from the musical “FOLLIES”

COULD I LEAVE YOU?

Words and Music by
STEPHEN SONDHEIM

Moderato
B H
' H H PO ; ; ; ;
. - Leave you?

' H H PO -= F . . -= F . . = F . . = . . -= F . .
- -F
( H H PO ; ; ; ; ;
H
B maj7 B6 H Fm9 ( 5) H3/ E /B H H H
F7( 9)
' HH
. - . . . . -
Leave you?
. . . . . . How could I leave you? How could I go it a -

' H H -= F . . -= F . . = G . . = . . = H . ..
-F
( HH ; ; ; -F -F
H H
E 6/B F9sus H
B maj7 D H| Cm7

' HH
-F lone?
. . . . . . F ./ . . . . . . - F
Could I wave the years a - way with a quick good - bye?

' HH = -.- I .
= . ... = = = . . = G . . = H . .
( HH -F . . . . -F H -
- F -
- F
. - = = =
© 1971 by the Herald Square Music Company and Rilting Music, Inc. and Burthen Music Company, Inc.
International Copyright Secured. Made In U.S.A. All Rights Reserved. Used By Permission
NOTICE: Purchasers of a license to this musical file are entitled to use it for their personal enjoyment and musical fulfillment.
However, any duplication, adaptation, arranging and/or transmission of this copyrighted music
requires the written consent of the copyright owner(s) and of WARNER BROS. PUBLICATIONS, INC.
Unauthorized uses are infringements of the copyright laws of the United States and other countries
and may subject the user to civil and/or criminal penalties.
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Sondheim – Could I Leave You? (Page 2 of 8)

F9 Gm7 C9 F7sus F13

' HH / =
. . . . . . F . . . . .
. . G
How do you wipe tears a - way when your eyes are
-F
dry?
-
' HH . . .
. . . ...
. = = = . . . = = =
r.h.
. = .. . l.h.

( HH - F
. = = - = .. = = G H-F -- FF
. -F
B H H
B maj7 B6H I
F7( 4) E /BH H
' HH
. -
Sweet - heart,
. - . . F ./ . -
lov - er,
. . F ./
could I re - cov - er, give up the

' HH = .
. .
. .
. G .
..
. .
.. = .. = .. = G .... = H .. .
( HH -F -F -F
-F -F
H
F7( 9) H H E 6/B H F9sus H| B maj7 D

' HH
. . . -F
joys I have
. . . . . . F ./ . . . . . .
known? Not to fetch your pills a - gain ev - ’ry day at

' H H = H ... H ... = -- I . ... = = =

.. . . = G. .
( HH . . . . -F H -
- F
-F -F . - = =
Cm7 F9 H Gm7 G +/D Gm

' HH O O O
-F five? . ... . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Not to give those din - ners for ten el - der - ly men from the U. N.

' HH = H. . . = = = . . . . = . .
r.h. r.h. r.h.

- F
( HH - = . = = - - F I - F - F
. = - = - =
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Sondheim – Could I Leave You? (Page 3 of 8)

' HH
C9 F7sus F7 (F13)
bH
B9

. . . . G. How could I
-F
sur - vive?
F. -F Could I
- . - leave you
Could I leave you?
..
. . . ..
' HH . = = = .. = ... . F =
r.h. l.h.
H .- . = H .- .
G
( H .. = =
H H-F -- FF
-F F -F -F
H
B7 A9/6 H
E maj9/B H E6H
' HH = = . .
. . . . . -
and
No,
your
the
. -F
shelves of
point is,
the
could
world’s
you
best
leave
books?
me?
And
Well,
the
I

' H H = H .- . . . . = .-- . . . .= . -- . . . .= .-- . . .

l.h. l.h.

( H H -= F . . .- F . . - F -F -F
H H
E maj7/B Dm7sus Dm7sus

' HH =
. . . -. . . - F
eve - nings of mar .- . . G -
- tyred looks, cryp - tic sighs,
guess you could leave me the house, leave me the flat,

' H H .= . .-- . . . .. .. .. .. H .. .. .. H .. .. .. H .. ..
. . G. . . G. . . G. . . G.
( HH -F - = = - = . .
- .
G(2)

' HH G G I I I
- . . . . G . . -. . . . G .. G . H .. .
sul
leave
-
me
len
the
looks from
Braques and
those
Cha -
in
galls
-
and
jured
all
eyes,
that,
could I leave the
you could

' H H G .. H .. .. G .. .. .. G .. .. .. G .. .. .. G G I I I
. . G. . . G. . . G. . . G.
( HH - = = - = G G I I I
- . . . 3 00091666-d650-0001-5f52-4d53534f4c52
Sondheim – Could I Leave You? (Page 4 of 8)

Bm7 E7sus Bm7 E7sus A(2)

' III = =
. . .quips with - a sting, . . . . -jokes with
. . . .
a sneer, pas - sion - less
leave me the stocks for sen - ti - ment’s sake, and nine - ty per -

' I I I .. G .. I .. .. . G . ..I . .. . .. G . ..I . .. . .. G . .. I . .. . .. G . .. I . ..

. . .
cresc. poco a poco

( III G - = = - = . . - =
- .
A(2) H
Em6 A(2) Dm H D m7sus G 11

' III G > G G G H H H H H H H F .

. .
love - mak - ing. - . . .
once
.
0 . . a. year, leave
- the
. . lies ill - con -
cent of the mon - ey you make, and the rugs and the

' I I I .. G .. I .. .. G .. I .. G . .. .. G .. G G G H H H H H H H .. G .. . .. . .. G . .. . ..
. . . . . . . . . .
poco accell. e cresc.

( III = - = . . G G G H H H HHHH - = - =
- .
' HHHHHHH -F = . . . . . . . . . . .
cealed and the wounds nev - er healed and the games not worth
cooks. Dar - ling, you keep the drugs, an - gel, you keep the

' H H H H H H H H . .. G . .. . .. H . .. G . .. . .. H . .. G . .. . .. H . .. G . .. . .. H . .. G . .. . ..
( HHHHHHH .F H .F .F H .F . . . . . . . . .
c F7sus H
F9( 5) B H H
B maj7

' HHHHHHH . / G G G H H
. . G . . . 0. . G . . . G G . - .
win - ning and
books, hon - ey,
wait! I’m just be - gin - ning! What, leave you? Leave you?
-
' H H H H H H H H . .. G . .. . .. G .. = = G .- . = G G G G G H H = .. = = .. =
t t o t t
G t
. G -
( HHHHHHH . . . G . = = = G G G G G H H -. F = . -. F = .
t t t 4
t
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Sondheim – Could I Leave You? (Page 5 of 8)

H
B6 I H
F9( 4)/B Cm7/F F7( 9)H H H
E 6/B

' HH
. How could
. . . -I
.
leave you? What would
. . . . F ./
I do on my
-F
own?

' HH = ... = = G ... = = H ... = = H ..t.. = = -.- I . .

t marc.
( H H -. F = . -.t F = . .t =
t t t .t .t = .t -F
F9sus H B maj7 D H| Cm7 F9

' HH
. . . . . . F ./ .
. ....
Put - ting thoughts of you a - side in the south of -F
France, . .... would I think of

' H H ... = = =
. . = G. . = H. . . = =
( H H . . . . -- F = H -- F = -- F = . = =
. .
Gm7 C9 F7sus

' HH / ;
.F . . . . . . G . -F
su - i - cide? Dar - ling, shall we dance?
-F
' H H = . . . . . . G . > ./. H .. G ... ./ . . ./
> .. H .F . G .F . > .. H ..F . G ..F .
r.h.
. F F
r.h.
dim.

( H H -- F = G .. . . . H . - F - F
-F
' HH =
. Could . . . .
I live through the .
pain G. . on a ter . - . . . G. .
race in Spain? Would it

' H H > ./. H ... ..F . > ../. H ..F . G ..F . > ../. H ..F . G ..F . > ../. H ..F . G ..F . > ../. H ..F . G ..F .
. F
qp leggiero

( HH -- F = -- F = -- F = -- F =
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Sondheim – Could I Leave You? (Page 6 of 8)

H
B maj7 F13( 9) H H
B maj7 F7sus/B H
' HH
-F pass? . I. . It would -F
pass. . I. . Could I bu. . . - ry my

' HH > . > .. G .. > I .. > G .. G .. > .. > H .. G .. .. > I ..t > G ..t G .. ./
> .. I ..F . G ..F .
.t t t t
( H H -- F = -- F = -- F = -- F = -- F =
F7sus H
B maj7

' HH
. G. .
rage with a . . .
boy half your . G. .
age in the -F
grass? . I. . Bet your

' HH /
> .. I ..F . G ..F .
. ./
> .. I ..F . G ..F . /
> .. I ..F . G ..F .
. > ..t > I ..t ..F . > I ..t. > G ..t. I ..
( HH -- F = -- F = -- F = -- F = -- F =
H
E maj9

' HH = . .
-F
ass. . . . . . .
But I’ve done that
.
al - read - y, - . or . .
did - n’t you

' HH /. . F . ./. F . /. . F .
> ..t > I ..t ... I ... > .t > ..t. I ..F .> . F . . . . . .. . . .. . . .. .
sub. dolce

( HH -- F = -- F = - F -F -F -F
Dm7sus D9 Gm9 Gm9sus/C

' HH =
-Fknow, -F
love? -F . .
Tell me,
. . .
how could I -F
leave

' H H ../ . F . . . . ../ . F . . . . .I ./G . F . . I . . .I ./ G . F . . I . . ../ . F . . . .

.> . F . . . .
( HH -F -F =- F . G . .- F . . -- FF -- FF
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Sondheim – Could I Leave You? (Page 7 of 8)

' HH =
Gm9/6 I
Gm( 6)/C F9sus F13 F11

= - - =
b
. . when I left. . .long a - -F
go, -F love?

' H H ./ . F . G . .
G. . ../ . F . G . . . > H ./ . .F > ./ . .F > ./ . . . . .F
cresc.
/. . F
.
( H H -- FF -- FF >- F ./ . . --> FF . >- F ./ . . .- F .
-F -F -F
c
Coda
Em7

' HHHHHHH . J J. . J. J. . J. J. . J. J.
I’ll
.take the grand, su - gar, you keep the spin - et and

' H H H H H H H J JJ .. H .. . .. J
J . J .. H . .. . .. J . JJ .. . .. H . .. JJ .. G .. ..
. . . . .
poco a poco cresc.

( HHHHHHH J. . . J. . . JJ . . .
. . .
JJ . Ã . .
. Ã. .
Am11 F7sus I F9( 5)

' HHHHHHH . J J. J. .
G.F . . G. . = G G G G H H
all
. of our
. J. friends and… just wait
H
a god - dam
. G
min - ute! Oh,

' HHHHHHH J. J.
.
J
.. J . .. H . .. J . .. J . .. GH... = = G -.t . = == G G G G G H H
o G t
-
( H H H H H H H JJ .. . .. JJ .. . .. G GG .. = = = GGGGGHH
B H
. H
B maj7
. B6 H H B maj7 F9sus

' HH - -
.
leave you?
.
Leave you?
. . How could
. . -
I leave you?
. . . Sweet - heart, I

' H H = .. = = .. = = ... = = G ..t. = = H ... =

oo t t t
( H H -. F = -. F = . -. F = -
. F = -
. F = .
.t t 7
. . 00091666-d650-0001-5f52-4d53534f4c52
Sondheim – Could I Leave You? (Page 8 of 8)
Molto rubato
F9 Gm C7sus

' HH . = = . -
.
have
. . -F
to con - fess: Could I leave. - you?

' HH . -- FFF
= .... = . - - FF - FF
t . .
( HH -. F . . .
. . . q-oF -- FF
= . . . -F
a tempo
C7 Cm7/F F13 F13 Cm7/F

' HH -F . = =
Yes. . -
Will I -F .
leave
-
you?

' HH -F -- FF > H ./ . .F > ./ . .F > /. . .

G -F
( H H -- FF -- FF /
>- F .
. .F --> FF ./ . .F --> FF ./ . .
-F
F13 F(9) B /F H F11

' HH -F - =
- . Will I-F -Fleave you?

.. G .. H .. %. G .. G . H .. H .
' HH . . . > /. . G . . . G . .
. . . /. H . H . . . H . G. . G. . .
( HH -F >- F -- FF -- FF -- FF
-F -F
H
F9/B H
B maj7 F9/B H H
E maj7( 4) I B6 H
' HH ; ; ; ‡ = =
Furioso
Guess!

' H H == .- . . . .= .-- . . . ..... ;

- .. FF . F .
( H H -- FF -- FF .F = ..t =
8
.t
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