Diamonds and Rust chords

by Joan Baez

Song Key: F Minor

Time Signature: 4/4

Tempo: 65 bpm


Guitar Tuning: Standard (E A D G B e)

Skill Level: Intermediate 🟠

Capo: 1st fret (Play using Key of Em shapes)

Chords in E Minor: Em, Em*, Em(add9), Em/G, Em/A, G, Am, Am/B, Am(add9)/E, Am7, B7, B7/D#, Bm7, C, D, Esus4, Fmaj7

Please Note: Em* is an alternative voicing for the regular Em.

Arrangement Song Details
R-H Chord Charts Chord Chart Legend
Em Em-V2 Emadd9 Em/G Em/A Em/B Em-V2 Em-V2 Esus4 B7/D# B7 G Major D Major Am Am7 Am/B Bm7 Fmaj7
L-H Chord Charts Lefties Chord Chart Legend
Em-LH Em-V2-LH Emadd9-LH Em/G-LH Em/A-LH Em/B-LH Em-V2-LH Em-V2-LH Esus4-LH B7/D#-LH B7-LH G Major-LH D Major-LH Am-LH Am7-LH Am/B-LH Bm7-LH Fmaj7-LH
Play-Along Video
Speed: x0.1

Diamonds and Rust

Capo on 1 if playing with the video. 
 
Intro: 4/4
| Em       | Em(add9) - Em | Em     | Em(add9) - Em |
| Em/G     | Em/A          | Em*    | Am(add9)/E    |
| Em*      | B7/D#         | B7     | Em            |
| Em(add9) - Em            | Em     | Em(add9) - Em |

        Em            Em(add9) - Em                 C
1. Well I'll be damned           Here comes your    ghost a-gain
                     G                                 D
   But that's not un-u-su-al        It's just that the moon is full
                        Em   | Em(add9) - Em | 
   And you hap-pened to call
       Em        Em(add9) -  Em             C
   And here I sit            Hand    on the te-le-phone
              G                              D
   Hear-ing a voice I'd known   A cou-ple of light years a-go
                         | Em  |  Em(add9) - Em  | Em  |  Em(add9) - Em |
   Head-ing straight for a fall

      Em                Em(add9)  -   Em          C
3. As I re-mem-ber your eyes     Were blu-er than ro-bin's eggs
                   G                              D
   My po-e-try was lou-sy you said  Where are you cal-ling from?
                  Em      | Em(add9) - Em |
   A booth in the mid-west
 Em            Em(add9) - Em              C
   Ten years a-go       I bought you some cuff-links
                  G                              D
   You brought me some-thing   We both know what me-mo-ries can bring
                          | Em   | Em(add9) - Em  |
   They bring dia-monds and rust


Instr:| Em       | Esus4         | Em*    | Am            |
      | Em*      | B7/D#         | B7     | Em            |
      | Em(add9) - Em            | Em     | Em(add9) - Em |

        Em               Em(add9)  -   Em       C
4. Well you burst on the scene      Al-rea-dy a le-gend
                 G                                  D
   The un-washed phe-no-me-non      The o-ri-gi-nal va-ga-bond
                        Em      | Em(add9) - Em |
   You strayed in-to my arms
       Em              Em(add9)  -   Em       C
   And there you stayed       Temp-o-ra-ri-ly lost at sea
          G                                               D
   The Ma-don-na was yours for free   Yes the girl on the half-shell
                   | Em   | Em(add9) - Em  | Em   | Em(add9) - Em |
   Would keep you un-harmed

              Bm7 
Bridge: Now I see you stand-ing with brown leaves fal-ling a-round
                         Am7
        And snow in your hair
                   Bm7 
        Now you're smi-ling out the win-dow of that crum-my hotel
                          Am7 
        Over Wash-ing-ton Square
            C                                                        G
        Our breath comes out white clouds  Min-gles and hangs in the air 
                  Fmaj7                                             G   | G  |  B7 |
        Speak-ing stric-tly for me we both could have died then and there

Instr: | Em/B     | Am/B          | Em/B    | Am            |  B7 |
       | Em       | Em(add9) - Em | Em      | Em(add9) - Em |

       Em               Em(add9) -  Em             C
7. Now you're tel-ling me           You're not nos-tal-gic
                          G                            D
   Then give me a-no-ther word for it   You who are so good with words
                          Em      | Em(add9) - Em |
   And at keep-ing things vague
           Em                            Em(add9)   -   Em            C
   Because I need some of that vague-ness now  It's all come back too clear-ly
                   G                                    D
   Yes I loved you dear-ly  And if you're off-e-ring me dia-monds and rust
             ||: Em   | Em(add9) - Em  :||... repeat to fade
   I've al-ready paid...

Arrangement Details:

  • Key Signature: F Minor - relative to Ab Major - 4 flats (Bb, Eb, Ab, Db)
  • Time Signature: 4/4 — Four quarter-note beats per measure
  • Tempo: Moderately
  • Metronome: ♩ = 65
  • Voice Range: G3 - Bb4
  • Please Note: Some of the chord charts show alternative voicings. These have been included because they match the shapes used in the original recording’s arrangement.

    Chord Types in This Arrangement:
    Chord Types Formula Chords
    Major 1-3-5 G, C, D
    Dominant 7th 1-3-5-b7 B7
    Minor 1-b3-5 Em,
    Minor 7th 1-b3-5-b7 Am7, Bm7
    Major 7th 1-3-5-7 Fmaj7
    Suspended 4th 1-4-5 Esus4
    Extended Chords (madd9) 1-b3-5-9 Emadd9, Amadd9
    Slash Chords - Em/G, Em/A, Am/B, Amadd9/E, B7/D#,

    Beginner Guitarists:

  • Beginners may prefer using the standard voicings for each chord, playing the slash chords as regular shapes without the leading bass notes. This makes the song much easier to play with chords: Em, G, Am, Am7, B7, Bm7, C, D, Esus4, Fmaj7.
  • Esus4: Beginners may prefer the standard voicing for this chord, which works well here because all the open‑position chords sit comfortably within the first three frets.

    Right & left-handed:
    Esus4 Esus4-LH
  • All other open chords can be found in the charts above. 
  • An easy way to remember Bm7 is to pretend you are playing a B7 chord — just leave off the first finger.🥳

Song Details:

Diamonds and Rust Album Cover
Album Cover
  • Songwriter: Joan Baez
  • Written: November 1974
  • Lyrics Begin: Well I'll be damned, here comes your ghost again,
  • Genre: Folk rock
  • Featured Artist: Joan Baez
  • Single:
    Written: November 1974
    Recorded: January 1975
    Released: April 1975
    B-side: Winds of the Old Days
  • Album: Diamonds & Rust
    Recorded: January 1975
    Released: April 1975
Song / Artist Capo Key Core Chords
Blowin In The Wind - Bob Dylan - D D, G, Em, A7
Dust In The Wind - Kansas - C C, A, Am, G, D, Dm7, F
Five Hundred Miles - Timberlake, Mulligan, Sandswas +2 G G, Am, D, Em
Have You Ever Seen the Rain - Willie & Paula Nelson - A A, D, E, F#m
Jesse - Janis Ian - C C, Dm, E7, G, Gm, A
Red Dirt Girl - Emmylou Harris - G G, C, D, Em
Back to 70s Songs Back To Top
Contact Me

A seasoned performer joyfully playing the guitar