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Kathy Mattea - The Vacant Chair Chords

Chord reference A, E7, D, B7
Rhythm tips ↓-↓↑-↑↓↑

[A] [E7] [A] [A]We shall meet but we shall miss him, there will [D]be one vacant [A]chair; [A]we shall linger to caress him, [A]While we [B7]breathe our evening [E7]prayer When a [A]year ago we gathered, joy was [D]in his mild blue [A]eyes, [A]But a golden chord is severed, And our hopes in [E7]ruin [A]lie.

[A]We shall [D]meet but we shall [A]miss him, [A]there will be one vacant [E7]chair, [E7]We shall [A]linger to ca[D]ress him, while we [A]breathe our [E7]evening [A]prayer.

[A] [D] [E7] [A]

[A]At our fireside, sad and lonely, often [D]will the bosom [A]swell [A]at remembrance of the story, How our [B7]noble Willie [E7]fell;

How [E7]he [A]strove to bear our banner through the [D]thickest of the [A]fight, [A]And uphold our country’s honor, in the strength of [E7]manhood’s [A]night.

[A]We shall [D]meet but we shall [A]miss him, there will be one vacant [E7]chair, [E7]We shall [A]linger to ca[D]ress him, while we [A]breathe our [E7]evening [A]prayer.

[A]True, they tell us wreaths of glory ever [D]more will deck his [A]brow, but this soothes the [A]anguish only, Sweeping [B7]over our heartstrings [E7]now.

Sleep to[A]day, oh early fallen, in thy [D]green and narrow [A]bed, [A]Dirges from the pine and cypress mingle with the [E7]tears we [A]shed.

[A]We shall [D]meet but we shall [A]miss him, [A]there will be one vacant [E7]chair, [E7]We shall [A]linger to ca[D]ress him, while we [A]breathe [E7]our evening [A]prayer.

Artist Kathy Mattea
Album Songs Of The Civil War
Genres Country, Folk
Year 1991
Key A

How to Play The Vacant Chair on Guitar?

Kathy Mattea - The Vacant Chair can be played in the key of A using the A, E7, D, B7 chords.

  • For A, To play A, press fret 2 on the D string with finger 2, let low E, A, high E ring open, mute G, B.
  • For E7, To play E7, let low E, D, B, high E ring open, mute A, G.
  • For D, To play D, press fret 2 on the low E string with finger 2, press fret 2 on the G string with finger 2, press fret 2 on the high E string with finger 2, let A, D ring open, mute B.
  • For B7, To play B7, press fret 2 on the low E string with finger 3, press fret 1 on the D string with finger 2, press fret 2 on the G string with finger 3, press fret 2 on the high E string with finger 3, let A, B ring open.

Barre: Use your index finger to press multiple strings on the same fret, keeping your finger flat.

You can play The Vacant Chair with the ↓-↓↑-↑↓↑ strumming pattern.