Just Like a Woman

(Words and Music by Bob Dylan)
Released on Blonde on Blonde (1966), Greatest Hits (1967) and Biograph (1985), and in live versions on Before the Flood (1974), Budokan (1978), Live 1966 (1998) and Live 1975 (2002)
Tabbed by Eyolf Østrem

Read my essay about this song: Just Like a Woman Revisited.


“Live 1966” version

Manchester Free Trade Hall, May 17 1966

Dropped C tuning (C-A-d-g-b-e')
Capo 5th fret (sounding key F major)

Chords:

C     032010
Csus4 033020
F     033211 or 003211
G7    220001   
G     220003
Em/b  x22000
Dm    xx0231
E     x22100

Intro:

  C           Em    Dm      F                         C       Em    Dm
  :  .  :  .  :  .  :  .    :  .  :  .  :  .  :  .    : . : . :  .  :  .        
|-0-----------------------|-1----1---1--------------|-0-------------------|
|-1-----------------------|-1----1---1--------------|-1-------------------|
|-0-----------------2--0--|-2--------2--------0h2---|-0-------------2--0--|
|-3p2------2--0h2---0--0--|-3--3-----3--------3-----|-2-------0h2------0--|
|-3-----------2-----------|-3--3--3--3--------------|-3-------0h2---------|
|-0-----------------------|-0-----------------------|---------------------|
  F                      C        Csus4            C                    Csus4
  :  .  :  .  :  .  :    :  .  :  .  :  .  :  .    :  .  :  .  :  .  :  .      
|----------------------|-0-----------------------|---------------0---------|
|-1--------1----1--1---|-1----1---------1----1---|-1-----1--------1--------|
|-2--------02---2---0--|-0----0---0-----0--------|-0-----0--------0-----0--|
|-3--------3----3---3--|-3p2------2h3---------3--|-02----2--------------2h3|
|-3-----3--------------|-3-----------------------|-3-----3-----------------|
|-------0----0----0----|----0--0-----0-----0-----|-0--------0--------0-----|
              C
  |  .  :  .  :  .  :  .  :  .  :  .  
|------------------0------------------|
|---1-----1--------1------------------|
|------------------0------------------|
|----3-----3--2----2---2-----2--------|
|-------------3--------3-----3--------|
|-0-----0-----0--0--0-----0-----0-----|
                                   No - body
  C    F     G7  C    Csus4
Nobody feels any pain 
  C          F       G7       C
Tonight as I stand inside the rain 
F         G7
Ev'rybody knows 
     F              G7
That Baby's got new clothes 
    F   Em/b Dm C       F               G7
But lately   I  see her ribbons and her bows 
     Am     F        G7
Have fallen from her curls. 
    C     Em/b Dm     F
She takes just like a woman, yes she does,
    C     Em/b Dm     F
she makes love like a woman, yes she does,
             C     Em/b Dm     F
And then she aches just like a woman, 
        G7                        C      Csus4  C  Csus4  C
but she breaks just like a little girl.

Queen Mary, she's my friend 
Yes, I believe I'll go see her again 
Nobody has to guess 
That Baby can't be blessed 
Till she sees finally that she's like all the rest 
With her fog, with her amphetamine and her pearls. 
She takes just like a woman,
And she makes love like a woman,
And she aches just like a woman 
But she breaks just like a little girl.
       E                   
It was raining from the first 

And I was dying there of thirst 
     C            Csus4 C
So I came in here 
         E
And your long-time curse hurts 

But what's worse 
        F
Is this pain in here 
        G7
I can't stay in here 
 
Ain't it clear that
C F    G     C    etc.
I just don't fit 
Yes, I believe it's time for us to quit 
And when we meet again 
Introduced as friends 
Please don't let on that you knew me when 
I was hungry and it was your world. 
You take just like a woman,
And you take just like a woman, yes you do 
And you make love like a woman, yes you do
and then you ache just like a woman,
but you break just like a little girl.

Blonde on Blonde version

Bob seems to be playing with a capo on the 4th fret, and more or less the same chords as above.
The 2nd guitar plays without a capo, using the following pattern (w/variations):

  E           A     B7      E
|-------0-----------------|-------0-----------0-----|
|-----0---0-------2-----0-|-----0---0-------0---0---|
|---1-------1---2-----2---|---1-------1---1-------1-|
|-2-----------2-----1-----|-2-----------2-----------|
|-------------------------|-------------------------|
|-------------------------|-------------------------|

The easiest way to play the G7sus4 G7 G7sus2 G7 figure (same as in Sad-Eyed Lady) would be:

G7sus4  G7  G7sus2  G7
|-1-----1-----1-----1---
|-0-----0-----0-----0---
|-0-----0-----0-----0---
|-0-----0-----0-----0---
|-3-----2-----0-----2---
|-3-----3-----3-----3---
  C    F     G   C    
Nobody feels any pain 
  C          F       G        C
Tonight as I stand inside the rain 
F         G
Ev'rybody knows 
     F              G
That Baby's got new clothes 
    F   Em   Dm C       G7      
But lately   I  see her ribbons and her bows 
     Am     C    F   G7sus4 G7 G7sus2 G7
Have fallen from her curls. 
    C     Em   Dm     F
She takes just like a woman, yes she does,
    C          Em   Dm     F
she makes love just like a woman, yes she does,
        C     Em   Dm     F
And she aches just like a woman, 
        G7sus4    G7       G7sus2 G7 C     [famous fill]
but she breaks just like a little    girl.

famous fill:

|-----1-----0-----1-----3-0---
|---1-----1-----1-----3---1---
|-2-----0-----2-----4-----0---
|-------------------------2----
|-------------------------3----
|-----------------------------
...
       E                   
It was raining from the first 

And I was dying there of thirst 
     C            Csus4 C
So I came in here 
         E
And your long-time curse hurts 

But what's worse 
        F
Is this pain in here 
G7sus4     G7           G7sus2  G7
   I can't stay in here 
G7sus4  G7 G7sus2     G7
Ain't it   clear that
C F    G     C    etc.
I just don't fit 

“Before the Flood” version

Played in a very square 4/4 beat. The chords marked “/B”are probably G/B, but may even be C/B (or rather: Cadd2/b: x20010). The second and third Choruses are rushed out of tempo.

* These Am chords are Ds in subsequent verses.

G      C     Am* G    C/G G
Nobody feels any pain 
G            C       Am*       G      C/G G
Tonight as I stand inside the rain 
C    /B   Am
Ev'rybody knows 
     C      /B      Am
That Baby's got new clothes 
    C   /B Am G      C           /B      D
But lately I see her ribbons and her bows 
     Em     C    /B  D
Have fallen from her curls. 
    G          D      C
She takes just like a woman,
        G          D      C
And she aches just like a woman 
        G          D      C
And she wakes just like a woman, 
             Am                        G
Yea, but she breaks just like a little girl.

Queen Mary, she's my friend 
Yes, I believe I'll go see her again 
Nobody has to guess 
That Baby can't be blessed 
Till she sees finally that she's like all the rest 
With her fog, with her amphetamine and her pearls. 
She takes just like a woman,
And she wakes just like a woman,
And she aches just like a woman 
But she breaks just like a little girl.
       B7                   
It was raining from the first 

And I was dying there of thirst 
     Em           B7  Em
So I came in here 
         B7
And your long-time curse hurts 

But what's worse 
        C
Is this pain in here 
        Am
I can't stay in here 
C        Am 
Ain't it clear that
G
I just don't fit 
Yes, I believe it's time for us to quit 
And when we meet again 
Introduced as friends 
Please don't let on that you knew me when 
I was hungry and it was your world. 
You take just like a woman,
And you wake just like a woman 
And you make love just like a woman,
But you break just like a little girl.

Live 1975 version

G      C     D   G   
Nobody feels any pain 
G            C       D        G      
Tonight as I stand inside the rain 
C (/b-a-g) D
Ev'rybody  knows 
     C (/b- a-  g)  D   
That Baby's got new clothes 
    C   G/b Am G       C (/b-  a-  g)  D/f#-e-d
But lately  I  see her ribbons and her bows 
     Em     C        D
Have fallen from her curls. 
    G                 C
She takes just like a woman,
        G                 C
And she aches just like a woman 
              G                C       /b
And she makes love just like a woman
        Am     D                  G
but she breaks just like a little girl.

. . .
     B7                   
It was raining from the first 

And I was dying there of thirst 
     Em           B7  Em
So I came in here 
         B7
And your long-time curse hurts 

But what's worse 
        C              /b
Is this pain in here 
        Am
I can't stay in here 
D           Cadd9 G/b D/a 
Ain't it clear            that

“Bangla Desh concert” version (Aug 1, 1971)

The special feat of this version is the use of the F9/a (x03213) chord shape, together with the C = x32013 shape.
Capo 4th fret (sounding key E major)

  C                             G       F       C     G7
                .   .     .     .   .   .   .   .     .   .
|-----0-0----3--33333-3-(/6-6)-/7777777-55555-5-33333-11111-1-|
|----1--1-/5----55555-5-(/7-7)-/8888888-66666-6-55555-33333-3-|
|---0---0-----------------------------------------------------|
|--2----2-----------------------------------------------------|
|-3-----3-----------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------------------------|
  G   F   C   G7    C             C                 F9/a    G/b       C
  :   .   .   .                   :   .   .   .     :   .   .   . .   : . . . 
|-77775-5-333-1-1-|-0----------|--3-------3-----3-|-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-|-3-------|
|-88887-7-555-3-3-|-1----------|*-1-------1-----1-|-1-1-1-1-0-0-0-0-|-1------*|
|-----------------|-0-(testing-|--0-------0-------|-2-2-2-2-0-0-0-0-|-0-------|
|-----------------|-2--harp)---|--2--(2)--2--(2)--|-3-3-3-3-0-0-0-0-|-2-------|
|-----------------|-3----------|*-3--(3)--3--(3)--|-0-0-0-0-2-2-2-2-|-3------*|
|-----------------|------------|------------------|-----------------|---------|
  C    F9/a  G   C    Csus4
Nobody feels any pain 
  C          F9/a    G        C  .  F9/a  C
Tonight as I stand inside the rain 
F         G
Ev'rybody knows 
     F              G
That Baby's got new clothes 
    F   Em Dm C       Dm              G
But lately I  see her ribbons and her bows 
     Am     Fmaj7    G
Have fallen from her curls. 
    C                 F
She takes just like a woman
    C                 F
she wakes just like a woman
         C                 F
then she bakes just like a woman,      [that's what he sings...]
        Dm                 G      C   .  F9/a  .  |: C . F9/a . :| 
but she breaks just like a little girl.
       E                   
It was raining from the first 

And I was dying there of thirst 
     C            Csus4 C
So I came in here 
         E
And your long-time curse hurts 

But what's worse 
        Am
Is this pain in here 
        F
I can't stay in here 
G 
Ain't it clear that . . .

Budokan version

One guitar plays with a capo on the 4th fret, the other (Dylan's) is uncapoed.

This is played by Dylan between the verses:

Uncapoed:                     or capoed:

  A     G#m   F#m     E         F     Em    Dm      C
  .     .     .       :         .     .     .       :
----5-----4-----2---|-0--     ----1-----0---------|----
--------------------|----     ----------------3---|-1--
--6---6-4---4-2---2-|-1--     --2---2-0---0-------|----
--------------------|----     --------------3---3-|-2--
--------------------|----     --------------------|----
--------------------|----     --------------------|----

A variant of the same is played at the end of some lines.


  C    F     G   C  
Nobody feels any pain 
  C          F       G        C  
Tonight as I stand inside the rain 
Dm        G
Ev'rybody knows 
     Dm             G
That Baby's got new clothes 
    F   Em Dm C       Dm              G
But lately I  see her ribbons and her bows 
     Am     F        G
Have fallen from her curls. 
    C                 F
She takes just like a woman
    C                 F
she aches just like a woman
              C                F
and she makes love just like a woman,
        Dm                 G      C   
but she breaks just like a little girl.
       E                   
It was raining from the first 

And I was dying there of thirst 
     C            
So I came in here 
         E
And your long-time curse hurts 

But what's worse 
        F
Is this pain in here 
        D7(f#)
I can't stay in here 
G 
Ain't it clear that . . .