Peace in the Valley

Written by 
Thomas A. Dorsey
Tabbed by 
Eyolf Østrem

Performed once by Bob Dylan (Les Arnes, Frejus, France 13 June 1989)

Dylan's performance is a tremendous one, but one where – as is often the case with his one-offs – the words aren't always clear. I've noted some deviations from the standard version, but not all of them. The end of the chorus is sung differently, but I can't hear what he's singing there. Thus, the version below is a hybrid: neither exactly what Dylan sings, nor what he should have sung.

Either the tape is a little fast, or he has a capo on the 1st fret.

             C                  (Csus4-C)
Oh well, I'm tired and so weary,
      F           C
But I must travel on
         C              D7        G       C/g  G
Till the lord comes and takes me away,
         C
Well the morning's so bright
        F        C
And the lamp is alight
        C                  G            C       Csus4 C
And the night, night is as black as the sea *)

              F
There will be peace in the valley
    C
for me, one of these days
              C                   D7
There will be peace, peace in the valley
    G   Gsus4     G
for me, oh Lord I pray
               C           C/e
There'll be no sadness, no sorrow
   F                  D7/f#
No trouble, trouble I see               **)
              C                   G7
There will be peace, peace in the valley
       C
for me, one of these days

Well the bear will be gentle
And the wolves will be tame
And the lion shall lie down by the lamb, oh yes ***)
And the beasts from on wild
they will be lit by a child
And I'll be changed from this creature that I am

There will be peace in the valley for me, some day
There will be peace in the valley for me, oh Lord I pray
There'll be no sadness, no sorrow
No trouble, trouble I see
There will be peace in the valley for me, for me

Dylan sings:

*) But I never […] night / And the night’s so bright / With the night as bright as the day.

**) there’ll be no trouble / no trouble [at day?] / up over the […] / of a harder day

***) Well the beasts will be gentle / And the lion it’ll be tame / And the lion will lie down with the lamb

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