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I'm Not There (1956)

Written by 
Tabbed by 

Recorded during The Basement Tapes sessions (1967), and released (unofficially) on the Genuine Basement Tapes.

The lyrics are presented in two different transcriptions, first by J.W. Mahoney, then by Simon Bedford. The first set of lyrics are  emended to make it sound more like a meaningful text (which I don’t think it necessarily has to be; see this note for a short explanation of why). 

And just for the record: (1956) is part of the title, not the year of writing.


Capo 4th fret (original key B major)

The Gs are regularly embellished by 320003-3x2013-320003-turns.

          G
Well it's alright

she'nay she's all the time in my
F
neighborhood
              Am
she cried both day and night,
            G
I know it because it was there.

      G
It's a milestone
          F
but she's down on her luck,
        Am
and she daily salutin
       G
but to make him hard to buck,

I bevaid ...
  C
I believe where she stopping
       Em
if she wants time to care,
    F
I believe that she'd look upon
  G
deciding to care,
      Em
and I go by the Lord
     F
in a way she's on my way,
      G
but I don't belong there.
No I don't belong to her,
I don't belong to anybody,
she's my prize forsaken angel
but she don't hear me cry.

She's a long-hearted mystic
and she can't carry on,
when I'm there she's alright,
but she's not, when I'm gone
Heaven knows that the answer
she's don't call in no-one,
she's the way, a sailing beautiful,
she's mine, for the one,

and I loss a heavy tension,
by temptation less it runs
but she don't allah me
but I'm not there, I'm gone.
Now I've cried tonight
like I cried the night before,
and I'm knees on the hassle,
but I dream about the door.

So-long Jesus-saken,
blind fate, with a tell,
it don't hang contonation
she's my ald fare-thee-well.
Now when I'll treat the levee,
I was born to love her,
but she knows that the kingdom
weighs so high above her,

and I run but I race,
but it's not too fast a sleoun,
but I don't perceive her,
I'm not there, I'm gone.
Well it's all about deffusion
That I cry for her veil,
I don't need anybody now
beside me to tell

And it's all affirmation
I recieve, but it's not,
She's a lone-hearted beauty
but she's gone like the spot
if she waoun...
Yes, she's gone like the rainbow
that was shining yesterday
but now she's a-home beside me
and I'd like her to stay

she's a bone-forsaking beauty
and it don't trust anyone,
and I wish I was beside her,
but I'm not there, I'm gone.
Well it's a too hard to stake-in,
and I don't bart-b'lieve
It's all bag for tebusing,
but she's hard, too hard to leave.

It's alone, it's a crime
the way she moult me around
was she told for to hate me
by this dong fortaken clown.
Yes I believe that it's rightful,
oh I believe it in my mind,
I b'told like I said when I before
carry on the crying,

and she's all good to told her,
like I said, carry on,
I wish I was there to help her,
but I'm not there, I'm gone ...

Another Transcription

by Simon Bedford

well its alright and then she s all the the time
in my nieghborhood she cried both day and night
i know it cause it was there

its a milestone but she down on her luck
and she day makes her lonely but to me hard to buck
i believe

i believe where she stopping where she wants time to care
i believe that shed look upon deciding to care
and i go by the lord in ways shes on my way
but i dont belong there

no i dont belong to her
i dont belong to anybody
shes my prize foresaken angel but she dont hear me cry
shes a long hearted mistress
and she cant carry on
when im there shes alright but whenshes not when i am gone

heaven knows that theres an answer
shes not calling noone
shes away sailing beautiful
shes mine for the one
and i lost her hesitation
by temptation less it runs
but she dont holler me
but im not there i am gone

now i’ve cried tonight
like i cried the night before
and i
but i dream about the door
solong jesus savior
blind faith where the tale?
it dont hang proclamation
shes my own far thee well
now i went out neath the levee
i was born to love her
but she knows that the kingdom
waits so far above her
and i run but i race
but its not to fast a slim?
but i ll not decieve her
im not there i am gone

well its all about confusion as i cry for her viel
i dont need anybody now be side me to tell
and its all information i can see but its not
shes a lone hearted beauty but shes gone like the spot
and she wants
yes she gone like the rainbow that shining yesterday
but now shes a home beside me and id like tohere her stay
shes a cold forsaken beauty and it dont trust anyone
and i wish i was beside but i am not there i am gone

well its too hard to stake in
and i dont bother me
its all bad for abusing
but shes hard to hard to leave
its alone its a crime
the way she wont be around
but she told for to hate me
but this long forsaken clown
yes i believe that its rightful
oh i believe it in my mind
i been told like i said when i before carry on the crying
and shes all good to told her
like i said carry on
i wish i was there to help
but im not there im gone


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