Paul Simon - Leaves That Are Green Chords & Tabs

Leaves That Are Green

The Paul Simon Songbook, 1965

Capo 2nd fret
Tuning: Standard
Key: D 
Sounding Key: E


This is an absolutely georgeous song.  Paul Travis picks through most of 
it.  Bar the first four strings at the second fret for the A6 chord.  

I've marked the 4th and 11th bars from the start of the verse.  For the 
third verse, at the fourth bar play the first two beats only and at the 
11th bar play the first two beats only.  For the fourth verse, at the 11th 
bar, play the first two beats only.  After the fourth verse, skip from % to 
the ending.


     D                                   Em                A6 
e:|--0h2-------2----|--0h2-------2----|--0--------0-----|--2--------2-----|
B:|--------3--------|--------3--------|-----------------|-------2---------|
G:|------2-------2--|------2-------2--|-------0---------|-----2-----------|
D:|--0-------0------|--0-------0------|-----2-------2---|-------------2---|
A:|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|--0------0-------|
E:|-----------------|-----------------|--0------0-------|-----------------|

     D
e:|-----------0-----|--2--------0-----|--3----0h2p0-----|-----------0-----|
B:|-------3---------|-------3---------|-----------------|--3----3---------|
G:|-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---|-------------2---|-----2-------2---|
D:|--0------0-------|--0------0-------|--0--0-----------|--0------0-------|
A:|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
E:|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|

     D                                *  D                 Em
e:|--2--------0-----|--2--2------2----|-----------------|--0--------0-----|
B:|-------3---------|-----3-----------|--3--------3-----|-----------------|
G:|-----2-------2---|-----2--------2--|-------2---------|-------0---------|
D:|--0------0-------|--0--0-----------|-----0-------0---|-----2-------2---|
A:|-----------------|-----0---0-------|--0------0-------|-----------------|
E:|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|--0------0-------|

                                         I was twenty one  years  when 

     A6             4  D                                   D
e:|--2--------2-----|-----------0-----|--2--------0-----|--2--------2-----|
B:|-------2---------|-------3---------|-------3---------|-------3---------|
G:|-----------------|-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---|
D:|-----2-------2---|--0------0-------|--0------0-------|--0------0-------|
A:|--0------0-------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
E:|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|

    I wrote this     song                           I'm  twenty two 

                       G                 D 
e:|--0h2-------2----|--3--------------|-----------0-----|--2--------2-----|
B:|--------3--------|-----------0-----|-------3---------|-------3---------|
G:|------2-------2--|-------0---------|-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---|
D:|--0-------0------|-----0-------0---|--0------0-------|--0------0-------|
A:|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
E:|-----------------|--3------3-------|-----------------|-----------------|

   now but I         won't be for      long 

  11 G                                   Asus4 
e:|-----------------|--3--------------|-----------------|--0--------------|
B:|-----------0-----|-----------0-----|-----------3-----|-----------3-----|
G:|-------0---------|-------0---------|-------2---------|-------2---------|
D:|-----0-------0---|-----0-----------|-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---|
A:|-----------------|-------------2---|--0------0-------|--0------0-------|
E:|--3------3-------|--3------3-------|-----------------|-----------------|

   Time                   hurries       on                        and the 
[ Tab from: https://www.guitartabs.cc/tabs/p/paul_simon/leaves_that_are_green_tab.html ]
     D                 C                 G                 A 
e:|--2--------2-----|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
B:|-------3---------|-----------------|-----------0-----|--2--------2-----|
G:|-----2-------2---|------0----------|-------0---------|-------2---------|
D:|--0------0-------|-----------------|-----0-------0---|-----2-------2---|
A:|-----------------|--3------3---0---|-mute------------|--0------0-------|
E:|-----------------|-----------------|--3------3-------|-----------------|

    leaves           that are          green                      turn to 

     D                                %
e:|-----------0-----|--0h2-------0----|--0h2-------0----|--2--2------2----|
B:|-------3---------|--------3--------|--------3--------|-----3-----------|
G:|-----2-------2---|------2-------2--|------2-------2--|-----2-----------|
D:|--0------0-------|--0-------0------|--0-------0------|--0--0--------0--|
A:|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----0-----------|
E:|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|

    brown                                                         And they 

     Bm 
e:|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
B:|--3--------2-----|--3--------2-----|--3--------2-----|--3--------3-----|
G:|-------4---------|-------4---------|-------4---------|-------4---------|
D:|-----4-------4---|-----4-------4---|-----4-------4---|-----4-------4---|
A:|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
E:|--2------2-------|--2------2-------|--2------2-------|--2------2-------|

   wither with the   wind                                        and they 

     Asus4 
e:|--0--------------|--0--------------|--0--------------|-----------------|
B:|-----------3-----|-----------3-----|-----------3-----|--2--------3-----|
G:|-------2---------|-------2---------|-------2---------|-------2---------|
D:|-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---|
A:|--0------0-------|--0------0-------|--0------0-------|--0------0-------|
E:|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|

   crumble in your  hand                          (return to * and repeat) 


Solo after second verse: 

                       D                         C         G 
e:|------5---5------|--0h2-------0----|--0h2------------|-------3---------|
B:|--5----------5---|--------3--------|-----------------|-----------------|
G:|-----------------|------2-------2--|------2----------|-----------------|
D:|----------2------|--0-------0------|--0--------------|-----0-------0---|
A:|--0---0--------0-|-----------------|----------3s2p0--|---------0h2-----|
E:|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|--3--------------|


     D 
e:|-----2--0--------|--0h2-------0----|--3-----0h2p0----|-----2-----2-----|
B:|-----------------|--------3--------|-----------------|--3--3-----------|
G:|-----------2-----|------2-------2--|------2---0---2--|-----2-------2---|
D:|--0--0-----------|--0-------0------|--0--------------|--0------0-------|
A:|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
E:|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|


% Ending (after fourth verse): 

     G      A          D 
e:|--3--------------|--2--------------|-----------------|-----------------|
B:|------------2----|--3--------------|-----------------|-----------------|
G:|-------0h2-------|--2--------------|-----------------|-----------------|
D:|-----0---0----2--|--0--------------|-----------------|-----------------|
A:|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
E:|--3--------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|


Lyrics:

I was twenty-one years when I wrote this song.
I'm twenty-two now but I won't be for long.
Time hurries on,
And the leaves that are green, turn to brown.
And they wither with the wind,
And they crumble in your hand.

Once my heart was filled with the love of a girl.
I held her close but she faded in the night.
Like a poem I meant to write.
And the leaves that are green turn to brown.
And they wither with the wind, 
And they crumble in your hand.

I threw a pebble in a brook,
And watched the ripples run away.
And they never made a sound.
And the leaves that are green turn to brown.
And they wither with the wind,
And they crumble in your hand.

Hello, hello, hello, hello.
Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye, goodbye.
That's all there is.
And the leaves that are green turn to brown.


Words and Music by Paul Simon