If I Was a King

Written by 
Bob Dylan
Released on 
The Bootleg Series Vol. 12: The Cutting Edge 1965–1966
Tabbed by 
Eyolf Østrem
Tuning: 
Drop C

Capo 4th fret (sounding key E major)

Recorded 13 May 1966 in the North British Station Hotel, Glasgow, Scotland.

The lyrics are not coherent, and the transcription is an attempt to balance somewhere between what sounds he might actually have made and what words he might actually have intended to sing. Meaning: they don’t make sense, but it’s not all gibberish.

Chords 
C     032010
F     033211 or 003211
G7    220001
Am    002210
           C          F          G7
If I was a king, I’ll hang in an alley
       F       C               G7
With a hundred stallions after me
               F              G7     C         F        C  G7                          
And if I was a rogue, I would lay in your jaw, mourning Larrow
         F           C     G7 
With the law hangin' after me 

           C               F     G7
I rode six mare, I’ve been on my wagon
    F          C                     G7
And now here I stand with you facin' me
     F            C                    F  G7
And alone makin’ only that I’m morning marrow
         Am   F      G7
With her hand facin’ me

                  C       F        G7
I’d give up all I have to tell her one thought
   F            C                             G7
To kiss I would give it all too, so she could see
           F          C                  F    G7
But here I stand on a lake in the narrow wide road
     Am        F               G7   
condemned in a lake flamed and free

           C         F               G7
If I was a king, I’d give her all my land
   F         C          G7
To her and a road after me
               F             C                      F   G7
And if I was a rogue I would give her all my marrow darken
            Am              F           G7
And take my chances in that land to the sea

                 C            F      G7
I’d stand by her road and the lonely water
     F                C                      G7
I’ve stood there many times before this, you see
                F        C         F     G7
And I know that once you broken my heart off 
         Am          F            G7    
With her sin finally achin' after me.

           C           F             G7 
I swore by her, by her uncle and her mother
      F          C              G7
While she waited lonely back on me
                   F             C                       F G7
And I swore by her ring that she went in, and I would go after
    Am       F            G7
And alone in makin’ after me

           C            F           G7
If I was a king I would give her my castles
    F               C             G7
I’d give her all my land given to me
               F             C                      F G7  
And if I was a rogue I would steal her away from my other
            Am             F         G7
And take my chances in the deep blue sea

                C           F      G7
And now would I stand, here by the fountain.
    F          C          G7
The rain ready to shelter me
          F                       C             F   G7
Chased by rain and Snow White and all her Seven Dwarfs
        Am      F        G7
Chasin’ me, but I cannot flee

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