Leader of the Band
Dan Fogelberg
Dan Fogelberg
The Innocent Age
1981
I heard this song over the summer and decided I
needed to pick up some Fogelberg stuff. As part
of my new Columbia House membership I got this CD,
so here's the song. Hope you enjoy it!
Lyrics
Chords
Capo 1st
INTRO:
G Am C Cadd9 C
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
e:---------------0-|-----------------|-----------------|---0-------------|
B:-3---------3-----|---3---1---0-----|-1---------1-----|-3---3-1---0-----|
G:-0-----0-----0---|-----0-----------|-------0-----0---|-----------------|
D:-----0-----------|-----------------|-----2-----------|-----------------|
A:-2---------------|-2-------0---0-2-|-3---------------|-3-----------3-2-|
E:---------3-------|-----------------|---------3-------|-------3---------|
Am Em D G
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
e:-------0---------|-----------------|-2-----------------|-----------3-----|
B:-0h1-------1-----|-0-1-0---------0-|-3-----------------|-----0h1-------1-|
G:-----2---------0-|-------0---0-----|-------2-0h2p0---0-|-------------0---|
D:-------------4---|-----------------|-0---0---------4---|-----0h2---------|
A:-0---------------|-----------------|-------------------|-----------------|
E:-----------------|-0-------0---0---|-------------------|-3---------------|
G
+ + + + + + + + + + + +
e:-----------3-----|-----------3-----|-----------------|
B:-----0h1-------1-|-----0h1-----1---|-0-----0---0---0-|
G:-------------0---|-----------------|-0---0-------0---|
D:-----0h2---------|-----0h2---------|-----------------|
A:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
E:-3-------3-------|-3-------3-------|-3-------3-------|
This is the verse:
An only child alone and wild a cabinet-maker's son
G Bm C
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
e:-3---------3-----|-----------------|-------2-----0---|-----------------|
B:-----0h1-------1-|-----0-----0-----|-----3-----------|-1---------1-----|
G:-------------0---|-------0-------0-|---4-------4-----|-------0-------0-|
D:-----0h2---------|---0---------0---|-----------------|-----2-------2---|
A:-----------------|-----------------|-2---------------|-3---------------|
E:-3-------3-------|-3-------3-------|-----------------|---------3-------|
His hands...for different work... heart was known to none
Am Em Am C D
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
e:-----------------|-------0---------|-----------------|-------0---2-----|
B:-1-------1-------|---3-------3-----|-1-------1-------|-----1-------3---|
G:-------2-----2---|-0---------------|-------2-----2---|---0-----------2-|
D:-----2---------2-|-----2---2---2---|-----2---------2-|---------0-------|
A:-0---------------|-----------------|-0---------------|-3---------------|
E:-----------------|-0---------------|-----------------|-----------------|
he left his home and went his... solitary way and he
G Bm C
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
e:-----------3-----|-----------------|-------2-----0---|-----------------|
B:-----0h1-------1-|-----1-----0-----|-----3-----------|-1---------1-----|
G:-------------0---|-------0-------0-|---4-------4-----|-------0-------0-|
D:-----0h2---------|---0---------0---|-----------------|-----2-------2---|
A:-----------------|-----------------|-2---------------|-3---------------|
E:-3---------------|-3-------3-------|-----------------|---------3-------|
gave to me a gift I know I never can repay
Am Em Am D G
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
e:-----------------|-------0---------|-----------2-----|-----------3-----|
B:-1-------1-------|---3-------3-----|-1-----------3---|-----0h1-------1-|
G:-------2-----2---|-0---------------|-------2-------2-|-------------0---|
D:-----2---------2-|-----2---2---2---|-----2---0-------|-----0h2---------|
A:-0---------------|-----------------|-0---------------|-----------------|
E:-----------------|-0---------------|-----------------|-3-------3-------|
interlude (don't play before chorus)
+ + + + + + + + + + + +
e:-----------3-----|-----------3-.---|---------------3-|
B:-----0h1-------1-|-----0h1-----1---|-----------0-----|
G:-------------0---|-------------0---|-------0---------|
D:-----0h2---------|-----0h2---------|-----0-------0---|
A:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
E:-3-------3-------|-3-------3-------|-3-------3-------|
Here is the chorus:
the leader of the band is tired...eyes are growing
G Am Bm C Bm C
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
e:-----------------|-----------3-----|-----------2-----|-----------------|
B:-----0---1---3---|-5-----5-------5-|-3-----3-------3-|-1---------1-----|
G:---0-----2---4---|-----5-------5---|-----4-------4---|-------0-------0-|
D:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----2-------2---|
A:-----------------|-3-------3-------|-2-------2-------|-3-------3-------|
E:-3---------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
old but his blood runs... instrument and his song is in my soul
G Am Bm Am Em Am F D
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
e:-----------------|-----------------|-------0---------|-----------------|-1---1-----2-----|
B:---0-----1---3---|-1---------1-----|---3-------3-----|-1---------1-----|-1-----1-----3---|
G:-------0-2---4---|-------2-------2-|-0---------------|-------2-------2-|---2-----------2-|
D:-----0-----------|-----2-------2---|-----2---2---2---|-----2-------2---|---------0-------|
A:-----------------|-0-------0-------|-----------------|-0-------0-------|-----------------|
E:-3---------------|-----------------|-0---------------|-----------------|-1---------------|
my life has been a poor attempt to imitate the man I'm
C Bm C G Am Bm
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
e:-----------3-----|-----------2-----|-----------------|-----------------|
B:-5-----5-------5-|-3-----3-------3-|-1---------1-----|---0-----1---3---|
G:-----5-------5---|-----4-------4---|-------0-------0-|-------0-2---4---|
D:-----------------|-----------------|-----2-------2---|-----0-----------|
A:-3-------3-------|-2-------2-------|-3-------3-------|-----------------|
E:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-3---------------|
just a living legacy to the leader of the band
Am Em Am D G
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
e:-----------------|-------0---------|-----------2-----|-----------3-----|
B:-1---------1-----|---3-------3-----|-1-----------3---|-----0h1-------1-|
G:-------2-------2-|-0---------------|-------2-------2-|-------------0---|
D:-----2-------2---|-----2---2---2---|-----2---0-------|-----0h2---------|
A:-0-------0-------|-----------------|-0---------------|-----------------|
E:-----------------|-0---------------|-----------------|-3---------------|
interlude
+ + + + + + + + + + + +
e:-----------3-----|-----------3-.---|---------------3-|
B:-----0h1-------1-|-----0h1-----1---|-----------0-----|
G:-------------0---|-------------0---|-------0---------|
D:-----0h2---------|-----0h2---------|-----0-------0---|
A:-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
E:-3-------3-------|-3-------3-------|-3-------3-------|
LYRICS:
play intro
An only child alone and wild a cabinet-maker's son
His hands were meant for different work and his heart was known to none
He left his home and went his lone and solitary way
And he gave to me a gift I know I never can repay
A quiet man of music denied a simpler fate
He tried to be a soldier once but his music wouldn't wait
He earned his love through discipline a thundering velvet hand
His gentle means of sculpting souls took me years to understand
CHORUS
The leader of the band is tired and his eyes are growing old
But his blood runs through my instrument and his song is in my soul
My life has been a poor attempt to imitate the man
I'm just a living legacy to the leader of the band
My brothers' lives were different for they heard another call
One went to Chicago and the other to St. Paul
And I'm in Colorado when I'm not in some hotel
Living out this life I've chose and come to know so well
over solo, play second half of verse
I thank you for the music and your stories of the road
I thank you for the freedom when it came my time to go
I thank you for the kindness and the times when you got tough
And papa I don't think I said 'I love you' near enough
CHORUS
The leader of the band is tired and his eyes are growing old
But his blood runs through my instrument and his song is in my soul
My life has been a poor attempt to imitate the man
I'm just a living legacy to the leader of the band
I am a living legacy to the leader of the band
ending solo: play second half of verse
CHORDS:
C x32010 or 35553
Cadd9 x32030
To learn why these chords are named this way, check out Dansm's Guitar Chord Theory.
Created on 10-25-97 by Daniel E. Smith.