C Am C Am
C Am
McKinley hollered, McKinley squalled
C Am
Doctor said: "McKinley, death is on the wall
F Am
Say it to me, if you got something to confess"
C Am
I heard all about it, he was goin' down slow
C Am
I heard it on the wireless radio
Fmaj7 Am
From down in the boondocks, way down in Key West
I'm searching for love, for inspiration On that pirate radio station Coming out of Luxembourg and Budapest Radio signal's clear as can be I'm so deep in love that I can hardly see Down in the flatlands, way down in Key West
F
Key West is the place to be
C Am
If you're looking for immortality
C Am
Stay on the road, follow the highway sign
F
Key West is fine and fair
C Am
If you lost your mind, you'll find it there
Fmaj7 Am
Key West is on the horizon line
I was born on the wrong side of the railroad track, Like Ginsberg, Corso and Kerouac, Like Louis, and Jimmy and Buddy and all the rest. Well, it might not be the thing to do But I'm sticking with you through and through Down in the flatlands, way down in Key West
I got both my feet planted square on the ground Got my right hand high, with the thumb down. Such is life, such is happiness Hibiscus flowers, they grow everywhere here If you wear one, put it behind your ear Down on the bottom, way down in Key West
Key West is the place to go Down by the Gulf of Mexico Beyond the sea, beyond the shifting sands Key West is the gateway key To innocence and purity Key West, Key West is the enchanted land
I've never lived in the land of Oz Or wasted my time with an unworthy cause It's hot down here, and you can't be overdressed Tiny blossoms of a toxic plant They can make you dizzy, I'd like to help you but I can't Down in the flatlands, way down in Key West
Well the fishtail ponds, and the orchid trees They can give you that bleeding heart disease People tell me I ought to try a little tenderness On Newton Street, Bayview Park Walking in the shadow after dark Down under, way down in Key West
I play gumbo limbo spirituals I know all the Hindu rituals People tell me that I'm truly blessed Bougainvillea blooming in the summer, in the spring Winter here is an unknown thing Down in the flatlands, way down in Key West
Key West is under the sun Under the radar, under the gun You stay to the left, and then you lean to the right Feel the sunlight on your skin And the healing virtues of the wind Key West, Key West is the land of light
Wherever I travel, wherever I roam I'm not that far from the convent home I do what I think is right, what I think is best History Street off of Mallory Square Truman had his White House there Eastbound, Westbound, way down in Key West
Twelve years old, they put me in a suit Forced me to marry a prostitute There were gold fringes on her wedding dress That's my story, but not where it ends She's still cute, and we're still friends Down on the bottom, way down in Key West
I play both sides against the middle Trying to pick up that pirate radio signal I heard the news, I heard your last request Fly around my pretty little Miss I don't love nobody, give me a kiss Down on the bottom, way down in Key West
Key West is the place to be If you're looking for immortality Key West is paradise divine Key West is fine and fair If you lost your mind, you'll find it there Key West is on the horizon line
2022 live version
The album version is a model of restraint, harmonically speaking, using only the related chords C, Am, and F. It didn’t take Dylan long on the road to change the song completely, to something that sounds quite a lot like the dreaded Pachelbel’s Canon, with bowed bass and dim chords, and in the bridge the same odd semi-tone figure that has also showed up in live versions of “I Contain Multitudes”.
F/c C#dim
McKinley hollered, McKinley squalled
Dm Am
Doctor said: "McKinley, death is on the wall
Bb C F
Say it to me, if you got something to confess"
…
Dm
Key West is the place to be
If you're looking for immortality
Bb
Stay on the road, follow the highway sign
Dm
Key West is fine and fair
If you lost your mind, you'll find it there
Bb
Key West is on the horizon line
Eb B/d Cm Bb