Cover art for Empty Stool

All songs  /  David Alan Graham

Empty Stool

Saving that seat for the ghost of a maybe.

B♭ major~162 BPM4/45:35high confidence
Capo 1 — play the shapes in A and it sounds in B♭ major. Much easier than fingering B♭ major straight.

Verse 1

Same bar, same Tuesday, same six PM
Lou pours my whiskey, slides me one again
I take the corner stool against the wall
And I leave the one beside it empty for y'all
She used to sit there with her boots on the rung
Smilin' at me like a song never sung
Now there's just a coaster I won't let nobody take
And a story I keep tellin' for nobody's sake

Chorus

There's an empty stool to my right at the bar
Where you used to put your hand on my arm
I don't let anyone sit there no more
'Cause some folks don't come back and some things you save
Yeah I'm savin' that empty stool for the ghost of a maybe
Empty stool, empty heart, empty space

Verse 2

Lou knows the deal, he don't ask why
Just sets a glass of nothin' for the empty side
"On the house," he says, with a quiet old nod
'Cause some kinda love don't need to be talked about
There's regulars who know to leave it be
Like a chair at a funeral nobody else can see
A guy stopped in last week, said "can I take this seat?"
Said "I'm sorry, mister, this one's already saved for me"

Chorus

There's an empty stool to my right at the bar
Where you used to put your hand on my arm
I don't let anyone sit there no more
'Cause some folks don't come back and some things you save
Yeah I'm savin' that empty stool for the ghost of a maybe
Empty stool, empty heart, empty space

Bridge

I know what you're thinkin' — "let it go, find a friend"
I know what you're thinkin' — "the door's gonna swing again"
But you don't know how she sat there
You don't know how she'd lean
You don't know that the moment she walked into this place
I knew exactly what love is supposed to mean
So I'll keep the stool, and I'll keep my faith
And if the door swings open, well, I won't be late

Final Chorus — slight lift, still restrained

There's an empty stool to my right at the bar
Where you used to put your hand on my arm
I don't let anyone sit there no more
'Cause some folks don't come back and some things you save
Yeah I'm savin' that empty stool for the ghost of a maybe
Empty stool, empty heart, empty space

Outro

Empty stool, empty heart
Empty stool, empty heart
Same Tuesday, same six PM
Lou pours me one and slides me one again
Empty stool...

This chart is a work in progress. If you spot something wrong, let me know and I’ll get it fixed.
Playing in B♭ major
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Intro  F Cm F B♭ B♭ B♭ B♭ Dm

Verse 1

Same bar, same Tuesday, same six PM

Lou pours my whiskey, Dmslides me one again

I take the corner E♭stool against the wall

And I leave the one beside Fit empty for y'all

She B♭used to sit there with her boots on the rung

Smilin' at me like Dma song never sung

Now there's E♭just a coaster I won't let nobody take

And a Dmstory I keep tellin' Ffor nobody's sake

Chorus

There's B♭an empty stool to my right at the bar

Where you used to put Dmyour hand on my arm

I don't let anyone sit E♭there no more

'Cause Fsome folks don't come back and some things you save

DmYeah I'm B♭savin' that empty stool for the Dmghost of a maybe

Empty stool, Cmempty heart, Fempty space

Verse 2

Lou knows the deal, he don't ask why

Just sets a glass Dmof nothin' for the empty side

"On the house," E♭he says, with a quiet old nod

'Cause some kinda love Fdon't need to be talked about

There's regulars B♭who know to leave it be

Like a chair Dmat a funeral nobody else can see

A guy stopped in E♭last week, said "can I take this seat?"

Said "I'm sorry, mister, Fthis one's already saved for me"

Chorus

B♭There's an empty stool to my right at the bar

Where you used to Dmput your hand on my arm

I Cmdon't let anyone E♭sit there no more

'Cause B♭some folks don't Fcome back and some things you save

Yeah I'm B♭savin' that empty stool for Dmthe ghost of a maybe

Empty stool, Cmempty heart, Fempty Fspace

Bridge

E♭I know what you're thinkin' B♭"let it go, find a Ffriend"

I B♭know what Fyou're thinkin' "the Cmdoor's gonna swing again"

But you don't know how she sat there

You don't Dmknow how she'd lean

You don't E♭know that the moment she walked into Fthis place

I knew exactly E♭what love is supposed Fto mean

So I'll Cmkeep the stool, and I'll Dmkeep my faith

And if the door Cmswings open, Fwell, I won't be Flate

Final Chorus — slight lift, still restrained

B♭There's an empty stool to my right at the bar

Where you used Dmto put your hand on my arm

I don't let anyone E♭sit there no more

'Cause Fsome folks don't come back and some things you B♭save

Yeah FI'm savin' B♭that empty stool for the ghost of a maybe

Empty Cmstool, empty Fheart, empty space

Outro

Empty Cmstool, empty heart

FEmpty stool, B♭empty heart

Same CmTuesday, same six FPM

Lou Cmpours me one E♭and Fslides me one B♭again

Empty E♭stool...

Generated from the chord chart. These are real guitar shapes for the chords we detected, not a transcription of what was played on the record.
Raw note map (experimental)

This is the unfiltered pitch detection across the whole mix — vocals, bass and drums included — mapped onto a fretboard. It is not a playable arrangement and no one should try to read it as one. It is here only because it is the raw material everything else was built from.

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A lead sheet, not a full score. The melody line has been reduced automatically from the recording and paired with the detected chords. Expect the shape of the tune to be right and the details to be approximate.
Lead sheet for Empty Stool