Operator Chords & Guitar Lesson
Welcome to my Operator guitar chord and lesson page by Jim Croce. Jim has done so many amazing guitar songs. He was prolific songwriter and fingerpicker.
This song feature some of his amazing fingerpicking. Since this song features multiple guitar and layers, we will be focusing on a way to play this song much more simply and using strumming.
I may do a video lesson on a simplified way to go about fingerpicking this in the future.
Return to All SongsJump to:
Operator Guitar Chords:
Operator Strumming Patterns:
STRUMMING PATTERNS:
1 + 2 + 3 + 4+
D DU U DU
If you would like to make this sound a bit more open, then I would recommend playing the bass note instead of the first strum as shown below.
1 + 2 + 3 + 4+
B DU U DU
Strumming For Split Measures:
C D
1 2+ 3 4 +
D DU D DU
WALKDOWNS AND TIMING:
Jim does play two finger chord walkdown for these, but you could also play the single notes as a bass line walkdown.
Intro walkdown:
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
|C Bm Am D/F# D |
Verse walkdown:
1 + 2 + 3 + 4
|C Bm Am G UD |
Operator Guitar Lesson:
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Operator Chord Chart:
Intro:
G Bm Am |C Bm Am D/F#|
G Bm Am |C Bm Am D/F#|
Verse:
G Bm C |C Bm Am G|
Operator oh could you help me place this call
Am D/F# Em D
'See the number on the matchbook is old and faded
G Bm C |C Bm Am G |
She's living in L.A. with my best old ex-friend Ray
Am D/F# Em D
A guy she said she knew well and sometimes hated
Chorus:
G C G
Isn't that the way they say it goes
| C D |
But let's forget all that
G Am
And give me the number if you can find it
|C D| |Em Bm| |D Am|
So I can call just to tell 'em I'm fine and to show
D7 C G/B
I've overcome the blow, I've learned to take it well
Am C
I only wish my words could just convince myself
D C (strum and hold)
That it just wasn't real, but that's not the way it feels
Interlude
G Bm Am |C Bm Am D/F# |
Verse:
G Bm C |C Bm Am G |
Operator oh could you help me place this call
Am D/F# Em D
Cause I can't read the number that you just gave me
G Bm C |C Bm Am G |
There's something in my eyes, you know it happens every time
Am D Em D
I think about the love that I thought would save me
Chorus:
G C G
Isn't that the way they say it goes
| C D |
But let's forget all that
G Am
And give me the number if you can find it
|C D| |Em Bm| |D Am|
So I can call just to tell 'em I'm fine and to show
D7 C G/B
I've overcome the blow, I've learned to take it well
Am C
I only wish my words could just convince myself
D C (strum and hold)
That it just wasn't real, but that's not the way it feels
Bridge:
G C G
No no no no
C G
That's not the way it feels
Verse:
Bm C |C Bm Am G |
Operator let's forget about this call
Am D/F# Em D
There's no one there I really wanted to talk to
G Bm
Thank you for your time,
C |C Bm Am G|
Cause you've been so much more than kind
Am D/F# Em D
You can keep the dime
Chorus:
G C G
Isn't that the way they say it goes
| C D |
But let's forget all that
G Am
And give me the number if you can find it
|C D| |Em Bm| |D Am|
So I can call just to tell 'em I'm fine and to show
D7 C G/B
I've overcome the blow, I've learned to take it well
Am C
I only wish my words could just convince myself
D C (strum and hold)
That it just wasn't real, but that's not the way it feels
Outro
G Bm Am |C Bm Am D/F#|
G Bm Am|C Bm Am D/F#|
G (strum & hold)
This file is the author’s own work and represents his interpretation of this song. It’s intended solely for private study, scholarship or research.
We do not distribute printable chord and lyrics charts. These charts are here only to support online learning. We highly recommend buying music from Hal Leonard or a reputable online sheet music store.