changes we are,
---|
1--|
---|
2--|
---|
---|
======================================================================
[Intro - played by Fred Carter Jnr.]
OPEN TUNING: D-A-D-G-B-d (Double dropped D)
FINE TUNING: To add further fine tuning to match the original album
version all the strings can be tuned up approx.+20 cents above the
open tuning. Using a chromatic tuner can make this much easier.
CAPO: 4th fret (Will then sound in the recorded [approx] key of B)
Fret positions are relative to the capo, the chord shape is (053200)
d |--0--------
B |----0----0-
G |------2----
D |-----------
A |-----------
D |--0--------
--------------
-----0------0-
2------2------
--3-----------
---------5----
--------------
--------------
--------------
2----0-----0--
-------3------
--5------5----
--------------
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