Bob Dylan - The Boxer: Guitar Chords

Learn to play "The Boxer" on your guitar with our chord guide. This page provides everything you need to perform this song on the guitar, including lyrics integrated with chords, chord diagrams, and a key transposer to match your vocal range.

For easier playing, use our Simplify Chords feature to remove difficult chords like barre.

C
I'm just a poor boy
                         Am
Though my story's seldom told
         G
I have squandered my resistance
       F
For a pocketful of mumbles
           C
Such are promises
              Am
All lies and jest
         G                 F
Still a man hears What he wants to hear
                   C
And disregard the rest.
       G                     C
La-la la, la-la la-la la-la la.

When I left my home and 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
Lookin for the places
Only they would know.

       Am
Lay-la lay
        G
Lay-la lay-lay lay-la lay
       Am
Lay-la lay
        F              G              C
Lay-la lay-lay lay-la lay-lay lay-la lay.

Askin only workman's wages
I come lookin 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.

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

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


You can simplify chords by removing barre

Transpose

Reset

Font Size

Reset

Simplify chords by removing barre

Guitar Chord Diagrams

Am

Guitar chord Am

C

Guitar chord C

F

Guitar chord F

G

Guitar chord G

Here you can see detailed diagrams for each guitar chord used in the song. Utilize our key transposer to adjust the chords to a key that better fits your singing range. Simply select the desired key, and the chords throughout this page will update automatically, ensuring you can play and sing comfortably.

If you are also interested in learning how to play "The Boxer" on the ukulele, check out the chords on our sister site: Ukulele Chords for "The Boxer" by Bob Dylan.

Bob Dylan Song List