Chords for The Decemberists - The Legionnaire's Lament

Tempo:
68.95 bpm
Chords used:

F

Gm

G

Dm

C

Tuning:Standard Tuning (EADGBE)Capo:+0fret
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The Decemberists - The Legionnaire's Lament chords
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I'm a legionnaire, [F] camel in disrepair, [G] hoping for a frigidaire [Gm] to come passing [A] by.
I [Dm] am on reprieve, [F] lacking my joie de vivre, [G] missing my gay paris [Gm] in this desert dry.
[Dm] And I wrote my girl, [F] told her I would not return, [G] I've terribly taken a turn [Gm] for the worse now.
I fear [Dm] it's been a year or more since [F] the ship made it to this foreign shore,
[G] fighting in a foreign war [Gm] so far away from my home.
[F] If only some rain would fall [C] on the houses and the [Gm] boulevards,
and the sidewalk baguettes sounds [Bb] like a dream.
[F] With the roar of coins [C] and the lolling of the cafe [Gm] boys,
the sweetly sleeping sweeping [Bb] of the sand.
[Bbm] Lord, I don't know if I'll ever be [Dm] back again.
[F] La la la la, la [G] la la la.
[Gm]
[A] [Dm] Medicating in the sun [F]-pinched doses of laudanum,
[G] longing for the old [Gm] fecundity of my [A] homeland
[Dm] Curses to this mirage, [F] a bottle of ancient Shiraz
A [G] smattering of disdain and applause [Gm] is ringing in my poor ears
[Dm] On the old left bank, my [F] baby, in a cherub bank
[G] Riding up the width and length [Gm] of the Shantou
[B] A leisurely, [F] a full summer's reign
Footfall [C] on the houses and the [Gm] boulevard
And the sidewalk baggage tells it's [Bb] like a dream
[F] With the roar of cars [C] and the lolling of the cafe [Gm] bars
The sweetly sleeping sweeping [Bb] of the sand
[Bbm] Lord, I don't know if I'll ever be [Dm] back again
[F]
[G] [Gm] [A]
[Dm] [F]
[G] [Gm] [A]
If [F] only summer reign would fall [C] on the houses and the [Gm] boulevard
And the sidewalk baggage tells it's [Bb] like a dream
[F] With the roar of cars [C] and the lolling of the cafe [Gm] bars
The sweetly sleeping sweeping [Bb] of the sand
[Bbm] Lord, I don't know if I'll ever be [F] back again
Be [C] back again
Be [G] back [Gm] again
Oh, be [Bb] back again
[F] Oh
[C] Oh
[Gm] [Bb] [Bbm] [F]
[C] [D] [Gm]
[Bb] [Bbm]
Key:  
F
134211111
Gm
123111113
G
2131
Dm
2311
C
3211
F
134211111
Gm
123111113
G
2131
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Chords
NotesBeta

To learn The Decemberists - The Legionnaires Lament chords, anchor your practice on these foundational sequence of chords - Dm, F, G, Gm, A, Bb, F, C, Gm, A and F. A strategic approach would be to train at 69 BPM initially, and then accelerate to the song's tempo of 138. With an eye on the song's key D Minor, set the capo that best suits your vocal range.

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I'm a legionnaire, [F] camel in disrepair, [G] hoping for a frigidaire [Gm] to come passing [A] by.
I [Dm] am on reprieve, [F] lacking my joie de vivre, [G] missing my gay paris [Gm] in this desert dry.
[Dm] And I wrote my girl, [F] told her I would not return, [G] I've terribly taken a turn [Gm] for the worse now.
I fear [Dm] it's been a year or more since [F] the ship made it to this foreign shore,
[G] fighting in a foreign war [Gm] so far away from my home.
[F] If only some rain would fall [C] on the houses and the [Gm] boulevards,
and the sidewalk baguettes sounds [Bb] like a dream. _
[F] With the roar of coins [C] and the lolling of the cafe [Gm] boys,
the sweetly sleeping sweeping [Bb] of the sand.
[Bbm] Lord, I don't know if I'll ever be [Dm] back again.
[F] La la la la, la [G] la la la.
[Gm] _
_ _ _ [A] _ [Dm] Medicating in the sun [F]-pinched doses of _ laudanum,
[G] longing for the old [Gm] fecundity of my [A] homeland
[Dm] Curses to this mirage, [F] a bottle of ancient Shiraz
A [G] smattering of disdain and applause [Gm] is ringing in my poor ears
[Dm] On the old left bank, my [F] baby, in a cherub bank
[G] Riding up the width and length [Gm] of the Shantou
[B] A leisurely, [F] a full summer's reign
Footfall [C] on the houses and the [Gm] boulevard
And the sidewalk baggage tells it's [Bb] like a dream
_ [F] With the roar of cars [C] and the lolling of the cafe [Gm] bars
The sweetly sleeping sweeping [Bb] of the sand
[Bbm] Lord, I don't know if I'll ever be [Dm] back again
_ [F] _ _ _
_ [G] _ _ [Gm] _ _ _ _ [A] _
_ [Dm] _ _ _ _ [F] _ _ _
_ [G] _ _ [Gm] _ _ _ _ [A]
If [F] only summer reign would fall [C] on the houses and the [Gm] boulevard
And the sidewalk baggage tells it's [Bb] like a dream _
[F] With the roar of cars [C] and the lolling of the cafe [Gm] bars
The sweetly sleeping sweeping [Bb] of the sand
[Bbm] Lord, I don't know if I'll ever be [F] back again
Be [C] back again
Be [G] back [Gm] again
Oh, be [Bb] back again
[F] Oh _ _
[C] Oh
_ _ _ [Gm] _ _ _ _ [Bb] _ _ [Bbm] _ _ [F] _ _ _
_ _ [C] _ _ [D] _ _ [Gm] _ _
_ _ [Bb] _ _ _ [Bbm] _ _ _

Facts about this song

This track, written by Colin Meloy, is part of the album Castaways And Cutouts.

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