'Desolation row' by Bob Dylan - Guitar Tutorial

            From: cctr128@cantua.canterbury.ac.nz (Mr К Osborn)
 
 Desolation Row
 Words and music by Bob Dylan
 
 D
 They're selling postcards of the hanging.
 
          G                     D
 They're painting the passports brown.
 
     A7
 The beauty parlour's filled with sailors.
 
 G                     D
  The circus is in town.
 
 
 Here comes the blind commissoner.
 
         G            D
 They've got him in a trance.
 
     A7
 One hand's tied to the tightrope walker.
 
 G                    D
  The other is in his pants.
 
         G
 And the riot squad they're restless
 
      D
 They need some where to go.
 
    D               A7
 As lady and I look out tonight
 
 G              D
  On Desolation Row.
 
 
 Cinderella she seem so easy.
 It takes on to know one she smiles.
 Then puts her hand in her back pocket,
 Betty davis style.
 Then in comes Romeo he's moaning.
 You Belong to me I believe.
 And someone says your in the wrong place my friend
 You better leave.
 And the only sound that's left
 After the ambulances go.
 Is Cinderella sweeping up
 On Desolation Row.
 
 Now the moon is almost hidden
 The stars are beginning to hide
 The fortune telling lady
 Has already taken all her things inside.
 All except for Cane and Able
 And the Hunch Back of Notre Dame
 Everyone is making love
 Or else expecting rain
 And the good samaritan he's dressing
 He's gettin ready for the show.
 He's going to the carinval
 Tonight on Desolation Row.
 
 Now Ophelia she's 'neath the window.
 For her I feel so afraid.
 On her twenty-second birthday
 She already is an old maid.
 To her death is quite romantic.
 She wears an iron vest.
 Her profession's her religion,
 Her sin is her lifelessness.
 And though her eyes are fixed upon
 Noah's great rainbow
 She spends her time peeking
 Into Desolation Row.
 
 Einstien disguised as Robin Hood
 With his memories in a trunk
 Passed this way an hour ago
 With his friend a jealous monk.
 He looked so frightful
 As he bummed a cigarette
 Then went off sniffing drain pipes
 And reciting the alphabet.
 No you would not think to look at him
 That he was famous long ago
 For playing electric violin
 On Desolation Row.
 
 Doctor filth he keeps his word
 Inside a leather cup
 But all his sexless patients
 Are trying to blow it up.
 Now his nurse a local looser
 She's in charge of the cyanaide hole
 And she also keeps the cards that read
 Have mercy on his soul.
 They all play on penny whistles
 You can hear them blow
 If you lean your head out far enough
 >From Desolation Row
 
 Across the street they've nailed the curtains
 They're gettin ready for the feast
 The phantom of the opera
 A perfect image of a priest
 They're spoon feedin Casonova
 To get him to feel more assured
 Then they'll killed him with self confidence
 After poisoning him with words
 And the phantom shouting to skinning girls
 Get outta her don't you know
 Casanova is just being punished
 For going to Desolation Row.
 
 Now at midnight all the agents
 And the superhuman crews
 Round up everyone
 That knows more than they do.
 Then they bring them to the factory
 Where the heart attack machines
 Is strapped across their shoulders
 And then the kerosene
 Is brought down from the castles
 By insurance men that go
 Check to see that nobody is escaping
 To Desolation Row
 
 Praise be to Nero's Neptune
 The Titanic sails at dawn
 And everybody shouting
 Which side are you on
 And Ezra Pound and T.S. Eliot
 Fighting in the captains tower
 While calypso signers laugh at them
 And fishermen hold flowers
 Between the windows of the sea
 Where lovely mermaids flow
 And nobody has to think too much
 About Desolation Row
 
 Yes I received your letter yesterday
 About the time the door knob broke.
 When you asked me how I was
 Was that some kind of joke.
 All those people that you mention
 Yes I know them they're quite lame.
 I had to rearrange their faces
 And give them all another name.
 Right now I can't read too good
 Don't send me no more letters no.
 Not unless you mail them from
 Desolation Row.
 
 Be seeing you,
 Кеlwуn.
 _________
 
 He said that's alright babe,
 I love you too.
 But we were Tangled Up In Blue.
        - Bob Dylan
 
 
 
 
 From: jim@truleigh.demon.co.uk (James Fryer)
 Subject: CRD: Dylan, Desolation Row
 
 
 D
 They're selling postcards of the hanging
 D       G                      D
 They're painting the passports brown
 D   A
 The beauty parlour's filled with sailors
 G                D
 The circus is in town
 D
 Here comes the blind commissioner
 D    G            D
 They got him in a trance
 D   A
 One hand is tied to the tightrope walker
 G                   D
 The other is in his pants
 D       G
 And the riot squad they're restless
 D                     G
 They need somewhere to go
 D                  A
 As lady and I look out tonight
 A  G          D
 On desolation row
 
 Use Dsus4 as appropriate.
 
 Jim
 -- 
 James Fryer   /   jim@truleigh.demon.co.uk   /   jim@cix.compulink.co.uk
 The cat is the only H-bomb to drop and this robustness must stop
  -- Lord Invader