Words and music Bob Dylan
Written for the soundtrack of the film "Gods And Generals"
(preliminary release date February 21st, 2003)
Lyrics taken from communal efforts at the Pool message board; tab by
Eyolf strem
Two things are noteworthy from the guitaristic side. One is the
continuously sounding -----3 (highest string, third fret), throughout
most of the chords (see chord chart). The other is the bitonality of
the second chord. Where I've written a G/b chord, some of the
instruments play a Bm chord, which clashes with the -----3. There are
some ways of approximating that on a single guitar, but none are
completely satisfying; see suggestions below.
Apart from that, it's an interesting tune for three reasons: the
difference between the two types of verses, which are so similar that
it's hard to keep them apart, but still quite distinct; the irregular
strophe structure, with the secondary verse form occurring three
times, with a different number of “regular” verses in between. The
third reason is more elusive, but despite its extreme simplicity, with
basically the same chord sequence (Am7-G/b-C-D, reversed in the
bridge) for just about every line, it still works wonderfully.
Capo 1st fret (sounding key Ab major)
Chords:
C x32013
G/b x20003 or x20033
Am7 x02213 or x02013
Dsus4 xx0233
Dsus2 xx0230
Cadd9 x32033
Bm x24432 (alternative to G/b)
Bm+G/b x24433 (hard)
xx4433 (not so hard, but misses the bass note)
x20002 (easy, but misses the high -----3)
79978x (easy enough, but the move to the high position isn't ideal)
C . . . G/b . . . Am7 . . . G . . . Am7 . . . G/b . . . C . . . Dsus4 . D . Am7 G/b C D I cross the green mountain, I sit by the stream Am7 G/b C D Heaven blazing in my head, I dreamt a monstrous dream C G/b Am7 Dsus4 D Dsus2 D Something came up out of the sea Em C D Em Swept through the land of the rich and the free C . . . G . . . D . . . I look into the eyes of my merciful friend And then i ask myself, is this the end? Memories linger, sad yet sweet And I think of the souls in heaven who will meet
C . . . G . . . D . . . C G/b Am7 G Altars are burning with flames far and wide C G/b Am7 Dsus4 D Dsus2 D The foe has crossed over from the other side C G/b Am7 G They tip their caps from the top of the hill Am7 G/b Cadd9 Dsus4 . . . D . . . You can feel them come, more brave blood to spill
Along the dim Atlantic line the ravaged land lies for miles behind The light's coming forward and the streets are broad All must yield to the avenging God C . . . G . . C G . . .
The world is old, the world is gray Lessons of life, can't be learned in a day I watch and I wait, and I listen while I stand To the music that comes from a far-better land
Close the eyes of our captain, peace may he know His long night is done, the great leader is laid low He was ready to fall, he was quick to defend Killed outright he was, by his own men C . . . G . C . G . . . It's the last day's last hour, of the last happy year I feel that the unknown world is so near Pride will vanish and glory will rot But virtue lives and cannot be forgot C . . . G . . . D . . . The bells of leavening have rung There's blasphemy on every tongue Let 'em say that I walked in fair nature's light And that I was loyal to truth and to right C . . . G . C . G . . .
Serve God and be cheerful, look upward, beyond Beyond the darkness of masks, the surprises of dawn In the deep green grasses of the blood stained world They never dreamed of surrenderin', they fell where they stood
Stars fell over Alabama, I saw each star You're walkin' in dreams, whoever you are Chilled are the skies, keen as the frost The ground's froze hard and the morning is lost C . . . G . C . G . . . A letter to mother came today Gunshot wound to the breast is what it did say But he'll be better soon, he's in a hospital bed But he'll never be better - he's already dead C . . . G . C . G . . . I'm ten miles outside the city, and I'm lifted away In an ancient light, that is not of day They were calm, they were blunt, we knew 'em all too well We loved each other more than we ever dared to tell C . . . G . Cadd9 . G