Tears of Rage

Written by Richard Manuel and Bob Dylan
Released on The Basement Tapes (1967/1975)
Tabbed by Eyolf Østrem

Capo 2nd fret (sounding key A major)

There are three takes on the GBT, but there are no substantial differences between them. The lyrics differs from the official lyrics on some points.

G

   G                  Em
We carried you in our arms
   C            Am
On Independence Day,
    F                  C
And now you'd throw us all aside
    G       
And put us on our way.
   G                             Em
Oh what dear daughter 'neath the sun
      C              Am
Would treat a father so,
   F             C
To wait upon him hand and foot
    G         
Yet always answer "No"?
B              Em
Tears of rage, tears of grief,
C                                G
Why am I always the one who must be the thief?
B              
Come to me now, you know
      Em        /d
We're so alone 
C   Am      G         C/g G
And life is brief.

We pointed out the way to go
And scratched your name in sand,
Though you just thought that it was nothing more
Than a place for you to stand.
Now, I want you to know that while you watched,
discovered that there was no one true,
that I myself really thought 
It was just a childish thing to do.
Tears of rage, tears of grief,
Why am I always the one who must be the thief?
Come to me now, you know
We're so alone
And life is brief.

It was all very very painless
When you ran out to receive
All that false instruction
Which we never could believe.
And now the heart is filled with gold
As if it was a purse.
But, oh, what kind of love is this
Which goes from bad to worse?
Tears of rage, tears of grief,
Why am I always the one who must be the thief?
Come to me now, you know
We're so alone
And life is brief.