Chords + Lyrics | The Boxer (tune down 1/2)
Intro
| C9 | C |
Verse 1
| C (C/G) | C G/B Am Am/E |
I am just a poor boy, though my story’s seldom told.
| G | G7 G6 | C (C/G) |
I have squandered my resistance, for a pocketful of mumbles such are promises.
| C G/B Am | G F | F C |6/4 G |4/4 C | C |
All lies and jest, still a man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest, mhmm.
Verse 2
| C (C/G) | C G/B Am Am/E |
When I left my home and my family, I was no more than a boy.
| G | G7 G6 | C (C/G) |
In the company of strangers, in the quiet of a railway station running scared.
| C G/B Am Am/E | G F | F C C/G |
Laying low, seeking out the poorer quarters, where the ragged people go.
| G F | C (C/G) |
Looking for the places only they would know.
Chorus 1
| Am (Am/E) | Em |
La la lai, la la la la, la la lai.
| Am Am/E Am7 | G C/G | C | C9 |
La la lai, la la la, la la la la la, la la la lai.
Verse 3
| C (C/G) | C G/B Am Am/E |
Asking only workman’s wages, I come looking for a job.
| G | G7 G6 | C (C/G) |
But I get no offers, just a come-on from the whores on Seventh Avenue.
| C G/B Am Am/E | G F | F C |6/4 G G7 G6 |4/4 C (C/G) |
I do declare there were times when I was so lonesome, I took some comfort there. La la la la la la la.
Instrumental
| C (C/G) | C G/B Am Am/E | G7 | G7 |
| C (C/G) | C G/B Am Am/E | G7 F | F C (/B /A) | G7 F | C (C/G) |
Chorus 2
La la lai, la la la la, la la lai.
La la lai, la la la, la la la la la, la la la lai.
(Alternative live verse + extra chorus)
Verse 4
| C (C/G) | C G/B Am Am/E |
Now the years are rolling by me, they are rocking evenly.
| G | G7 G6 | C (C/G) |
And I am older than I once was and younger than I’ll be, that’s not unusual.
| C G/B Am Am/E | G F | F C C/G |
No, it isn’t strange after changes upon changes, we are more or less the same.
| G F | C (C/G) |
After changes, we are more or less the same.
Chorus 3
La la lai, la la la la, la la lai.
La la lai, la la la, la la la la la, la la la lai.
Verse 5
| C (C/G) | C G/B Am Am/E |
Then I’m laying out my winter clothes, and wishing I was gone, going home.
| G | G7 G6 | C (C/G) |
Where the New York City winters aren’t bleeding me.
| Em | Am (Am/E) |6/4 G7 |4/4 C (C/G) | C (C/G) |
Leading me, (to) going home.
Verse 6
| C (C/G) | C G/B Am Am/E |
In the clearing stands a boxer and a fighter by his trade.
| G | G7 G6 | C (C/G) |
And he carries the reminders of every glove that laid him down or cut him ’til he cried out,
| C G/B Am Am/E | G F | F C C/G |
in his anger and his shame “I am leaving, I am leaving”, but the fighter still remains
| G F | C (C/G) |
(yes he still remains). Mm, hm, hm.
Chorus 4
||: Am (Am/E) | Em | Am Am/E Am7 | G :|| x8
La la lai, la la la la, la la lai…
Outro
| C (C/G) | C G/B Am Am/E | G | G7 G6 | C (C/G) |
| C G/B Am Am/E | G7 F | F C (/B /A) | G F | C C/G C |
The Boxer Chords: Master the Progressions for a Timeless Classic
The chords for each verse of The Boxer vary, and they are easiest to digest when paired with the lyrics, as shown above.
Should you attempt to write a chart, you’ll discover that it will either be very long to feature all variations or quite complicated to describe them. For instance, there’s the use of a 6/4 bar in most—but not all—verses to consider.
Additionally, there’s a bonus verse in the live recording that was scrapped for the studio version to keep it short enough to fit on a single. I’ve included it above, so you can decide for yourself whether it should be part of your rendition.
The chords for The Boxer are in the key of C, and they mostly descend like this: C – G/B – Am – G, repeating, and then descending further to F.
Verse
A simplified version of The Boxer’s verse could be written as the following 10 bars:
| C (I) | C G/B (V/3) Am (VI) | G (V) | G | C |
| C G/B Am | G F (IV) | F C | G F | C |
However, if you played only this, you would miss out on all the intricate details—such as the alternating bass line, the 6/4 bar, and the shift to Em in the verse that goes “Then I’m laying out my winter clothes…”
Chorus
In contrast, the chorus is much simpler, first moving between chords VI and III—Am and Em—and then varying it by going Am – G.
With the alternating bass and adding the intro lick at the end, we can write the chorus chords like this (with Roman numerals):
| Am (VI) (Am/E) | Em (III) |
| Am Am/E Am7 | G (V) C/G (I/5) |
| C (I) | C9 |
I love including the intro lick at the end of every chorus, so I’ve put that in as C9, even though it doesn’t happen every time.
To play along with the original recording, you’ll need to tune your guitar sharp to 446Hz and then down a semitone.
I’ve designed some TAB for you; here’s a link to that part of the lesson: The Boxer – Guitar Lesson with TAB.
After spending plenty of time with this masterpiece—perhaps even memorising it—you may still want a chord chart to double-check some details. Here’s one I made for you.
The Boxer Chord Chart | PDF + iReal Pro Download
Should you wish to download this chart, here’s a PDF: The Boxer chord chart.
This chord chart was created using iReal Pro. Here’s a link to that file: The Boxer iReal Pro. Using this and the iRealPro app, you can change the key. The real question is: would that be a good idea?
The Boxer TAB | Course Preview
In the course, we look at TAB for all sections, arranged to work on just one guitar. This includes how to play the chorus both with and without those legendary percussion hits.
As a preview, here’s the intro—which we simplify in the course, making it easier to use later in your arrangement too.
It took 100 hours to record this masterpiece
The epic and intricate The Boxer by Simon & Garfunkel stands as one of the duo’s many legendary songs. Released first as a single in 1969 and later featured on their final album Bridge Over Troubled Water (1970), the pair dedicated an impressive 100 hours to recording the track.
As an example of why it took so long, consider that signature pistol-like shot heard in the chorus. This unique sound was created by playing a snare drum in an elevator shaft and striking the top of a Fender Twin amp with the reverb cranked to the max.
A testament to both its musicality and production, The Boxer charted in the top 10 worldwide. Since its release, the song has been covered by numerous artists, including Bob Dylan, Emmylou Harris, Neil Diamond, Bruce Hornsby, Joan Baez, and even Mumford & Sons in 2016.
Additionally, countless solo performers and duos worldwide continue to perform this iconic song, more than half a century after its release.
The Boxer Chords: Continue Learning
Want to master this song? Check out the full TAB lesson here: The Boxer (Simon & Garfunkel) Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Alternatively, here are five similar tunes you might enjoy: