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Oh Mercy - Bob Dylan
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All songs tabbed by: maguri
Tuning: Standard
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Released September 18, 1989
Recorded FebruaryâApril 1989
Genre Rock
Length 38:46
Label Columbia
Producer Daniel Lanois
Writers All songs written by Bob Dylan
Track List
1. Political World 3:43
2. Where Teardrops Fall 2:30
3. Everything Is Broken 3:12
4. Ring Them Bells 3:00
5. Man in the Long Black Coat 4:30
6. Most of the Time 5:02
7. What Good Am I? 4:45
8. Disease of Conceit 3:41
9. What Was It You Wanted 5:02
10. Shooting Star 3:12
Musicians
Bob Dylan â vocals, guitar, piano, harmonica, 12-string guitar, organ
Malcolm Burn â tambourine, keyboards, on 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9
Rockin Dopsie â accordion on 2
Willie Green â drums on 1, 3, 6, 8, 9, 10
Tony Hall â bass guitar on 1, 3, 6, 8, 10
John Hart â saxophone on 2
Daryl Johnson â percussion on 3
Larry Jolivet â bass guitar on 2
Daniel Lanois â dobro, lap steel, guitar, omnichord, bass guitar
(performs on all tracks except 8)
Cyril Neville â percussion on 1, 6, 9
Alton Rubin, Jr. â scrub board on 2
Mason Ruffner â guitar on 1, 8, 10
Brian Stoltz â guitar on 1, 3, 8, 10
Paul Synegal â guitar on 2
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1. Political World - Bob Dylan
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[Intro]
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[Verse]
We live in a political world
Love don t have any place
We re living in times where men commit crimes
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And crime don t have any face.
[Verse]
We live in a political world
Icicles hanging down
Wedding bells ring and angels sing
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And clouds cover up the ground.
[Verse]
We live in a political world
Wisdom is thrown in jail
It rots in a cell, misguided as hell
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Leaving no one to pick up a trail.
[Verse]
We live in a political world
Where mercy walks the plank
Life is in mirrors, death disappears
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Up the steps into the nearest bank.
[Verse]
We live in a political world
Where courage is a thing of the past
Houses are haunted, children are unwanted
The next day could be your last.
[Verse]
We live in a political world
The one we can see and feel
But there s no one to check, it s all a stacked deck
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We all know for sure that it s real.
[Verse]
We live in a political world
In the cities of lonesome fear
Little by little you turn in the middle
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But you re never sure why you re here.
[Verse]
We live in a political world
Under the microscope
You can travel anywhere and hang yourself there
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You always got more than enough rope.
[Verse]
We live in a political world
Turning and trashing about
As soon as you re awake you re trained to take
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What looks like the easy way out.
[Verse]
We live in a political world
Where peace is not welcome at all
It s turned away from the door to wonder some more
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Or put up against the wall.
[Verse]
We live in a political world
Everything is hers and his
Climb into the frame and shout God s name
But you re not even sure what it is.
[Outro]
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(repeat and fade)
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2. Where Teardrops Fall - Bob Dylan
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[Chords]
E-A-D-G-B-e
Eb6 x-3-2-2-1-x
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[Intro] (slide)
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[Verse]
Far away where the soft winds blow
Far away from it all
There is a place you go
Where teardrops fall
[Verse]
Far away in the stormy night
Far away and over the wall
You are there in the flickering light
Where teardrops fall
[Middle 8]
We banged the drum slowly
And played the fife lowly
You know the song in my heart
In the turning of twilight
In the shadows of moonlight
You can show me a new place to start
[Verse]
I ve torn my clothes and I ve drained the cup
Strippin away at it all
Thinking of you when the sun comes up
Where teardrops fall
[Solo] (slide)
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[Middle 8]
By rivers of blindness
In love and with kindness
We could hold up a toast if we meet
To the cuttin of fences
To sharpen the senses
That linger in the fireball heat
[Verse]
Roses are red, violets are blue
And time is beginning to crawl
I just might have to come see you
Where teardrops fall
[Coda] (sax)
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3. Everything is Broken - Bob Dylan
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Riff (guitar/bass)
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
e|----------------| |----------------|
B|----------------| |----------------|
G|----------------| |----------------|
D|----------------| |----------------|
A|----------------| |0-0-4-5-6-7-6-7-|
E|0-0-4-5-6-7-6-7-| |----------------|
[Chords]
E-A-D-G-B-e
E7 0-2-2-4-3-4
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[Intro]
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(riff)
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[Verse]
Broken lines, broken strings, broken threads, broken springs
Broken idols, broken heads, people sleeping in broken beds
Ain t no use jivin , ain t no use jokin
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Everything is broken
[Verse]
Broken bottles, broken plates, broken switches, broken gates
Broken dishes, broken parts, streets are filled with broken hearts
Broken words never meant to be spoken
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Everything is broken
[Middle 8]
Seems like every time you stop and turn around
Something else has just hit the ground
[Verse]
Broken cutters, broken saws, broken buckles, broken laws
Broken bodies, broken bones, broken voices on broken phones
Take a deep breath, feel like you re chokin
Everything is broken
[Solo] (harp]
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[Middle 8]
Every time you leave and go off some place
Things fall to pieces in my face
[Verse]
Broken hands on broken plows, broken treaties, broken vows
Broken pipes, broken tools, people bending broken rules
Hound dog howlin , bullfrog croakin
Everything is broken
[Solo] (harp]
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(repeat verse pattern and fade)
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4. Ring them Bells - Bob Dylan
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Following the main vocal line, Dylan plays a lot of changes on the piano on
his recording that are hard to do on a guitar. I skipped most of them for
this tab and kept to the underlying chord (mostly C).
capo: 1st fret
play: C
key: C#/Db
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[Chords]
E-A-D-G-B-E
F/A x-0-3-2-1-1
G/B x-2-0-0-3-3
F/G 3-x-3-2-1-1
Abaug 4-x-2-1-1-x
C/G 3-x-2-0-1-0
D9/F# 2-x-0-2-1-0
Fmaj7 (t)1-3-3-2-1-0
C/E 0(3)2-0-1-0
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[Intro]
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[Verse] 1
Ring them bells, ye heathen
From the city that dreams
Ring them bells from the sanctuaries
âCross the valleys and streams
For theyâre deep and theyâre wide
And the worldâs on its side
And time is running backwards
And so is the bride
[Interlude]
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[Verse] 2
Ring them bells St. Peter
Where the four winds blow
Ring them bells with an iron hand
So the people will know
Oh itâs rush hour now
On the wheel and the plow
And the sun is going down
Upon the sacred cow
[Interlude]
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[Verse] 3
Ring them bells Sweet Martha
For the poor manâs son
Ring them bells so the world will know
That God is one
Oh the shepherd is asleep
Where the willows weep
And the mountains are filled
With lost sheep
[Middle 8]
Ring them bells for the blind and the deaf
Ring them bells for all of us who are left
Ring them bells for the chosen few
Who will judge the many when the game is through
Ring them bells, for the time that flies
For the child that cries
When innocence dies
[Verse] 4
Ring them bells St. Catherine
From the top of the room
Ring them from the fortress
For the lilies that bloom
Oh the lines are long
And the fighting is strong
And theyâre breaking down the distance
Between right and wrong
[Coda]
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5. Man in the Long Black Coat - Bob Dylan
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[Intro]
| |
freely
time signature: 6/8
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|
A |
E C#m |
A |
E |
|
A |
E C#m |
A |3/4
E | | % |
|
E | % |
A |3/4
E | | % |
[Verse] 1
A E C#m
Crickets are chirpinâ, the water is high
A E
Thereâs a soft cotton dress on the line hanginâ dry
A E C#m
Window wide open, African trees
A E
Bent over backwards from a hurricane breeze
E E
Not a word of goodbye, not even a note
A
She gone with the man
E
In the long black coat
[Verse]2
A E C#m
Somebody seen him hanging around
A E
At the old dance hall on the outskirts of town
A E C#m
He looked into her eyes when she stopped him to ask
A E
If he wanted to dance, he had a face like a mask
E E
Somebody said from the Bible heâd quote
A
There was dust on the man
E
In the long black coat
[Verse] 3
A E C#m
Preacher was a talkinâ, thereâs a sermon he gave
A E
He said every manâs conscience is vile and depraved
A E C#m
You cannot depend on it to be your guide
A E
When itâs you who must keep it satisfied
E E
It ainât easy to swallow, it sticks in the throat
A
She gave her heart to the man
E
In the long black coat
[Middle 8]
A
There are no mistakes in life some people say
E
It is true sometimes you can see it that way
A
But people don t live or die, people just float
A
She went with the man
E
In the long black coat
[Verse] 4
A E C#m
Thereâs smoke on the water, itâs been there since June
A E
Tree trunks uprooted, neath the high crescent moon
A E C#m
Feel the pulse and vibration and the rumbling force
A E
Somebody is out there beating on a dead horse
E E
She never said nothing, there was nothing she wrote
A
She gone with the man
E
In the long black coat
[Outro]
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|
E | |
|
E | |
|
E | |
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6. Most of the Time - Bob Dylan
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[Chords]
E-A-D-G-B-e
F/G 3-x-3-2-1-1
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[Intro]
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(freely)
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[Verse]
Most of the time
Iâm clear focused all around
Most of the time
I can keep both feet on the ground
I can follow the path, I can read the signs
Stay right with it when the road unwinds
I can handle whatever I stumble upon
I donât even notice sheâs gone
[ ]
Most of the time
[Interlude]
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[Verse]
Most of the time
Itâs well understood
Most of the time
I wouldnât change it if I could
I can make it all match up, I can hold my own
I can deal with the situation right down to the bone
I can survive, I can endure
And I donât even think about her
[ ]
Most of the time
[Interlude]
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[Verse]
Most of the time
My head is on straight
Most of the time
Iâm strong enough not to hate
I donât build up illusion âtil it makes me sick
I ainât afraid of confusion no matter how thick
I can smile in the face of mankind
Donât even remember what her lips felt like on mine
[ ]
Most of the time
[Interlude]
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[Middle 8]
Most of the time
She ainât even in my mind
I wouldnât know her if I saw her
Sheâs that far behind
E
Most of the time
I canât even be sure
E
If she was ever with me
Or if I was with her
[Verse]
Most of the time
Iâm halfway content
Most of the time
I know exactly where it went
I donât cheat on myself, I donât run and hide
Hide from the feelings that are buried inside
I donât compromise and I donât pretend
I donât even care if I ever see her again
[ ]
Most of the time
[Outro]
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(repeat and fade)
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7. What Good Am I? - Bob Dylan
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[Intro]
|
A E |
A E |
E A |
E |
[Verse 1]
E A |
E A |
E |
What good am I if I m like all the rest?
E A |
E A |
E |
If I just turn away, when I see how you re dressed
C#m |
G#m | % |
If I shut myself off so, I can t hear you cry
A E A |
E A |
E |
What good am I?
[Verse 2]
A E A |
E A |
E |
What good am I if I know and don t do?
E A |
E A |
E |
If I see and don t say, if I look right through you
C#m |
G#m | % |
If I turn a deaf ear, to the thundering sky
A E A |
E A |
E |
What good am I?
[Verse]
A E A |
E A |
E |
What good am I while you softly weep?
E A |
E A |
E |
And I hear in my head what you say in your sleep
C#m |
G#m | % |
And I freeze in the moment, like the rest who don t try
A E A |
E A |
E |
What good am I?
[Middle 8]
C#m
What good am I then, to others and me?
C#m G#m
If I ve had every chance, and yet still fail to see?
C#m
If my hands are tied, must I not wonder within
C#m G#m | | % |
Who tied them and why and where must I have been?
[Verse]
E A |
E A |
E |
What good am I if I say foolish things?
E A |
E A |
E |
And I laugh in the face of what sorrow brings
C#m |
G#m | % |
And I just turn my back, while you silently die
A E A |
E A |
E |
What good am I?
[Verse] instrumental
2/4
|
E |
A |
E A |
E |
2/4
|
E |
A |
E A |
E |
2/4
|
C#m |
C#m |
G#m | % |
2/4
|
A E |
A |
E A |
[Coda]
|
E A |
|
E A |
|
E A |
E A |
E
(freely)
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8. The Disease of Conceit - Bob Dylan
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Capo: 1st fret
Play: C
Key: C#/Db
[Chords]
E-A-D-G-B-E
C/E 0(3)2-0-1-0
D7/F# 2-x-0-2-1-0
Dm7/G 3-x-0-2-1-1
Am/G 3-x-2-2-1-0
F/G 3-x-3-2-1-1
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[Intro] (slide)
| | |
D7/F# |
Dm7/G |
[Verse] 1
There s a whole lot of people suffering tonight
From the disease of conceit
D7/F#
Whole lot of people struggling tonight
Dm7/G
From the disease of conceit
Am/G
Comes right down the highway
Straight down the line
Am/G
Rips into your senses
Through your body and your mind
D7/F#
Nothing about it that s sweet
The disease of conceit
[Verse] 2
There s a whole lot of hearts breaking tonight
From the disease of conceit
D7/F#
Whole lot of hearts shaking tonight
Dm7/G
From the disease of conceit
Am/G
Steps into your room
Eats your soul
Am/G
Over your senses
You have no control
D7/F#
Ain t nothing too discreet
About the disease of conceit
[Verse] 3
There s a whole lot of people dying tonight
From the disease of conceit
D7/F#
Whole lot of people crying tonight
Dm7/G
From the disease of conceit
Am/G
Comes right out of nowhere
And you re down for the count
Am/G
From the outside world
The pressure will mount
D7/F#
Turn you into a piece of meat
The disease of conceit
[Middlle 8]
Am/G
Conceit is a disease
But the doctors got no cure
Am/G
They ve done a lot of research on it
But what it is, they re still not sure
[Verse] 4
There s a whole lot of people in trouble tonight
From the disease of conceit
D7/F#
Whole lot of people seeing double tonight
Dm7/G
From the disease of conceit
Am/G
Give ya delusions of grandeur
And an evil eye
Am/G
Give you the idea that
You re too good to die
D7/F#
Then they bury you from your head to your feet
From the disease of conceit
[Coda] (guitar solo)
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D7/F# |
Dm7/G |
|
Am/G | |
Am/G | |
|
D7/F# |
Dm7/G |
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9. What was it you wanted? - Bob Dylan
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Capo: 4th fret
Play: Am
Key: C#m
[Chords]
E-A-D-G-B-E
Dm/A x-0-3-2-3-x
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[Intro]
| |
Dm/A | | % |
[Verse]
What was it you wanted?
Tell me again so I ll know
What s happening in there
What s going on in your show
What was it you wanted
Dm/A
Could you say it again?
I ll be back in a minute
You can get it together by then
[Interlude]
| |
Em | | % |
[Verse]
What was it you wanted
You can tell me, I m back
We can start it all over
Get it back on the track
You got my attention
Dm/A
Go ahead, speak
What was it you wanted
When you were kissing my cheek?
[Interlude]
| |
Em | | % |
[Verse]
Was there somebody looking
When you gave me that kiss
Someone there in the shadows
Someone that I might have missed?
Is there something you needed
Dm/A
Something I don t understand
What was it you wanted
Do I have it here in my hand?
[Interlude]
| |
Em | | % |
[Middle 8]
Em
Whatever you wanted
Em
Slipped out of my mind
Em
Would you remind me again
Em
If you d be so kind
Em
Has the record been breaking
Em
Did the needle just skip
Em
Is there somebody waiting
Em
Was there a slip of the lip?
[Verse]
What was it you wanted
I ain t keeping score
Are you the same person
That was here before?
Is it something important?
Dm/A
Maybe not
What was it you wanted?
Tell me again I forgot
[Interlude]
| |
Em | | % |
[Solo]
| | % | % | % |
| |
Dm/A | | % |
| |
Em | | % |
[Middle 8]
Em
Whatever you wanted
Em
What could it be
Em
Did somebody tell you
Em
That you could get it from me
Em
Is it something that comes natural
Em
Is it easy to say
Em
Why do you want it
Em
Who are you anyway?
[Verse]
Is the scenery changing
Am I getting it wrong
Is the whole thing going backwards
Are they playing our song?
Where were you when it started
Dm/A
Do you want it for free
What was it you wanted
Are you talking to me?
[Outro]
| |
Em | | % |
| |
Em | | % |
| |
Em | | % |
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10. Shooting Star - Bob Dylan
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Capo: 4th fret
Play: C
Key: E
[Chords]
E-A-D-G-B-E
C/E 0(3)2-0-1-0
Abaug 4-x-2-1-1(0)
Am7/G 3-x-2-0-1-0
Am/F# 2-x-2-2-1-0
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Capo 4th fret
[Intro]
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
[Verse]
Seen a shooting star tonight
And I thought of you
You were trying to break into another world
A world I never knew
I always kind of wondered if you ever made it through
Seen a shooting star tonight
And I thought of you
[Verse]
Seen a shooting star tonight
And I thought of me
If I was still the same
If I ever became what you wanted me to be
Did I miss the mark or overstep the line that only you could see
Seen a shooting star tonight
And I thought of me
[Middle 8]
Listen to the engine listen to the bell
Am7/G Am/F#
As the last fire truck from hell goes rolling by
All good people are praying
It s the last temptation the last account
Am7/G Am/F#
The last time you might hear the sermon on the mount
The last radio is playing.
[Verse]
Seen a shooting star tonight slip away
Tomorrow will be another day
Guess it s too late to say the things to you
That you needed to hear me say
Seen a shooting star tonight slip away
[Coda] (Harp)
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| | | | |
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