|: C Csus4 C Csus4 :|
C Am
Oh, the ragman draws circles
C Am
Up and down the block.
C Am
I'd ask him what the matter was
F G
But I know that he don't talk.
F C
And the ladies treat me kindly
Am C
And furnish me with tape,
Am C
But deep inside my heart
F C
I know I can't escape.
Em
Oh, Mama, can this really be the end,
C G F
To be stuck inside of Mobile
C G11 C
With the Memphis blues again.
: . . . : . . . |-----------------|-----------------| |-1---------------|-----------------| |-------3-----0---|-----------------| |-----------------|---3-----1-------| |-----------------|-------------3---| |-----------------|-----------------|
Well, Shakespeare, he's in the alley With his pointed shoes and his bells, Speaking to some French girl, Who says she knows me well. And I would send a message To find out if she's talked, But the post office has been stolen And the mailbox is locked. Oh, Mama, can this really be the end, To be stuck inside of Mobile With the Memphis blues again.
Mona tried to tell me To stay away from the train line. She said that all the railroad men Just drink up your blood like wine. An' I said, "Oh, I didn't know that, But then again, there's only one I've met An' he just smoked my eyelids An' punched my cigarette." Oh, Mama, can this really be the end, To be stuck inside of Mobile With the Memphis blues again.
Grandpa died last week And now he's buried in the rocks, But everybody still talks about How badly they were shocked. But me, I expected it to happen, I knew he'd lost control When he built a fire on Main Street And shot it full of holes. Oh, Mama, can this really be the end, To be stuck inside of Mobile With the Memphis blues again.
Now the senator came down here Showing ev'ryone his gun, Handing out free tickets To the wedding of his son. An' me, I nearly got busted An' wouldn't it be my luck To get caught without a ticket And be discovered beneath a truck. Oh, Mama, can this really be the end, To be stuck inside of Mobile With the Memphis blues again.
Now the preacher looked so baffled When I asked him why he dressed With twenty pounds of headlines Stapled to his chest. But he cursed me when I proved it to him, Then I whispered, "Not even you can hide. You see, you're just like me, I hope you're satisfied." Oh, Mama, can this really be the end, To be stuck inside of Mobile With the Memphis blues again.
Now the rainman gave me two cures, Then he said, "Jump right in." The one was Texas medicine, The other was just railroad gin. An' like a fool I mixed them An' it strangled up my mind, An' now people just get uglier An' I have no sense of time. Oh, Mama, can this really be the end, To be stuck inside of Mobile With the Memphis blues again.
When Ruthie says come see her In her honky-tonk lagoon, Where I can watch her waltz for free 'Neath her Panamanian moon. An' I say, "Aw come on now, You must know about my debutante." An' she says, "Your debutante just knows what you need But I know what you want." Oh, Mama, can this really be the end, To be stuck inside of Mobile With the Memphis blues again.
Now the bricks lay on Grand Street Where the neon madmen climb. They all fall there so perfectly, It all seems so well timed. An' here I sit so patiently Waiting to find out what price You have to pay to get out of Going through all these things twice. Oh, Mama, can this really be the end, To be stuck inside of Mobile With the Memphis blues again.
No Direction Home version
Capo 4th fret
C Am
The ragman he draws circles
C/g Am
Up and down the block.
C/g Am
I'd ask him what the matter was
F G
But I know that he don't talk.
C Am
And the ladies treat me kindly
C/g Am
They furnish me with tape,
C/g Am
But neither them nor the rainman
F C
Can help me to escape
Em
Oh, Mama, this could be the end,
C G F
I'm stuck down in Mobile
C G11 C
With the Memphis blues again.
C G/b Am C/g G11 C C G/b Am C/g G11 C : . . . : . . . : . . . : . . . |-0---------------|-----------------|-0---------------|-----------------| |-1---3---1---1---|-----1---1-------|-1---3---1---1---|---1---1---------| |-0---0---2---0---|-2---2---0-------|-0---0---2---0---|-2-2---0---------| |-2---0---2---2---|-3---3---2-------|-2---0---2---2---|-3-3---2---------| |-3---2---0-------|---------3-----35|-3---2---0-------|-------3---------| |-------------3---|-3---3-------35--|-------------3---|-3-3-------------| stuck... Mobile ... again
: . . . -----------------|---- -----------------|---- -----------------|---- -----------------|---- -3---3---3-----35|-3-- -------------35--|----
Shakespeare's in the alley With his pointed shoes and his bells, Speaking to some French girl, Who says she knows me well. And I would send a message To find out if she talked, But the post office has been stolen And the mailbox is locked. Oh, Mama, this could be the end, I'm stuck down in Mobile With the Memphis blues again.
Mona tried to tell me To stay away from the train line. She said, all railroad men is gonna drink my blood like wine. An' I said, "Oh, I don't know, But then again, there's only one I've met An' he just smoked my eyelids An' punched my cigarette." Oh, Mama, this could be the end, I'm stuck inside of Mobile With the Memphis blues again.
Now, Grandpa died last week He's died in the rocks, Everybody still talking about How badly they were shocked. But me, I expected it, I knew he'd lost control When I saw him build a fire on Main Street And shot it full of holes. Oh, Mama, this might be the end, I'm stuck inside of Mobile With the Memphis blues again.
Now the senator came here He ever showed his gun, He's handing out free tickets To the wedding of his son. An' I nearly got busted Wouldn't it be my luck To be caught without a ticket And be found beneath a truck. Oh, Mama, this could be the end, I'm stuck inside of Mobile With the Memphis blues again.
Now the preacher he was baffled every time I'd ask why he dressed With twenty pounds of headlines Stapled to his chest. And he'd curse me out And say ... say not even you ... ... Oh, Mama, this could be the end, I'm stuck inside of Mobile With the Memphis blues again.
Now the rainman ... cures, he ... Jump right in The one was Texas medicine, The other was just railroad gin. An' like a fool I mixed them An' it strangled up my mind, An' now people just get uglier An' I have no sense of time. Oh, Mama, this could be the end, I'm stuck inside of Mobile With the Memphis blues again.
Now, Ruthie says come see her In her honky-tonk lagoon, Where I can watch her waltz Beneath her Panamanian moon. An' I say, "I don't know, You must know about my debutante." An' she says, "Your debutante just knows what you need But I know what you want." Oh, Mama, this could be the end, I'm stuck inside of Mobile With the Memphis blues again.
[hum hum ] . . . . . . seems so well timed. An' here I sit so p... Waiting to find the price That you have to pay to get out of going through all these things twice. Oh, Mama, this might be the end, I'm stuck inside Mobile With the Memphis blues again.
Hard Rain version
Transcribed for a capo on the 4th fret (sounding key E major)
C Am
Oh, the ragman draws circles
C Am
Up and down the block.
C Am
I'd ask him what the matter was
F C
But I know that he don't talk.
F C
And the ladies treat me kindly
F C
And furnish me with tape,
F C
But deep inside my heart
F C
I know I can't escape.
Em C Em F (/g-a-b)
Oh, Mama, can this really be the end,
C Em Am
To be stuck inside of Mobile
C/g Fmaj7
With the Memphis blues again.