Leader Of The Band Chords

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Difficulty:	beginner
Tuning:	E A D G B E
Key:	Ab
Capo:	1st fret

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6 contributors total, last edit on May 2, 2024

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Chords

C/G

Strumming

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[Intro]
   G7                G7                C
e|---------------0-|-----------------|-----------------|
B|-3---------3-----|---3---1---0-----|-1---------1-----|
G|-------0---------|---------------0-|-------0-------0-|
D|-----3-------3---|-----3-------0---|-----2-------2---|
A|-2---------------|-2-------0-------|-3---------------|
E|---------3-------|-----------------|---------3-------|
 
   C                 Am                Em
e|---0-------------|-------0---------|-----------------|
B|-3---3-1---0-----|-0h1-------1-----|-0h1-0-----0-----|
G|---------------2-|---------------0-|-------0-------0-|
D|-------------0-2-|-----2-------2---|-------------2---|
A|-3---------------|-0---------------|-----------------|
E|--------3--------|---------0-------|-0-------0-------|
 
   D                   G       C/G       G       C/G
e|-2-----------------|-----------3-----|-----------3-----|
B|-------3-----------|-----0h1---------|-----0h1---------|
G|-----2---0h2p0---0-|---------------0-|---------------0-|
D|-0-------------4---|-----0h2-----2---|-----0h2-----2---|
A|-------------------|-----------------|-----------------|
E|-------------------|-3-------3-------|-3-------3-------|
 
   G       C/G       G                  (Instrumental ends on)
e|-----------3-----|-----------------|   |-----------------|
B|-----0h1-----1---|-0---------0-----|   |-0---------------|
G|-----------------|-------0-------0-|   |-----------------|
D|-----0h2-----2---|-----0-------0---|   |-----------------|
A|-----------------|-----------------|   |-----------------|
E|-3-------3-------|-3-------3-------|   |-3---------------|
 
[Verse 1]
G         C/G    G                Bm              C
  An only child alone and wild, a cabinet maker's son
Am                         Em                     Am                 C    D
  His hands were meant for different work and his heart was known to none
G             C/G      G                 Bm       C
  He left his home and went his lone and solitary way
       Am            Em           Am    D7    G  C/G  G  C/G  G  C/G  G
And he gave to me a gift I know I never can repay
 
[Verse 2]
G         C/G    G        Bm             C
  A quiet man of music, denied a simpler fate
Am                 Em                   Am             C    D
  He tried to be a soldier once but his music wouldn't wait
G               C/G          G             Bm                C
  He earned his love through discipline, a thund'ring velvet hand
    Am              Em                      Am       D7   G
His gentle means of sculpting souls took me years to understand
 
[Chorus]
C                   Bm                    C                G
  The leader of the band is tired and his eyes are growing old
        Am                    Em                 Am            F  D
But his blood runs through my instrument and his song is in my so-oul
C                    Bm           C               G
  My life has been a poor attempt, to imitate the man
    Am            Em            Am     C      G   C/G  G  C/G  G  C/G  G
I'm just a living legacy to the leader of the band
 
[Verse 3]
G              C/G        G                  Bm            C
  My brothers' lives were different for they heard another call
Am             Em            Am           C    D
One went to Chicago, and the other to St. Paul
G            C/G G             Bm            C
  And I'm in Colorado when I'm not in some hotel
Am              Em               Am      D7      G  C/G  G
Living out this life I chose and come to know so well
 
[Instrumental] (repeat intro part with orchestra)
| G7  | G7  | C   | C   |
| Am  | Em  | D   | G  C/G |
| G  C/G | G  C/G | G   |
 
[Verse 4]
G             C/G     G              Bm             C
  I thank you for the music and your stories of the road
Am                    Em              Am              C   D
  I thank you for the freedom when it came my time to go
G             C/G     G                Bm                 C
  I thank you for the kindness and the times when you got tough
    Am            Em              Am        D7    G
And Papa, I don't think I said "I love you" near enough
 
[Chorus]
C                   Bm                    C                G
  The leader of the band is tired and his eyes are growing old
        Am                    Em                 Am            F  D
But his blood runs through my instrument and his song is in my so-oul
C                    Bm           C               G
  My life has been a poor attempt, to imitate the man
    Am            Em            Am     C      G
I'm just a living legacy to the leader of the band
 
  Am            Em            Am     C  D     G  C/G  G  C/G  G  C/G  G
I am the living legacy to the leader of   the band
 
[Outro]
| G7  | G7  | C   | C   |
| Am  | Em  | D   | G
 
 
************************************
 
| h  Hammer-on
| p  Pull-off
 
************************************
X

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Leader Of The Band – Dan Fogelberg

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"Leader Of The Band"

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45 comments

I appreciate that you took the time to be so precise in your chording. They are simple chords, but getting them exactly where they are supposed to go is not always achieved. Excellent, thank you. I am using your version for my music class solo. Perfect.

I only hope I make it through the song without breaking down. Thanks.

I'm of the opinion that the "Living out this life...." line is crafted with the same contraction technique as is used in pieces such as the hymn, "Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming", rendering the verse: "Living out this life I've chos'n, and come to know so well."