Here is a video of Dan Fogelberg (may he R.I.P.) playing one of his most popular songs – Same Old Lang Syne – as an encore after a concert. I thought of this song today because it is snowing and the snow is turning to rain… which are the last words written in his song. This song is full of bittersweet sentiments that so many of us can relate to. It is really a beautiful song that even though he plays keyboard on this song, I felt would be a good addition for the easy guitar song chords and lyrics on this site.
Same Old Lang Syne
by Dan Fogelberg
Intro chords: C, AM – C, AM – C, AM – D7/F#, FM7, G
| C | Am | |||||
| Met my old lover in a grocery store | ||||||
| C | Am | |||||
| The snow was falling Christmas eve | ||||||
| C | Am | |||||
| I stole behind her in the frozen foods | ||||||
| D7/F# | FM7 G | |||||
| And I touched her | on her sleeve | |||||
| C | Am | |||||
| She didn’t recognize the face at first | ||||||
| C | Am | |||||
| But then her eye flew open wide | ||||||
| C | Am | |||||
| She went to hug me and she spilled her purse | ||||||
| D7/F# | FM7 G | |||||
| And we laughed until we cried. | ||||||
| Guitar interlude: same as intro chords | ||||||
| C | Am | |||||
| She took her groc’ries to the check-out stand | ||||||
| C | Am | |||||
| The food was totaled up and bagged | ||||||
| C | Am | |||||
| We stood there lost in our embarrassment | ||||||
| D7/F# | FM7 G | |||||
| As the conversation | dragged. | |||||
| C | Am | |||||
| Went to have ourselves a drink or two | ||||||
| C | Am | |||||
| But couldn’t find an open | bar | |||||
| C | Am | |||||
| We tried to reach beyond the emptiness | ||||||
| D7/F# | FM7 G | |||||
| But neither one | knew how. | |||||
She said she married her an architect
Who kept her warm and safe and dry
She would’ve liked to say she loved the man
But she didn’t like to lie.
I said the years had been a friend to her
And that her eyes were still as blue
But in those eyes I wasn’t sure if I
Saw doubt or gratitude.
She said she saw me in the record stores
And that I must be doing well
I said the audience was heavenly
But the traveling was hell.
We drank a toast to innocence
We drank a toast to now
And tried to reach beyond the emptiness
But neither one knew how.
We drank a toast to innocence
We drank a toast to time
Reliving in our eloquence
Another ‘auld lang syne’…
The beer was empty and our tongues were tired
And running out of things to say
She gave a kiss to me as I got out
And I watched her drive away.
Just for a moment I was back at school
And felt that old familiar pain
And as I turned to make my way back home
The snow turned into rain…
John and Michelle Phillips were in New York City in 1963, just after they were married (at ages 28 and 19). John woke up Michelle and asked her to help him with this song he had just written one verse for. They were, at that time, still in a group called the New Journeymen. It wasn’t until 1965 after they had moved to Los Angeles and were in their new group, the Mamas and the Papas that this song became a hit. Also see a video: California 
