Bob Dylan – Thirsty Boots (Ukulele)

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Song: Thirsty Boots Artist: Bob Dylan Album: The Bootleg Series Vol. 10: Another Self Portrait (1969–1971), 2013 Written: Eric Andersen (with amendments by Dylan) URL’s: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thirsty_Boots https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ The_Bootleg_Series_Vol._10:_Another_Self_Portrait_%281969%E2%80%931971%29 Tempo: Moderato Style: Folk & Blues Chords: GCEA G 0232 Bm 4222 Am 2000 D 2220 Em 0432 C 0003 INTRO:(Acoustic lead, piano and harmonica over) |G Bm|Am D| x4 VERSE 1:
       G             Bm        
You've been long and on the open road,

Am                          D                    
You’ve been sleepin’ in the rain.

G                    Em      
From the dirty words and muddy cells,

Am                           D        
Your clothes are smeared and stained.

    G                   Em
But the dirty words and muddy cells,

Am                    D
Will soon be judged insane.

   G             C
So only stop and rest yourself, 

Am               D
’Til you are off again.
CHORUS 1:
      G             C               
And, take off your thirsty boots,

    G         C   
And stay for awhile.

     G                Em
Your feet are hot and weary, 

Am           D
From a dusty mile.

    G           C
And maybe I can make you laugh,

Am              D
And maybe I can try.

G                Em      
Just looking for the evening,

C               D       G
And the mornin’ in your eye.
REFRAIN:(Acoustic lead over) |G Em|C D| VERSE 2:
     G              Bm           
Then tell me of the ones you saw,

Am                  D
As far as you could see.

 G                     Em            
Across the plains from field to town, 

Am             D
Marching to be free.

    G             Bm
And of the rusty prison gates,

Am             D
That tumble by degree,

     G                  C
Like laughing children, one by one, 

Am                    D
Who look like you and me.
CHORUS 2:
      G             C               
Then, take off your thirsty boots,

    G         C   
And stay for awhile.

     G                Em
Your feet are hot and weary, 

Am           D
From a dusty mile.

    G           C
And maybe I can make you laugh,

Am              D
And maybe I can try.

G                    Em      
Just looking for the evening,

Am              D       G
And the mornin’ in your eye.
INSTRUMENTAL:(Acoustic lead, piano and harmonica over) |G Em|Am D| x4 VERSE 3:
  G                Bm            
I know that you’re no stranger,  

Am                       D
Down the crooked rainbow trail.

     G                   Em                 
From dancing cliffheads, shattered sills,

Am                    D 
Of slandered shackled jails.

    G                   Bm         
But the voices drift up from below, 

Am                     D
As his walls are being scaled.

G           
And all of this, 

Em                          
And more my friend, 

Am                     D
Your song shall not be failed.
CHORUS 3:
      G             Em               
Then, take off your thirsty boots,

    Am        D   
And stay for awhile.

     G                Em
Your feet are hot and weary, 

Am           D
From a dusty mile.

    G           C
And maybe I can make you laugh,

Am              D
And maybe I can try.

G                    Em      
Just looking for the evening,

Am              D       G
And the mornin’ in your eye.
CODA:(Acoustic lead, piano and harmonica over) |G Em|Am D| x4 |G | [End] 1. "Thirsty Boots" is a Civil Rights era folksong by American singer-songwriter Eric Andersen that first appeared on his 1966 album 'Bout Changes 'n' Things. According to the album's liner notes, the song "was written to a civil rights worker-friend. Having never gone down to Mississippi myself, I wrote the song about coming back." 2. I’ve tried to make it more simply accessible in ‘open’ tuning on the ukulele, which is in standard A tuning. 3. It has resonance, as this song could easily be about the suffering of present-day refugees and internee’s in our Australian ’detention centres’, both in and off-shore. :-R