Album version
Capo 2nd fret
Am
You walk into the room
/g#
With your pencil in your hand
/g
You see somebody naked
/f#
And you say, "Who is that man?"
F
You try so hard
Dm
But you don't understand
C Em
Just what you will say
Am
When you get home
C Em
Because something is happening here
Am
But you don't know what it is
F Am
Do you, Mister Jones?
You raise up your head *)
And you ask, "Is this where it is?"
And somebody points to you and says
"It's his"
And you say, "What's mine?"
And somebody else says, "Where what is?"
And you say, "Oh my God
Am I here all alone?"
Because something is happening here
But you don't know what it is
Do you, Mister Jones?
You hand in your ticket
And you go watch the geek
Who immediately walks up to you
When he hears you speak
And says, "How does it feel
To be such a freak?"
And you say, "Impossible"
As he hands you a bone
Because something is happening here
But you don't know what it is
Do you, Mister Jones?
Am
You have many contacts
C
Among the lumberjacks
F
To get you facts
Am
When someone attacks your imagination
But nobody has any respect
C
Anyway they already expect you
F
To just give a check
Dm G (/g#)
To tax-deductible charity organizations
You've been with the professors And they've all liked your looks With great lawyers **) you have Discussed lepers and crooks You've been through all of F. Scott Fitzgerald's books You're very well read It's well known Because something is happening here But you don't know what it is Do you, Mister Jones? Well, the sword swallower, he comes up to you And then he kneels He crosses himself And then he clicks his high heels And without further notice He asks you how it feels ***) And he says, "Here is your throat back Thanks for the loan" Because something is happening here But you don't know what it is Do you, Mister Jones? Now you see this one-eyed midget Shouting the word "NOW" And you say, "For what reason?" And he says, "How?" And you say, "What does this mean?" And he screams back, "You're a cow Give me some milk Or else go home" Because something is happening here But you don't know what it is ****) Do you, Mister Jones? Well, you walk into the room Like a camel and then you frown You put your eyes in your pocket And your nose on the ground There ought to be a law Against you comin' around You should be made To wear earphones *****) Because something is happening here But you don't know what it is Do you, Mister Jones?
Lyric variations from Live 1966
*) You walk in so politely
**) With lawyers and scholars
***) He tells you how it feels
****) Yes, and now you’re positive something’s happening, and you wish you knew what it was. Don’t you, Mr Jones?
*****) You should be made to be wearing at all times a telephone. Other variants: Next time you do, please remember to telephone
Most live versions are faithful to the album version. The variations (apart from the placement of the capo usually 1st or 2nd fret or no capo) occur in two places: the what you will say when you get home line, where most versions incorporate the intro figure, and the end of the bridge (tax deductible charity organizations), where at least Real Live strongly emphasizes the chromatic bass line G-G#-A.
Before the flood version (1974)
Am Em
what you're gonna say
Am
When you get home
Budokan version (1978)
Chords:
Am 002210 E+ 022110 C/g 332010 D9 xx0210 or x54530 or x54550
Capo 2nd fret
Am
You walk into the room
E+
With your pencil in your hand
C/g
You see somebody naked
D9
And you say, "Who is that man?"
F
You try so hard
Dm
But you don't understand
Am Em
just what you're gonna say
Am Am Am Dm Am (=intro figure)
When you get home
C Em/b
something is happening
Am C/g
But you don't know what it is
F Dm Am Am Am Dm Am (=intro figure)
Do you, Mister Jones?
You sneak in through the window
And you say, "Is this where it is?"
somebody points his finger at you and says
"It's his"
And you say, "What's mine?"
someone else says, "Where what is?"
you say, "Oh my God
Am I here all alone?"
Something is happening
But you don't know what it is
Do you, Mister Jones?
You hand in your ticket
to go see the geek
Who walks up to ya
When he hears you speak
And says, "How does it feel
To be such a freak?"
And you say, "Impossible"
As he hands you a bone
something is happening
and you don't know what it is
Do you, Mister Jones?
Am
You have many contacts
C
Among the lumberjacks
F
To get you facts
Am Am Am Dm Am
When someone attacks your imagination ('ma-gi-na-tion)
But noone has any respect
C
Anyway they just expect you
F
To hand over your check to
Dm G
tax-deductible charity organizations
Well, the sword swallower, he comes up to you And then he kneels He crosses himself And then he clicks his high heels And without further notice asks you how it feels And says, "Here is your throat back Thanks for the loan" something is happening and you don't know what it is Do you, Mister Jones? You crawl into the room Like a camel and then you frown You put your eyes in your pocket And you put your nose on the ground There ought to be a law Against you comin' around You gotta be made To be wearing a telephone Because something is happening here But you don't know what it is Do you, Mister Jones?
Real Live version (1984)
Am
You walk into the room
/g#
With your pencil in your hand
/g
You see somebody naked
/f#
And you say, "Who is that man?"
F
You try so hard
Dm
But you don't understand
Am Dm/f Am
what you're gonna say
Am Dm/f Am (intro figure)
When you get home
C Em/b
Because something is happening here
Am C/g
But you don't know what it is
F Dm Am (intro figure)
Do you, Mister Jones?
. . .
Dm G . . . E/g# (or just E)
To tax-deductible charity organizations
Recent live versions (ca. 1995)
Am Dm/f Am
what you're gonna say
Am Dm/f Am (=intro figure)
When you get home
Last lines:
Am C/g
But you don't know what it is
F Dm Am (intro figure)
Do you, Mister Jones?