Mar62026

Sam Barber – Borrowed Time Chords on Piano & Ukulele

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These are chords by for Piano and Ukulele.

[Intro]
(Yeah)
C/G  Em  D x2

[Verse 1]
C/G                       
Achy hands, I wake up just
         Em  D
 to find
             C/G           
This ain’t a one-way frozen
                           Em  D
 street, we’re on borrowed time
         C/G          
Even the thoughts that
 we hold dear still
             Em  D
 live and die
               C/G            
See there’s an old white blank
                            Em   D
 washboard in the shadow of mine

[Instrument]
G  Am  Em  C/G x2

[Chorus]
  G                    Am  
Before you leave, take your
         Em  C/G
 disease
      G                   
Then again, I'm aware that
                      Am
 you tend to come and go
        Em     C/G
 as you please
  G                 Am   
Before you go, just know 
       Em    C/G
you’re wrong
      G                       
Then again, I'm aware that you
         Am            Em   C/G
 tend to fake what you know

[Post-Chorus]
G      Am       Em  C/G
Oh, oh-oh-oh-oh-oh

[Verse 2]
C/G                       
Sail in the winds, I won’t
                  Em  D
 catch your debris
C/G                        
Just like a fall, it creeps 
                 Em  D
in like a melody
C/G                    
I go by your love, but 
           Em  D
it's so empty
               C/G
You think this hurts me
                       
Damn it I’m so far from
             Em D
 losing sleep

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[Instrument]
G  Am  Em  C/G x2

[Chorus]
  G                    Am  
Before you leave, take your 
        Em  C/G
disease
      G                       
Then again, I'm aware that you 
                  Am        Em     C/G
tend to come and go as you please
  G                 Am   
Before you go, just know 
       Em    C/G
you’re wrong
      G                       
Then again, I’m aware that you 
         Am            Em    C/G
tend to fake what you know

[Post-Chorus]
G  Am     Em     C/G
Oh___, oh-oh, oh
G            Am           Em  C/G*
Oh, oh-oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh

[Outro]
G  Am  Em  C/G
G  Am  Em  C/G*

How to play Borrowed Time: key, chords and progression

Borrowed Time by Sam Barber keeps coming home to E minor (one sharp: F♯). You need 5 chords: C/G, Em, D, G and Am.

The backbone of the song is G – Am – Em – C/G (III – iv – i – VI in E minor). Practise these 4 changes until they feel natural and you can play most of it.

Beginner-friendly: every chord is an open chord on guitar, so you can play it without a capo or barre chords.