Autoscroll
1 Column 
Text size
Transpose 0
Tuning: G C E A
--------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ballad in Plain D – Bob Dylan --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Written by: Bob Dylan From: “Another Side of Bob Dylan” (1964) Tabbed by: maguri Tuning: soprano C Dylan still seems to be working out the chord structure as he's going along (notice the many irregularities here and there). --------------------------------------------------------------------------- CHORDS g-C-E-A A6 2-1-2-0 A7 0-1-0-0 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- [Verse 1] 2/4 | A | A7 | D Bm D | D | % | % | % | I once loved a girl, her skin it was bronze D Bm C | G | % | With the innocence of a lamb, she was gentle like a fawn D Bm D | D | % | I courted her proudly but now she is gone D A6 A7 | D | % | % | A | Gone as the season she’s ta- ken [Verse 2] A7 D Bm D | D | % | In a young summer’s youth, I stole her away D Bm C | G | % | % | From her mother and sister, though close did they stay D Bm D | D | % | Each one of them suffering from the failures of their day D A A7 | D | % | % | A | A6 | A7 | With strings of guilt they tried hard to guide us [Verse 3] | A7 | D Bm D | D | % | D | O - o - of the two sisters, I loved the young Bm D A7 | G | % | With sensitive instincts, she was the creative one D Bm D | D | % | The constant sc(r?)apegoat, she was easily undone D A A7 | D | % | A | By the jealousy of others around her [Verse 4] | A | A7 | D Bm D | D | % | For her parasite sister, I had no respect D Bm A7 | G | % | Bound by her boredom, her pride to protect D Bm D (G)| D | % | Countless visions of the other she’d reflect D A A7 | D | % | % | A | A6 | As a crutch for her scenes and her socie- ty [Verse 5] 2/4 | A7 | D Bm D | D | % | My- self, for what I did, I cannot be excused D Bm D | G | % | % | The changes I was going through can’t even be used D Bm D | D | % | For the lies that I told her in hopes not to lose D A A7 | D | % | D | A | The could-be dream-lover of my life- time [Verse 5] | A7 | D Bm D G | D | % | With unseen consciousness, I possessed in my grip D Bm C | G | % | A magnificent mantelpiece, though its heart being chipped (bum note:x-0-3-3-3-x) D Bm D | D | % | Noticing not that I’d already slipped D A7 | D | % | % | A | To a sin of love’s false securi- ty [Verse 6] | A7 | D Bm G | D | % | From silhouetted anger to manufactured peace D Bm C | G | % | Answers of emptiness, voice vacancies D Bm D | D | D | Till the tombstones of damage read no questions but, “Please D A7 | D | % | A | % | A7 | % | What’s wrong and what’s exactly the mat-ter?” [Verse 7] D Bm D | D | % | And so it did happen like it could have been foreseen D Bm C | G | % | The timeless explosion of fantasy’s dream D Bm D | D | % | At the peak of the night, the king and the queen D A7 | D | % | % | A | A6 | A7 | Tumbled all down into pie-ces [Verse 8] | A7 | D Bm G | D | % | “The tragic figure!” her sister did shout D Bm C | G | % | “Leave her alone, God damn you, get out!” D Bm D | D | % | And I in my armor, turning about D A7 | D | % | A | A6 | A7 | And nailing her in the ruins of her pettiness [Verse 9] | A7 | D Bm D | D | % | Be- neath a bare lightbulb the plaster did pound D Bm C | G | % | Her sister and I in a screaming battleground D Bm D | D | % | And she in between, the victim of sound D A A7 | D | % | % | A | A6 | A7 | Soon shattered as a child to the sha- dows [Verse 10] | A7 | D Bm Bm | D | % | All is gone, all is gone, admit it, take flight D Bm C | G | % | I gagged in contradiction, tears blinding my sight D Bm D | D | % | My mind it was mangled, I ran into the night D A A7 | D | % | A | A6 | A7 | Leaving all of love’s ashes behind me [Verse 11] | A7 | D Bm G | D | % | The wind knocks my window, the room it is wet D Bm C | G | % | The words to say I’m sorry, I haven’t found yet D Bm G | D | % | I think of her often and hope whoever she’s met D A7 | D | % | A | % | Will be fully aware of how precious she is [Solo] | D | Bm | G | D | % | | D | Bm | C | G | % | | D | Bm | A7 | G | D | % | | D | A7 | % | D | A | % | [Verse 12] 2/4 | A7 | D Bm D | D | % | Ah, my friends from the prison, they ask unto me D Bm G | G | G/D | “How good, how good does it feel to be free?” D Bm D | D | % | And I answer them most mysteriously 2/4 D A | A7 | % | D | % | “Are birds free from the chains of the sky- way?” [Coda] | Bm | D | G | % | D | % | A7 | D (timing is fuzzy in the last few bars)