bob dylan
In 1974, Bob Dylan rounded up a long tour with The Band, divorced Sara and sat down writing songs that after several touch-ups became the album "Blood on the Tracks", returning to Columbia after 2 albums with Asylum. It was meant to be released for Xmas '74, but was delayed because he cut half the playlist over again, and produced it himself - in Minneapolis, while the first takes were made in New York, produced by Phil Ramone. Dispite this, the result had a consistence no other Dylan album ever had. It got a mixed reception, from "Masterpiece" to "What the f...", but as the years have gone by, the first depiction has won. In my opinion it's Dylans's best production ever, which is not peanuts.
Dylan himself denies that the lyrics are autobiographic, but I don't trust that guy. He's always been vague. The song is the first track on the album. It's told that it was written after Dylan listening to Joni Mitchells "Blue" album throughout a weekend. May be so. It was also written at the time of a divorce. Various affairs from the past may have entangled.
The album is entirely written and recorded in D open tuning, influenced by Irish folk musician Paul Brady. Playing nylon string, this tuning trick sounds disgusting, thus my humble transition and conversion.
early one morning • the sun was shining • I was laying in bed
wondering if she had changed at all if her hair was still red
her folks they said our lives together sure was gonna be rough
they never liked mama's home made dress • papa's bankbook wasn't big enough
and I was standing on the side of the road • rain falling on my shoes
heading out for the eastern coast • lord knows I've paid some dues getting through
tangled up in blue
she was married when we first met • soon to be divorced
I helped her out of a jam I guess but I used a little too much force
we drove that car as far as we could • abandoned it out west
split it up on a dark sad night both agreeing it was best
she turned around looking at me as I was walking away
I heard her say over my shoulder "we'll meet again some day on the avenue"
tangled up in blue
I had a job in the great north woods working as a cook for a spell
but I never did like it all that much and one day the axe just fell
so I drifted down to New Orleans where I happened to be employed
working for a while on a fishing boat right outside of Delacroix
but all the while I was alone • the path was close behind
I've seen a lot of women but she never escaped my mind and I just grew
tangled up in blue
she was working in a topless place and I stepped in for a beer
I just kept looking at the side of her face in the spotlight so clear
and later on as the crowd thinned out I was just about to do the same
she was standing there back of my chair and said "don't I know your name?"
I muttered something underneath my breath as she studied the lines of my face
I must admit I felt a little uneasy when she bent down to tie the laces of my shoe
tangled up in blue
she lit a burner on the stove and offered me a pipe
"I thought you'd never say hello" she said "you look like the silent type"
then she opened up a book of poems and handled it to me
written by an italian poet from the fifteenth century
and every one of them words rang true and glowed like burning coal
pouring off of every page like it was written into my soul from me to you
tangled up in blue
I lived with them on Montague Street in a basement down the stairs
there was music in the cafees at night and revolution in the air
then he started into dealing with slaves and something inside of him died
she had to sell everything she owned and froze up inside
and when finally the bottom fell out I became withdrawn
the only thing that I knew how to do was keep on keeping on like a bird that flew
tangled up in blue
so now I'm going back again • I gotta get to her somehow
all the people we used to know are an illution to me now
some are mathematicians • some are carpenter's wives
I don't know how it all got started • I don't know what they do with their lives
but me I'm still on the road heading for another joint
we always felt the same • we just saw it from a different point of view
tangled up in blue
For the following CHORD section, fullscreen/horizontal mobile is recommended.
Chords in brackets may be omitted.
D ... Cadd9 ... D ... Cadd9 ... D C D C early one morning the sun was shining I was laying in bed D C G wondering if she had changed at all if her hair was still red D Cadd9 D Cadd9 her folks they said our lives together sure was gonna be rough D Cadd9 G they never liked mama's home made dress papa's bankbook wasn't big enough Em Bm D G and I was standing on the side of the road rain falling on my shoes Em Bm D G A heading out for the eastern coast lord knows I've paid some dues getting through C G D tangled up in blue
