The Boxer (1974 live version)

Notes : Here capo 3

- Studio version : no capo, tuned down half a tone.
- "Back to College" concert, 1969 : no capo.
- "Live in Amsterdam", 1970 : no capo, tuned down half a tone.
- "Mc Govern Benefit concert", 1972 : no capo, tuned down half a tone.
- Saturday Night Live, 1975 : no capo.
- "Concert in Central Park", 1981 : capo 2.
- "Concert in the Park", 1992 : no capo.
- Paramount Theater, 1993 : no capo, tuned down half a tone.

Intro :

C ( repeat 4 times )
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T i T i T i T i ...

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1. I am just a poor boy

Verses :

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1. though my
2. left my home and my fa - mi - ly I was
3. - ly work - man's wa - ges I come
4. years are rol - ling by me they are
5. lay - ing out my win - ter clothes and
6. clea - ring stands a boxer and a

C C/B Am
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1. sto - ry's seldom told I have
2. no more than a boy in the
3. looking for a job but I get no
4. rocking e - ven - ly I am
5. wi - shing I was gone go - ing
6. figh - ter by his trade and he

G G6
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1. squandered my resistance for a
2. com - pa - ny of stran - gers in the
3. offers just a
4. ol - der than I once was and
5. home where the
6. car - ries the re - min - ders of

G7 G6 G7
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1. pock - et - ful of mumbles such are pro -
2. quiet of the rail - way sta - tion
3. come - on from the whores on Seventh
4. youn - ger than I'll be that's not un -
5. New York City win - ters a - ren't
6. e - very glove that laid him down or

C
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1. - mises
2. running scared.
3. A - ve - nue
4. - u - su - al
5. blee - ding me
6. cut him 'til he cried out in his

1,2,3,4 __________________________________________________________________

C C/B Am
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1. All lies and jest still a
2. Lay - ing low seek - ing
3. I do de - clare there were
4. No it i - sn't strange a - fter
6. an - ger and his shame "I am

G F
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1. man hears what he wants to hear and
2. out the poor - er quarters where the
3. times when I was so lonesome I
4. chan - ges up - on chan - ges we are
6. lea - ving, I am lea - ving", but the

F C G/B Am
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1. dis - re - gard the rest mm , mm
2. rag - ged peo - ple go look - ing
3. took some com - fort there
4. more or less the same af - ter
6. figh - ter still re - mains

1,3 ________________________________________________________________________

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1. mm

G7 C
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C
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When I ...

5 _________________________________________________________________________

Em
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5. lead - ing me

Am
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5. going

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5. home

G7 C
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C
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C
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6. In the ..

2,4,6 ______________________________________________________________________

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2. for the pla - ces on - ly they would
4. chan - ges we are more or less the

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2. know Lie - la
4. same Lie - la

Chorus :

Am
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lie Lie - la

Em
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lie la lie la lie Lie - la

Am
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lie Lie - la

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lie la lie la lie la la la la

C Cadd9
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lie

C9
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3. Ask - ing on -
4. Now the
5. Then I'm

Solo verse :

C
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G
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C
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C C/B Am
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G
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C C/B Am
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F C G/B Am
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C
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Lyrics :

I am just a poor boy.
Though my story's seldom told,
I have squandered my resistance
For a pocketful of mumbles,
Such are promises
All lies and jest
Still, a man hears what he wants to hear
And disregards the rest.

When I left my home and my family,
I was no more than a boy
In the company of strangers
In the quiet of the railway station,
Running scared, laying low,
Seeking out the poorer quarters
Where the ragged people go,
Looking for the places
Only they would know.

Lie-la-lie ...

Asking only workman's wages
I come looking for a job,
But I get no offers,
Just a come-on from the whores
On Seventh Avenue.
I do declare,
There were times when I was so lonesome
I took some comfort there.

Now the years are rolling by me,
They are rocking evenly.
I am older than I once was,
Younger than I'll be,
That's not unusual.
No, it isn't strange,
After changes upon changes,
We are more or less the same.
After changes we are more or less the same.

Lie-la-lie ...

Then I'm laying out my winter clothes
And wishing I was gone
Going home
Where the New York City winters
Aren't bleeding me,
Leading me,
Going home.

In the clearing stands a boxer,
And a fighter by his trade
And he carries the reminders
Of ev'ry glove that laid him down
Or cut him till he cried out
In his anger and his shame,
"I am leaving, I am leaving."
But the fighter still remains.

Lie-la-lie ...