TANGLED UP IN BLUE (Bob Dylan)
------------------------------
[These are the chords and lyrics as they appear on the _1200_Curfews_
 live album, since that's the Indigo Girls version that most people are
 likely to have heard.]
[Complete tablature for Emily Saliers' fingerpicking pattern (in the intro
 and first verse) is at the end of the file.]

A  Asus4   A  Asus4   A  Asus4   A  Asus4
[intro]

A                      Asus4           A                Asus4
Early one morning the sun was shining; I was laying in bed
A                    Asus4                D               D
Wondering if she'd changed at all, if her hair was still red
A                         Asus4          A                  Asus4
Her folks, they said our lives together sure was gonna be rough
           A                Asus4                 D                    D
They never did like Mama's homemade dress, Papa's bankbook wasn't big enough

E                       F#m               A                  D
Me, I'm standing on the side of the road, rain falling on my shoes
    E                  F#m              A                     D
I'm heading out to the east coast, lord knows I've paid some dues
        E       E    G   -   D     A   Asus4   A  Asus4
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 up on a sad dark night, both agreeing it was best

She turned around to look at me as I was walking away
And I heard her say over my shoulder, we'll meet again some day
On the avenue, tangled up in blue

I was living 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
Yeah I was working for a while on a fishing boat, right outside of Delacroix

And all the while I was alone, the past 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 at a topless bar, and I stopped in for a beer
I just kept looking at the side of her face in the spotlight so clear
Now, later on the crowd thinned out, and I was just about to do the same
She's standing there in that back of my chair, she said, don't I know your name

Well I muttered something underneath my breath, she studied the lines on my face
I must admit I felt a little uneasy when she bent down to tie the laces
Of my shoes; we were tangled up in blue.  I know, I know, I know....

[violin solo, same chords as one complete verse]

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
And then she opened up a book of poems and handed it to me
Written by an Italian poet from the thirteenth century

Every one of those words rang true and glowed like burning coal
Pouring off of every page like it was written in my soul
From me to you; tangled up in blue

[guitar & violin solo, same chords as one complete verse; but, after
 the G - D part, the tone changes dramatically and goes to A5 instead
 of A & Asus4:]

A5   A5   A5   A5
[bass & drums; bluesy tempo]

A5             A5      D5       D5
  I lived with them on Montague Street
     A5        A5        D5    D5
In a basement down the stairs, yeah
A5          A5               D5    D5
  There was music in the cafes at night
        E5   E5   E5   E5
And revoluuuuuuuuuuuuuution in the air

A5                 A5         D5             D5
  That's when he started into dealing with slaves
A5                 A5            D5      D5
  And something inside of her died, just died
A5            A5      D5         D5
  She had to sell everything she owned
        A5     A5          D5   D5
And she frooooooooze up inside
E                       F#m             A             D
  And finally, when the bottom feel out, I became withdrawn
E                       F#m              A               D
  The only thing I knew how to do was to keep on keeping on
                 E               E
Like a bird that flewww-ew-ew-ew-ewww
G   -   D     A
Tangled up in bluuuuue-oh yeah

A  Asus4   A  Asus4   A  Asus4   A  Asus4
[original tempo and chords]

Now I'm heading back again, I got to get to her somehow
And all the people that I used to know, they're an illusion to me now
Some are mathematicians, some are carpenters' wives
I don't know how it all got started, I dunno what they're doing with their lives

But me, I'm still on the road, headed for another joint
We always did feel the same, we just saw it from a different point
Of view, tangled up in blue.  I know, I know, I know....

[violin solo, same chords as one complete verse; end on A.]



TAB:

  A                Asus4            A                Asus4
E ----------------|------0---------|----------------|------0---------|
B --------2-------|2=3-------3-----|--------0=2-----|2=3-------3-----|
G --------------2-|--------------2-|--------------2-|--------------2-|
D ----2-------2---|----2-------2---|----2-------2---|----2-------2---|
A 0-------0-------|0-------0-------|0-------0-------|0-------0-------|
E ----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
  ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ .  ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ .  ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ .  ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ .
 [intro]

  A                Asus4            A                Asus4
E ----------------|------0---------|----------------|--0-------------|
B --------0=2-----|2=3-------3-----|------0-----0=2-|------2---------|
G ----------------|--------------2-|----------------|----------------|
D ----2-------2---|----2-------2---|----2-------2---|----2-----2-----|
A 0-------0-------|0-------0-------|0-------0-------|0-------0---0---|
E ----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
  ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ .  ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ .  ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ .  ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ .
 [intro]

  A                Asus4            A                Asus4
E ----------------|------0---------|----------------|-------0--------|
B ----------2-----|--3-------3-----|----------2-----|--3-------3-----|
G ------2-------2-|--------------2-|------2-------2-|--------------2-|
D ----2-------2---|----2-------2---|----2-------2---|----2-------2---|
A 0-------0-------|0-------0-------|0-------0-------|0-------0-------|
E ----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
  ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ .  ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ .  ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ .  ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ .
  Early one morning the sun was shining; I was laying in bed

  A                Asus4            D                D
E ----------------|-------0--------|----------2-----|--2-------2-----|
B ----------2-----|--3-------3-----|------3-------3-|------3-------3-|
G ------2-------2-|--------------2-|----2-------2---|----2-------2---|
D ----2-------2---|----2-------2---|0-------0-------|0-------0-------|
A 0-------0-------|0-------0-------|----------------|----------------|
E ----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
  ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ .  ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ .  ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ .  ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ .
  Wondering if she'd changed at all, if her hair was still red

  A                Asus4            A                Asus4
E ----------------|------0---------|----------------|-------0--------|
B ----------2-----|--3-------3-----|----------2-----|--3-------3-----|
G ------2-------2-|--------------2-|------2-------2-|--------------2-|
D ----2-------2---|----2-------2---|----2-------2---|----2-------2---|
A 0-------0-------|0-------0-------|0-------0-------|0-------0-------|
E ----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
  ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ .  ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ .  ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ .  ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ .
  Her folks, they said our lives together sure was gonna be rough

  A                Asus4            D(9)             D(9)
E ------0---------|-------0--------|----------0-----|----------0-----|
B --2-------2-----|--3-------3-----|------3-------3-|------3-------0-|
G --------------2-|--------------2-|----2-------2---|----2-------2---|
D ----2-------2---|----2-------2---|0-------0-------|0-------0-------|
A 0-------0-------|0-------0-------|----------------|----------------|
E ----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
  ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ .  ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ .  ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ .  ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ .
  They never did like Mama's homemade dress, Papa's bankbook wasn't big enough

  E                F#m              A                D(9)
E ----------------|----------------|----------------|------0---------|
B ----------0-----|----------2-----|----------2-----|----------3-----|
G ------1------(0)|------2------(2)|------2-------2-|----2-------2(0)|
D ----2-------2---|----4-------4---|----2-------2---|0-------0-------|
A ----------------|----------------|0-------0-------|----------------|
E 0-------0-------|2-------2-------|----------------|----------------|
  ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ .  ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ .  ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ .  ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ .
  Me, I'm standing on the side of the road, rain falling on my shoes

  E                F#m              A                D(9)
E ----------0-----|----------------|----------------|----------0-----|
B ----------------|--2-------2-----|----------2-----|------3---------|
G ------1------(0)|------2-------2-|------2-------2-|----2-------2---|
D ----2-------2---|----4-------4---|----2-------2---|0-------0-------|
A ----------------|----------------|0-------0-------|----------------|
E 0-------0-------|2-------2-------|----------------|----------------|
  ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ .  ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ .  ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ .  ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ .
  I'm heading out to the east coast, lord knows I've paid some dues

  E         Esus4          E        G       D
E ------0-------0-|------0------(0)|------3-------2-|
B ------------0---|--0-------0-----|----0-----3-----|
G ----1---1=2-----|----2-------1---|0-----------2---|
D ----------------|2-------2-------|--------0-------|
A ----------------|----------------|----------------|
E 0---------------|----------------|----------------|
  ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ .  ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ .  ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ .
  Getting through;                  tangled up in blue

  A                Asus4            A                Asus4
E ----------------|------0---------|----------------|--0-------0-----|
B --------0=2-----|2=3-------3-----|--------0=2---3-|------3-------3-|
G --------------2-|--------------2-|--------2-------|----------------|
D ----2-------2---|----2-------2---|----2-------2---|----2-------2---|
A 0-------0-------|0-------0-------|0-------0-------|0-------0-------|
E ----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
  ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ .  ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ .  ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ .  ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ .
  [instrumental]



- transcribed by Adam Schneider, http://adamschneider.net/