Sufjan Stevens - John My Beloved: Guitar Chords

Learn to play "John My Beloved" on your guitar with our detailed chord guide and lyrics. 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.

Learn John My Beloved Guitar Chords and Lyrics by Sufjan Stevens

This section will guide you through each part of the song, providing the guitar chords placed directly above the lyrics for easy playing. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced player, these elements will help you perform "John My Beloved" smoothly on your guitar.

Am          Em         Bm7
Are we to speak, first day of the week
C          G            D
Stumbling words at the bar
Am           Em       Bm7
Beauty blue eyes, my order of fries
C            G            D
Long island kindness and wine

Beloved of John, I get it all wrong
I read you for some kind of poem
Covered in lines, the fossils I find
Have they no life of their own?

Chorus:
Em          Bm7
So can we pretend sweetly
   C        G      D
Before the mystery ends?
        C                       G
I am a man with a heart that offends
          C          G        D
With its lonely and greedy demands
        Em       D        G        C          G
There’s only a shadow of me; in a manner of speaking
     D
I'm dead

Such a waste, your beautiful face
Stumbling carpet arise
Go follow your gem, your white feathered friend
Icarus, point to the sun

If history speaks of two baby teeth
I’m painting the hills blue and red
They said beware, Lord, hear my prayer
I’ve wasted my throes on your head

Chorus:
So can we be friends, sweetly
Before the mystery ends?
I love you more than the world can contain
In its lonely and ramshackle head
There’s only a shadow of me; in a matter of speaking
I'm dead

I’m holding my breath
My tongue on your chest
What can be said of my heart?
If history speaks, the kiss on my cheek
Where there remains but a mark

Beloved, my John, so I’ll carry on
Counting my cards down to one
And when I am dead, come visit my bed
My fossil is bright in the sun

Chorus:
So can we contend, peacefully
Before my history ends?
Jesus, I need you, be near me, come shield me
From fossils that fall on my head
There’s only a shadow of me; in a matter of speaking
I'm dead

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Guitar Chord Diagrams

Am

Guitar chord Am

Bm7

Guitar chord Bm7

C

Guitar chord C

D

Guitar chord D

Em

Guitar chord Em

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 "John My Beloved" on the ukulele, check out the chords on our sister site: Ukulele Chords for "John My Beloved" by Sufjan Stevens.

Sufjan Stevens Song List