Words and music Bob Dylan
Released on Modern Times (2006)
Tabbed by Eyolf Østrem
Did you ever expect to hear a line like “The buying power of the proletariat's gone down” in a song lyric? Way to go, Bobby! In a straight line from Ballad of Hollis Brown, through the Farm Aid initiative in the eighties, here’s one of the highlights of the album — but more than a political statement, it is also a love-ballad.
Musically, it is a close cousin of Cross the Green Mountain with which it shares the ever-descending bass line and some of the chord shadings that never manage to decide whether they’re major or minor (and which minor they are!).
A stroke of genius is the G7 between the verses — the only place where this is actually a blues song.
“I say it, so it must be so.”
Capo 2nd fret (sounding key A major)
Chords:
The G/d in the second line (marked with *) below) can be played in many different ways, in addition to the plain xx0003. A well-sounding solution, which captures the f# (sounding: g#) in the strings, is to play it as 354000 or 054000, and to play the preceeding Em as 075000. This gives a nice descent on the guitar neck down to the C in the next measure (-75--- -54--- -32---).
D/f# 200232 or xx4030 Em 022000 or 075000 Gmaj7 354000 Em9 054000 D9 xx0210 G7 320031
G D'/f# Em G/d : . . . : . . . : . . . : . . . |-----------------|(0)--------------|-----------------|-----------------| |---------3-------|-3---------3-----|-3-0---1-0-------|-----0-----0-----| |-----0-------0---|---------0-------|-----0-------2---|-0-----0---------| |-----------------|-----0h4-----4---|-2-------2-------|-0-------0-------| |-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-------------0-2-| |-3---------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
Cadd9 G/b Am(7) D : . . . : . . . : . . . : . . . |-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| |---------3-------|-3-0-----0---0---|-1-----------0---|-----------------| |-----0-------0---|-----0---------2-|---------------0-|-2---------------| |-----------------|---------0-------|-----------------|-----------------| |-3---------------|-----2-------2---|-0---------------|-----------------| |-----------------|-3---------------|-----------------|-----------------|
G D/f# There's an evening haze settling over town, Em G/d *) Starlight by the edge of the creek C G/b The buying power of the proletariat's gone down, Am D Money's getting shallow and weak
Well, the place I love best is a sweet memory it's a new path that we trod They say low wages are a reality If we want to compete abroad
My cruel weapons have been put on the shelf Come sit down on my knee You are dearer to me than myself As you yourself can see While I'm listening to the steel rails hum Got both eyes tight shut Just sitting here trying to keep the hunger from Creeping it's way into my gut
C G6/b Meet me at the bottom, don't lag behind Am G Bring me my boots and shoes C G/b You can hang back or fight your best on the frontline Am D9 G7 Sing a little bit of these workingman's blues
: . . . : . . . : . . . : . . . |-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|------------------| |-----------------|-------------6---|-----------------|---------6--------| |---------7---7---|-7---7---7-5-----|-7-------7-------|-----7-5----------| |-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|------------------| |-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|------------------| |-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|------------------| Well . . .
Well, I'm sailin' on back, ready for the long haul Tossed by the winds and the seas I'll drag 'em all down to hell and I'll stand 'em at the wall I'll sell 'em to their enemies I'm a-tryin' to feed my soul with thought Gonna sleep off the rest of the day Sometimes no one wants what you got Sometimes you can't give it away
Now the place is ringed with countless foes Some of them may be deaf and dumb No man, no woman knows The hour that sorrow will come In the dark I hear the night birds call I can feel a lover's breath I sleep in the kitchen with my feet in the hall Sleep is like a temporary death
Meet me at the bottom, don't lag behind Bring me my boots and shoes You can hang back or fight your best on the frontline Sing a little bit of these workingman's blues
: . . . : . . . : . . . : . . . |-----------------|-----------------|---3-------------|-----------------| |-----3-----------|-6---5-----------|-------------6---|-----------------| |/4-------4---7-5-|---------7---5---|-4---------------|-----------------| |-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| |-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| |-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
Well, they burned my barn, and they stole my horse I can't save a dime I got to be careful, I don't want to be forced Into a life of continual crime I can see for myself that the sun is sinking How I wish you were here to see Tell me now, am I wrong in thinking That you have forgotten me?
Now they worry and they hurry and they fuss and they fret They waste your nights and days Them I will forget But you I'll remember always Old memories of you to me have clung You've wounded me with your words Gonna have to straighten out your tongue It's all true, everything you've heard
Meet me at the bottom, don't lag behind Bring me my boots and shoes You can hang back or fight your best at the frontline Sing a little bit of these workingman's blues
: . . . : . . . : . . . : . . . |-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| |-----3---3---3\2-|-3---6-------4---|-3---------------|-----------------| |/4---4---4---4\3-|-4---7-------5---|-4---------------|-----------------| |/5---------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| |-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------| |-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
In you, my friend, I find no blame Wanna look in my eyes, please do No one can ever claim That I took up arms against you. All across the peaceful sacred fields They will lay you low They'll break your horns and slash you with steel I say it, so it must be so
Now I'm down on my luck and I'm black and blue Gonna give you another chance I'm all alone I'm expecting you To lead me off in a cheerful dance I got a brand new suit and a brand new wife I can live on rice and beans Some people never worked a day in their life Don't know what work even means
Well, meet me at the bottom, don't lag behind Bring me my boots and shoes You could hang back or fight your best on the frontline Sing a little bit of these workingman's blues