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Simon & Garfunkel - The Boxer

Chords & Piano Lesson
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Hello! Below you'll find my "The Boxer" chords & lyrics chart as well as a tutorial video on how to play the piano accompaniment.
 

Typical of Simon & Garfunkel, this song has an amazing chord progression and melody. The original is played on guitar, but it sounds great on piano as well.

Enjoy!

Lesson Video
Chord Chart

The Boxer Piano Tutorial

Here's a piano tutorial video for The Boxer:

The Boxer Chords & Lyrics

[Intro]
| C |

[Verse 1]
C                                                            C/B      Am
I am just a poor boy, though my story's seldom told
           G
I have squandered my resistance
         G7                                             C
For a pocketful of mumbles such are promises
     C/B       Am          G                             F
All lies and jest still a man hears what he wants to hear
                                 C     G  G7 C
And disregards the rest hmmm
 
[Verse 2]
             C                                                           
When I left my home and family I was
                C/B    Am
No more than a boy
          G
In the company of strangers
          G7                                   C
In the quiet of a railway station running scared
C/B      Am              G                    F
Laying low seeking out the poorer quarters
                                          C
Where the ragged people go
              G                    F                         C
Looking for the places only they would know
 
[Chorus 1]
          Am                   Em7
Lie-la-lie       Lie-la-la-la lie-la-lie
          Am                G                                 C
Lie la lie        Lie-la-la-la lie-la-lie la la la la lie
 
[Verse 3]
            C                                                          C/B Am
Asking only workmans wages I come looking for a job
                    G                  G7 
But I get no offers, just a come-on
 
                                                C
From the whores on Seventh Avenue
  C/B     Am                   G
I do declare there were times when I was
F                                                    C
So lonesome I took some comfort there
         G                G7 C
La-la-la-la-la-la-la
 
[Interlude]
| C | C C/B Am - | G | G7 |
| C | C C/B Am - | G F |
| F C | G F | C |
 
[Chorus 2]
          Am                  Em7
Lie-la-lie      Lie-la-la-la lie-la-lie
          Am             G                                  C
Lie la lie      Lie-la-la-la lie-la-lie la la la la lie
 
[Verse 4]
               C
Then I'm laying out my winter clothes and
              C/B   Am
Wishing I was gone
           G                        G7
Going home where the New York City winters
          C
Aren't bleeding me
Em7                  Am             G       G7 C
     Leading me-e        going home
 
[Verse 5]
          C
In the clearing stands a boxer
                     C/B     Am
And a fighter by his trade
             G
And he carries the reminders
     G7                                                 C
Of every glove that laid him down or cut him
 
 
Till he cried out
 
                    C/B       Am
In his anger and his shame
          G                  F
"I am leaving, I am leaving."
                              C              G      F C
But the fighter still remains    hmmm
 
[Chorus 3] repeat 8 times (or fewer)
          Am                  Em7
Lie-la-lie      Lie-la-la-la lie-la-lie
          Am              G                                 (Am)
Lie la lie      Lie-la-la-la lie-la-lie la la la la lie
 
[Outro]
| C | C C/B Am - | G | G7 |
| C | C C/B Am - | G F |
| F C | G F | C |
This document is the author's own work and represents his interpretation of this song. It's intended solely for private study, scholarship or research.
This chord chart is here only to support online learning. We recommend buying official transcripts from a licensed and reputable publisher.
The Boxer Piano Tips
1. Take It Slow: It's counterintuitive, but the quickest way to get comfortable and sound great playing a song is to practice it very slowly at first. Steady rhythm and counting are crucial to sounding like a pro, so let yourself get used to feeling the beat at a slow, easy tempo. Once you can nail "The Boxer" slowly, *gradually* speed it up. You'll sound much better than if you jumped in at full speed!
 
2. Use The Pedal Wisely: Utilize the sustain pedal to connect the chords smoothly, timing your lifts with the arrival of a new chord. For help with sustain pedal timing, check out this video.  
 
3. Simplify if need be: "The Boxer" still sounds great even if you simply hold out the chords and ignore most of the rhythm patterns and extra details in the tutorial video. Feel free to keep it simple, especially if you sing while playing. As you get comfortable, you can always add the fancy stuff later.
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