The Partisan

Leonard Cohen: The Partisan (La Complainte du Partisan)

(French text: Bernard, Music: Anna Marly,

English text: Hy Saret)

from the CD's "Songs from a room", "Greatest Hits" and

"Heart Housed in a Thorn Bush" (Live at Montreux, 1984)

the pattern I play I've learned from a friend (erwin). Its easier to play,

but may be there is a certain loss of quality.

erwins pattern

Am C* E*

e:----------0---------------|-----------0---|-----------0--|

B:-------1-----1------------|--------1------|--------0-----|

G:----2-----------2-----2---|-----0---------|-----1--------|

D:-------------------2------|---------------|--------------|

A:-0------------------------|--3------------|--------------|

E:--------------------------|---------------|--0-----------|

p i m a m i p i p i m a p i m a

The pattern is played two times per bar (indicated by / in first verse).

In the first and second line of every verse there are three chords per bar

and i play the pattern C* and E*.

Cohen plays ?don't really know?

Am C* E*

e:-------------------------0----------|--------------------|-------------------|

B:-------1--------1-----1-----------1-|--------1--------1--|--------0--------0-|

G:----2--------2-----2-----------2----|-----0--------0-----|-----1--------1----|

D:----------2-----------------2-------|-----------2--------|-----------2-------|

A:-0----------------------------------|--3-----------------|--2----------------|

E:------------------------------------|--------------------|-------------------|

p i m p i m p i m p i m etc.

There are twentyfour notes (triplets) per bar, to much for my fingers.

Am Am / Am Am

/C* E* Am

When they poured a-cross the border

/C* E* Am

I was cautioned to sur-render,

/C G /G (2/4)

this I could not do;

F F /C E /Am Am/Am Am

I took my gun and van-ished.

C* E* Am

I have changed my name so often,

C* E* Am

I've lost my wife and children

but I have many fri-ends,

F F C E /Am Am/Am Am

and some of them are with me.

C* E* Am

An old woman gave us shelter,

C* E* Am

kept us hidden in the garret,

then the soldiers came;

F F C E Am Am/Am Am

she died without a whis-per.

C* E* Am

There were three of us this morning Hier encor nous ‚tions troi

C* E* Am

I'm the only one this evening Il ne reste plu que moi

but I must go on; Et je tourne en rond

F F C E Am Am/Am Am

the fron-tiers are my pri-son. Dans la prison des frontieres

C* E* Am

Oh, the wind, the wind is blowing, La vent passe sur les tombles

C* E* Am

through the graves the wind is blowing, La libert‚ reviendra

freedom soon will come; Oh nous oubliera!

F F C E /Am Am/Am Am

then we'll come from the shad-ows. Nous retrerons dans l'ombre.

C* E* Am

Les Alle-mands ‚-taient chez moi, [The Germans were at my home

C* E* Am

ons m'a dit: "Re-signe toi," They said, "Sign yourself,"

mais je n'ai pas peur; But I am not afraid

F F C E /Am Am/Am Am

j'ai repris mon ƒr-me. I have retaken my weapon.

C* E Am

J'ai chan-g‚ cent fois de nom, I have changed names a hundred times

C* E* Am

j'ai per-du femme et en-fants I have lost wife and children

mais j'ai tant d'a-mis; But I have so many friends

F C E Am Am/Am Am

j'ai la France en-tiŠre. I have all of France

C* E* Am

Un vieil homme dans un gre-nier An old man, in an attic

C* E* Am

pour la nuit nous a ca-ch‚s, Hid us for the night

les Alle-mands l'ont prisent; The Germans captured him

F F C E Am Am/Am Am

il est mort sans surpri-se. He died without surprise.]

C* E* Am

Oh, the wind, the wind is blowing,

C* E* Am

through the graves the wind is blowing,

freedom soon will come;

F F C E Am Am/Am Am (appregio)

then we'll come from the shad-ows.

Improvements welcome! Adi.Heindl@chemie.uni-regensburg.de