Close To The Borderline chords by Billy Joel

Tuning: Standard (E A D G B E)

Intro:
A5  D G x2

Verse 1:
A5               C
Blackout, heatwave, .44 caliber homicide
G
The bums drop dead and dogs go mad
  D
In packs on the West Side
A5                        C
Young girl standing on a ledge looks like another suicide
       G
She wants to hit those bricks
               D
Cause the news at six gotta stick to a deadline

Pre-Chorus:
     E5          F#5
While the millionaires hide in Beekman Place
  D           A5
The bag ladies throw their bones in my face
     E5         F#5
I get attacked by a kid with stereo sound
  D            A5
I don't want to hear it but he won't turn it down
E5            F#7sus4
 Life is tough but it's just enough
  F#      E5        D
To hold back the tears until it's closing time

Chorus:
 A5        D
I survived, I'm still alive
        E5
But I'm getting close to the borderline
A5   D  G          A5      D  G
   Aha  Close to the borderline  Huh  Aha


Verse 2:
A5
A buck three eighty
                  C
Won't buy you much lately on the street these days
       G
And when you can get gas
                  D
You know you can't drive fast anymore on the parkways
A5
Rich man, poor man, either way American
  C
Shoved into the lost and found
   G
The no nuke yell we're gonna all go to hell
    D
With the next big meltdown

Pre-Chorus:
     E5        F#5
I got remote control and a color T.V
  D               A5
I don't change channels so they must change me
   E5              F#5
I got real close friends that will get me high
   D               A5
They don't know how to talk and they ain't gonna try
E5          F#7sus4
 I shouldn't bitch, I shouldn't cry
  F#    E5       D
I'd start a revolution but I don't have time

Chorus:
A5               D
 I don't know why I'm still a nice guy
        E5
But I'm getting close to the borderline
A5   D  G          A5      D  G
   Aha  Close to the borderline  Huh  Aha

Bridge:
C#m              D
  I thought I'd sacrifice so many things
C#m                 E
  I thought I'd throw them all away
C#m               F#m
  I didn't think I needed anything
E       D                E5
  But you can't afford to squander what you're not prepared to pay

Guitar Solo:
A5 C G D x2

Pre-Chorus:
E5           F#5
I need a doctor for my pressure pills
 D          A5
I need a lawyer for my medical bills
E5         F#5
 I need a banker to finance my home
 D         A
I need security to back my loan
E5          F#7sus4
 It isn't new what I'm going through
  F#    E5       D
But everybody knows you got to break sometime

Out-Chorus:
A5              D
 Another night I fought the good fight
         E5
But I'm getting closer to the borderline
A5   D  G          A5      D  G
   Aha  Close to the borderline  Huh  Aha
A5   D  G          A5      D  G
   Aha  Close to the borderline  Huh  Aha
A5   D  G          A5      D  G
   Aha  Close to the borderline  Huh  Aha
A5   D  G          A5      D  G
   Aha  Close to the borderline  Huh  Aha
A5   D  G          A5      D  G
   Aha  Close to the borderline  Huh  Aha
A5   D  G          A5      D  G
   Aha  Close to the borderline  Huh  Aha
A5   D  G          A5      D  G
   Aha  Close to the borderline  Huh  Aha
A5   D  G          A5      D  G
   Aha  Close to the borderline  Huh  Aha

Fade Out