The Night Of Santiago

Artist: Leonard Cohen
Song: "The Night of Santiago"
Time: 4/4

Verse 1

 C5
She said she was a maiden
      C5
That wasn't what I heard
         C5
For the sake of conversation
   C5
I took  her  at her word

Verse 2

     C
The lights went out behind us
     Cmaj7
The fireflies undressed
      C
The broken sidewalk ended
    Am7
I touched her sleeping breasts

Verse 3

       C
They opened to me urgently
      Em7
Like lilies from the dead
  C
Behind a fine embroidery
     Am7
Her nipples rose like bread
     C
Then I took off my necktie
    Em7
And she took off her dress
    C
My belt and pistol set aside
   Am7
We tore away the rest

Chorus

      C
The night of Santiago
    F               C
And I was passing through
      C       F        C
So I took her to the river
    F            C
As any man would do

Verse 2

      C
Her thighs they slipped away from me
       C
Like schools of startled fish
        C
Though I've forgotten half my life
           C
I still remember this
     C
Now, as a man I won't repeat
      C
The things she said aloud
            C
Except for this, my lips are sealed forever
         C
And for now

Pre-Chorus

     C
And soon there's sand in every kiss
     Em7
And soon the dawn is ready
     C
And soon the night surrenders
        Am7
To a daffodil machete
   C
I gave her something pretty
       Em7
And I waited till she laughed
    C
I wasn't born a gypsy
   Am7
To make a woman sad

Chorus

      C
The night of Santiago
    F               C
And I was passing through
      C       F        C
So I took her to the river
    F            C
As any man would do
      C
The night of Santiago
    F               C
And I was passing through
      C       F        C
So I took her to the river
    F            C
As any man would do

Verse 2

    C
I didn't fall in love of course
       C
It's never up to you
     C
But she was walking back and forth
    C
And I was passing through
       Bdim
When I took her to the river
        Bdim
In her virginal apparel
        Bdim            G7
When I took her to the river
         G7
On that night of Santiago
     C5
And yes she lied about it all
       C5
Her children and her husband
 C5
You were born to judge the world
   C5
Forgive me but I wasn't

Chorus

      C
The night of Santiago
    F               C
And I was passing through
      C       F        C
So I took her to the river
    F            C
As any man would do
      C
The night of Santiago
    F               C
And I was passing through
      C       F        C
So I took her to the river
    F            C
As any man would do

Outro

      C
The night of Santiago
    F               C
And I was passing through
      C       F        C
So I took her to the river
    F            C
As any man would do
      C
The night of Santiago
    F               C
And I was passing through
      C       F        C
So I took her to the river
    F            C
As any man would do