Oct192019

Alec Benjamin – The Colonels Journal Piano & Ukulele Chord Progression and Tab

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This is the chords of The Colonels Journal by Alec Benjamin on Piano, Ukulele, Guitar and Keyboard.

[Verse 1]
A E
The old colonel was a veteran
Fm Fm7
Each night he’d take his medicine
A E
And stay up watching Letterman
Fm
Trying to forget
A E
The things he saw when he was young
Fm Fm7
The carnage and the sound of guns
A E
He kept his pain from everyone
Fm
With the ink inside his pen

[Chorus]
A
The colonel kept a journal of his troubles and regrets
E
His battles were internal, raging wars inside his head
Fm
‘Til the end, he was a soldier
Fm7
‘Cause the fight was never over
A
The colonel kept a journal and he left it in a box
E
Buried in the basement underneath some dirty socks
Fm7
´Til the end, he was a soldier
A E
‘Cause the fight was never over

[Verse 2]
A E
And the day he died, his kids flew in
Fm Fm7
Took some time just to remember him
A E
They cleaned up his old medicine
Fm
As everybody wept
A E
They were packing up the cellar
Fm Fm7
When they found his diary, read it and
A E
Couldn’t believe the things he said
Fm
With the ink inside his pen

[Chorus]
A
The colonel kept a journal of his troubles and regrets
E
His battles were internal, raging wars inside his head
Fm
‘Til the end, he was a soldier
Fm7 E
‘Cause the fight was never over
A
The colonel kept a journal and he left it in a box
E
Buried in the basement underneath some dirty socks
Fm7
‘Til the end, he was a soldier
A E
‘Cause the fight was never over

[Bridge]
A E Fm
Mmmm-mmm
A E Fm7
Mmmm-mmm

[Verse 3]
A E
The old colonel was a veteran
Fm Fm7
My granddad, and a gentleman
A E
I’ll always remember him
Fm
Oh, I swear I won´t forget
A E
The things he saw when he was young
Fm Fm7
The carnage and the sound of guns
A E
And the pain he kept from everyone
Fm
With the ink inside his pen

[Chorus]
A
The colonel kept a journal of his troubles and regrets
E
His battles were internal, raging wars inside his head
Fm
´Til the end, he was a soldier
Fm7 E
‘Cause the fight was never over
A
The colonel kept a journal and he left it in a box
E
Buried in the basement underneath some dirty socks
Fm Fm7
´Til the end, he was a soldier
A E
‘Cause the fight was never over

[Outro]
A E Fm
Mmmm-mmm
A E Fm7
Mmmm-mmm
A

How to play The Colonels Journal: key, chords and progression

The Colonels Journal by Alec Benjamin is centred on E major (four sharps: F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯). The song uses 4 chords: A, E, Fm and Fm7.

The progression the song keeps returning to is A – E – Fm – Fm7 (IV – I – ♭ii – ♭ii7 in E major). Learn these 4 changes first and most of the song falls into place.

Good to know: Fm and Fm7 are played as barre or movable shapes on guitar. Practise the change into them slowly; on piano and ukulele the same chords are easier.