Bobdylan - Desolation Row guitar tab

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,

Kelwyn.

_________

He said that's alright babe,

I love you too.

But we were Tangled Up In Blue.

- Bob Dylan

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