Bob Dylan – Desolation Row (Guitar)

        E
They're selling postcards of the hanging,

        A                      E
they're painting the passports brown;

    B7
the beauty parlor is filled with sailors,

    A            E
the circus is in town

        A            E
they've got him in a trance;

B7
one hand is tied to the tight-rope walker,

    A               E
the other is in his pants

        A
And the riot squad they're restless,

     E                 A
they need somewhere to go;

   E               B7
as lady and I look out tonight,

     A          E   E Esus4 E 3x
from Desolation Row

E
Cinderella, she seems so easy,

    A                           E
"it takes one to know one," she smiles;

    B7
and puts her hands in her back pockets,

A           E
Bette Davis style

       A              E
"you belong to me I believe";

    B7
and someone says," you're in the wrong place, my friend,

A          E
you better leave"

        A
And the only sound that's left,

E                    A
after the ambulances go;

   E          B7
is Cinderella sweeping up,

   A          E   E Esus4 E 3x
on Desolation Row

        E
Now the moon is almost hidden,

    A                      E
the stars are beginning to hide;

    B7
the fortunetelling lady,

    A                           E
has even taken all her things inside

        A                  E
and the hunchback of Notre Dame;

B7
everybody is making love,

   A              E
or else expecting rain

        A
And the Good Samaritan, he's dressing,

             E             A
he's getting ready for the show;

     E            B7
he's going to the carnival tonight,

   A          E  E Esus4 E 3x
on Desolation Row

     E
Now Ophelia, she's 'neath the window,

    A              E
for her I feel so afraid;

       B7
on her twenty-second birthday,

      A               E
she already is an old maid

    A             E
she wears an iron vest;

       B7
her profession's her religion,

    A                  E
her sin is her lifelessness

    A
And though her eyes are fixed upon,

E                A
Noah's great rainbow;

    E               B7
she spends her time peeking,

     A          E   E Esus4 E 3x
into Desolation Row

     E
Einstein, disguised as Robin Hood

  A                E
With his memories in a trunk

    B7
Passed this way an hour ago

    A              E
With his friend, a jealous monk

    A              E
As he bummed a cigarette

     B7
Then he went off sniffing drainpipes

    A              E
And reciting the alphabet

      A
Now you would not think to look at him

     E            A
But he was famous long ago

   E             B7
For playing the electric violin

A              E Esus4  E  3x
On Desolation Row

    E
Dr. Filth, he keeps his world

 A              E
Inside of a leather cup

   B7
But all his sexless patients

    A              E
They're trying to blow it up

  A                E
She's in charge of the cyanide hole

     B7
And she also keeps the cards that read

     A          E
"Have Mercy on His Soul"

      A
They all play on penny whistles

     E          A
You can hear them blow

      E         B7
If you lean your head out far enough

A            E Esus4  E  3x
From Desolation Row

       E
Across the street they've nailed the curtains

  A                      E
They're getting ready for the feast

    B7
The Phantom of the Opera

  A                      E
A perfect image of a priest

     A                 E
To get him to feel more assured

    B7
Then they'll kill him with self-confidence

     A                   E
After poisoning him with words

     A
And the Phantom's shouting to skinny girls

     E                   A
"Get Outa Here If You Don't Know

    E                    B7
Casanova is just being punished for going

A            E Esus4  E  3x
To Desolation Row"

     E
Now at midnight all the agents

    A              E
And the superhuman crew

     B7
Come out and round up everyone

     A                E
That knows more than they do

     A                E
Where the heart-attack machine

     B7
Is strapped across their shoulders

    A             E
And then the kerosene

    A
Is brought down from the castles

    E              A
By insurance men who go

     E                  B7
Check to see that nobody is escaping

A            E Esus4  E  3x
To Desolation Row

      E
Praise be to Nero's Neptune

    A              E
The Titanic sails at dawn

      B7
And everybody's shouting

    A              E
"Which Side Are You On?"

    A                   E
Fighting in the captain's tower

      B7
While calypso singers laugh at them

     A                E
And fishermen hold flowers

   A
Between the windows of the sea

    E                A
Where lovely mermaids flow

    E                  B7
And nobody has to think too much

      A          E  E Esus4 E 3x
About Desolation Row

      E
Yes, I received your letter yesterday

    A                    E
(About the time the door knob broke)

        B7
When you asked how I was doing

    A                   E
Was that some kind of joke?

    A                       E
Yes, I know them, they're quite lame

      B7
I had to rearrange their faces

    A                     E
And give them all another name

   A
Right now I can't read too good

    E                      A
Don't send me no more letters no

    E               B7
Not unless you mail them

     A          E   E Esus4 E 2x
From Desolation Row