I Will Love Him

Written by 
Bob Dylan
Released on 
The Bootleg Series Vol. 13: Trouble No More 1979–1981 and Gospel Period (1979–81)
Tabbed by 
Eyolf Østrem

Performed live twice by Dylan, in Toronto, 19 April 1980 and four days later, in Montreal. 

Lyric transcription leans heavily on discussions at pool.dylantree.com

Capo 1st fret (sounding key Db major)

It varies somewhat what is the first bass tone in each bar in the refrain, C or D. In the introduction, it leans more towards C, but after the verses, where it is prepared by the A chord, it is more unequivocally a D, as the root in a Dm7 chord. The second measure of the tab below is a suggestion of how to get both, without loosing too much of any of them.

I welcome corrections additions and suggestions to the lyrics.

  C     F           C     F           C    G11          C     F
  :   .   .   .     :   .   .   .     :   .   .   .     :   .
|-0-----1-----1---|-0-----1-----1---|-0-----1-----1---|-0-----1--
|-1-----1-----1---|-1-----1-----1---|-1-----1-----1---|-1-----1-- etc., repeat
|-0-----2-----2---|-0-----2-----2---|-0-----2-----2---|-0-----2--
|-2-2---3-----3---|-0-2---3-----3---|-0-2---3-----3---|-2-2---3--
|-3-----3-----3---|(3)----3-----3---|-3-----x---------|-3-----3--
|-------1-----1---|(0)----1-----1---|-0-----3-----3---|-------1--
  I will love him, I will serve him  I will glorify his name,
                                                          I will love... etc.

I will love him
I will serve him
I will glorify His name        repeat

C
 He came [on East out of] Galilee
    F            G            C
And disappeared [like when he taught]
Dm7             C/e
 He came down onto his own
F                G
His own knew him not
A
 But as for me,

 Dm7 C  F           C     F           C    G11        C     F
  :   .   .   .     :   .   .   .     :   .   .   .   .   .
|-1-0---1-----1---|-0-----1-----1---|-0-----1-----1---0-----1-|
|-1-1---1-----1---|-1-----1-----1---|-1-----1-----1---1-----1-|  repeat
|-2-0---2-----2---|-0-----2-----2---|-0-----2-----2---0-----2-|
|-0-2---3-----3---|-0-2---3-----3---|-0-2---3-----3---2-2---3-|
|-------3-----3---|(3)----3-----3---|-3-----x---------3-----3-|
|-------1-----1---|(0)----1-----1---|-0-----3-----3---------1-|
  I will love him, I will serve him  I will glorify his name,
                                                        I will love... etc.

I will love him
I will serve him
I will glorify His name        repeat

He said when the fig tree was blooming
He would be at the gate
He was talking 'bout the state of Israel
From nineteen fourty-eight
And the time is near, and

I will love him
I will serve him
I will glorify His name        repeat

When He was down conceived [here]
His mother wasn't even married   *)
Took an angel of the lord
to tell her what she done carry
Carry for all mankind, that

I will love him
I will serve him
I will glorify His name        repeat

Last time:

                   Eb
I will glorify His name

            F                   C
Did anybody say it was gonna be easy?
Eb      F                           G
 Nobody said that you couldn't complain
    Eb         F                       C
The God of the world tried to drive me crazy
A
Even Peter denied Him

Standin' right beside Him

They took Him out and falsely tried Him

Eventually crucified him
C                                  E
 Who am I to say I wouldn't do the same?

[....] who repaired the roof
[tried to tilt] against the grain
When Herod found out that he was born
He had every boy child slain
Hey, let's all pray

I will love him
I will serve him
I will glorify His name        repeat

*) Emended from the Montreal version; in Toronto, he sings: “didn’t know what she carried” 

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