One Stage Before Chords by Al Stewart

[Gm] _ _ _ [Eb] _ _ [Gm] _ _ [Eb] _
_ [Gm] _ _ [Eb] _ _ [Gm] _ _ [Eb] _
[Gm] _ _ _ [Eb] _ _ [Gm] _ _ _
It seems to me as though I've been upon this stage [Eb] before
[Bb] And [F] juggled away [Eb] the night for the [Gm] single crowd _
These harlequins [Eb] you see with me, they [Gm] too have held [Eb] the floor
[Bb] As here [F] once again [Eb] they strut and they press [Gm] their arm
[Eb] I [Bb] see those half [F]-familiar faces [Eb] in [Gm] the second [Cm] row
[F] Ghost-like [Cm] with the footlights in [Dm] their eyes
But [Eb] where [Gm] or when [Cm] we met like this [Bb] last time, I just [Gm] don't know
[Cm] It's like a chord that rings and never [F] dies
[D] _
[Gm] For infinity
_ _ _ _ [Eb] _
[Gm] _ _ _ [Eb] _ _ [Gm] _ _ [Eb] _
[Gm] And now these [Eb] bigots in the wings [Gm] with all their [Eb] restless [Bb] tuts
Are [F] waiting [Eb] around for [Cm] someone to [Gm] call their names
[Eb]
They [Gm] walk the [Eb] backstage [Gm] corridors and prowl the [Eb] dressing rooms
[Bb] And [F] vanish the [Cm] sense of light in the [Gm] picture frames
[Eb] _
[Bb] But did they [F] move upon this [Eb] stage a [Gm] thousand [Cm] years ago?
[F] In some [Cm] play in Paris [Dm] on my train? _
[Eb] And [Gm] was I [Cm] there among them [Bb] there in [F] some [Gm] traveling show?
[Cm] And is it all still locked [F] inside my head?
[D] _
[Gm] For instance
_ _ _ _ [Eb] _
_ [Gm] _ _ [Eb] _ _ [Gm] _ _ [Eb]
And [Gm] some of you [Eb] are [Gm] harmonists to all the notes [Eb] I play
[Bb] [F] Although we may [Eb] not meet [Cm] still you know [Gm] me well
[Eb] _
[Gm] _ Wallabers [Eb] talking [Gm] secret keys and trumpers all [Eb] I say
[Bb] And nothing [F] I do [Cm] or try can get through [Gm] the spell
[Eb] So [Bb] one more time [F] we'll dim the lights, [Eb] salute [Gm] the curtain [Cm] up
[F] And play again like [Cm] all the times [Dm] before
But [Gm] far behind the [Cm] music you [Bb] can [Dm] almost hear [Gm] the sounds
[Cm] Of laughter like the waves upon [F] the shores
[D] _
[Gm] Of insanity
[Eb] _ [Gm] _ _ _ [Eb] _ [Gm] _ _ _ [Eb] _ [Gm] _ _ [Eb] _ _
[Gm] _ _ _ [Cm] _ _ [Gm] _ _ [Eb] _
_ [Bb] _ [F] _ [Cm] _ _ [Gm] _ _ [Eb] _
_ [Gm] _ _ [Eb] _ _ [Gm] _ _ [Cm] _
_ [Bb] _ [F] _ [Cm] _ _ [Gm] _ _ [Eb] _
_ [Bb] _ _ [F] _ _ _ [Eb] _ [Gm] _
[Cm] _ _ [F] _ _ [Cm] _ _ [Dm] _ _
_ _ [Eb] _ [Gm] _ [Cm] _ _ [Bb] _ _
[Gm] _ _ [Cm] _ _ _ _ _ [F] _
_ [D] _ [Gm] _ _ _ [Eb] _ [Gm] _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ [Eb] _ [Gm] _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ [N] _