G
The pale moon rose in its glory
C
Out o'er the western town
C G
She told a sad, sad story
D G
Of the great ship that went down.
T'was the fourteenth day of April Over the way she rolled Sailing into tomorrow To a golden age foretold
The night was bright with starlight The seas were sharp and clear Moving through the shadows The promised hour was near
Lights were holding steady Gliding over the foam All the lords and ladies
G
All the early Roman kings in their shark-skin suits,
Bow-ties and buttons, high-top boots,
Driving the spikes in, blazing the rails,
Nailed in their coffins in top-hats and tails.
C
Fly away little bird, fly away, flap your wings
G
Fly by night like the early Roman kings.
All the early Roman kings in the early, early morn, Comin' down the mountain, distributing the corn, Speedin' through the forest, racing down the track, You try to get away, they drag you back. Tomorrow is Friday, we'll see what it brings.
Am In Scarlet Town, where I was born There's ivy leaf and silver thorn The streets have names that you can't pronounce G E Gold is down to a quarter of an ounce The music starts and the people sway Everybody says, "Are you going my way?" Uncle Tom still workin' for Uncle Bill Scarlet Town is under the hill. Scarlet Town in the month of May Sweet William Holme on his deathbed lay Mistress Mary by the side of the bed Kissin' his face and puttin' prayers on his head So brave, so true, so gentle is he I'll weep for him as he would weep for me
B
I'm gonna walk across the desert 'til I'm in my right mind.
I won't even think about what I left behind.
Nothing back there anyway I can call my own.
Go back home, leave me alone.
E B It's a long road, it's a long and narrow way F# E B If I can't work up to you, you'll surely have to work down to me someday.
Ever since the British burned the White House down
Written by Bob Dylan (but heavily based on the trad. The Parting Glass)
Capo at 4th fret
Played with no strict time, very freely. Also played freely are the strings strummed or picked for each chord, varying from chord to chord and verse to verse. Occasionally some chords are left out, played with a different root, notes hammered etc.
Harmonica played cross harp (blues style) use key of A
Chords:
Bm'(/f#) xx4430 (or xx4030) C/e (30)2010
G Bm'
Oh the time will come up
C/e G
When the winds will stop
Em C G
And the breeze will cease to be breathin'.
G Bm'
Like the stillness in the wind
C G
Before the hurricane begins,
G D GThese seem to be the chords on the album version:
G 320003 C/g 3x2013 Em9 05403x D7/F# 20021x Em 022000
but note that in all recent live renditions, he plays:
Capo 2nd fret (sounding key A major)
The figure C /b /a G which at every transition from C to G through the whole song, is played:
C/b/a G . | |-0-----|-3-- |-1-----|-0-- |-0-----|-0-- |-2-0-0-|-0-- |-3-2-0-|-2-- |-------|-3--
Verses 3-5 are played as the second verse, with the Bm’ chord x04430 in the first line
Words and Music Bob Dylan (but strongly based on Dominic Behans The Patriot Game)
The * denotes the G — G6 — G7 figure that Dylan is so fond of:
G 320003 G6 322003 or 3x2003 G7 323003 or 3x3003
It can be replaced by just a G chord.
(D-A-d-g-b-d, i.e. tune the 1st and the 6th strings down one whole step).
Capo 1st fret (sounding key Eb minor)
Intro (same strumming pattern throughout the song):
