Song: Dignity (Alternative Version)
Artist: Bob Dylan
Album: Dylan - Deluxe Version (CD 3), 2007
URL: https://vimeo.com/63527603;
https://www.bobdylan.com/us/music/dylan
Tempo: 4|4
Style: Story-telling Rolling Melodic Blues
Tuning: Standard
Capo 1
Chords: (Morphed Chords)
EADGBe EADGBe
D XX0232 D3add4 XX0032
G 320003 G6 320000
A X02220 A11 X00020
Em 022000 Em7 020000
INTRO:(Bass, Drums & Lead over)
|D G D|D G D|
VERSE 1:
D
Fat man lookin’ in a blade of steel,
D
Thin man lookin’ at his last meal.
G D
Hollow man lookin’ in a cottonfield,
G D
For dignity.
VERSE 2:
D
Wise man lookin’ in a blade of grass,
D
Young man lookin’ in the shadows that pass.
G D
Poor man lookin’ through painted glass,
A D
For dignity.
CHORUS 1:
A
Somebody got murdered on New Year’s Eve,
G D
Somebody said dignity was the first to leave.
G D
I went into the city, went into the town,
Em A A D
Went into the land of the midnight sun.
VERSE 3:
D
Searchin’ high, searchin’ low,
Searchin’ everywhere I know.
G D
Askin’ the cops wherever I go,
G D
Have you seen dignity?
VERSE 4:
D
Blind man breakin’ out of a trance,
D
Puts both his hands in the pockets of chance.
G D
Hopin’ to find one circumstance,
G D
Of dignity.
VERSE 5:
D
I went to the wedding of Mary Lou,
D
She said, “I don’t want nobody see me talkin’ to you”.
G D
Said she could get killed if she told me what she knew,
G D
About dignity.
CHORUS 2:
A
I went down where the vultures feed,
G D
I would’ve gone deeper, but there wasn’t any need.
G D
Heard the tongues of angels and the tongues of men,
Em A A D
Wasn’t any difference to me.
VERSE 6:
D G
Chilly wind sharp as a razor blade,
D
House on fire, debts unpaid.
G D
Gonna stand at the window, gonna ask the maid
G D
Have you seen dignity?
BRIDGE 1:
|D G D|D G D|
VERSE 7:
D
Drinkin’ man listens to the voice he hears,
D
In a crowded room full of covered-up mirrors.
G D
Lookin’ into the lost forgotten years,
G D
For dignity.
VERSE 8:
D
Met Prince Phillip at the home of the blues,
D
Said he’d give me information if his name wasn’t used.
G D
He wanted money up front, said he was abused.
G D
By dignity.
CHORUS 3
A
Footprints runnin’ ’cross the silver sand,
G D
Steps goin’ down into tattoo land.
G D
I met the sons of darkness and the sons of light,
Em A A D
In the bordertowns of despair.
VERSE 9:
D
Got no place to fade, got no coat,
D
I’m on the rollin’ river in a jerkin’ boat.
G D
Tryin’ to read a note somebody wrote,
G D
About dignity.
VERSE 10:
D
Sick man lookin’ for the doctor’s cure,
D
Lookin’ at his hands for the lines that were.
G D
And into every masterpiece of literature,
G D
For dignity.
VERSE 11:
D
Englishman stranded in the blackheart wind,
D
Combin’ his hair back, his future looks thin.
G D
Bites the bullet and he looks within,
G D
For dignity.
CHORUS 3:
A
Someone showed me a picture and I just laughed,
G D
Dignity never been photographed.
G D
I went into the red, went into the black,
Em A A D (Glissando)
Into the valley of dry bone dreams.
VERSE 12:
D
So many roads, so much at stake,
D
So many dead ends, I’m at the edge of the lake.
G D
Sometimes I wonder what it’s gonna take,
G D
To find dignity.
CODA:(Fade)
|D G D|D G D|
[End]
NOTES:
1. “… Dignity (this is the original out-take version from Oh Mercy that first appeared on the Touched By
An Angel TV series soundtrack album (R-0273, see 1998), not the 1994 remix by Brendan O'Brien from
Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits Vol. 3. R-0273 now ceases to become a rarity.)…”
http://www.searchingforagem.com/2000s/International051.htm
2. “…The difficulties recording the song during the Oh Mercy sessions are described by Dylan in his
autobiography, Chronicles, Vol 1. It was originally recorded with Dylan accompanied by Brian Stoltz and
Willie Green. Though they managed to complete a polished performance, producer Daniel Lanois suggested
something more ambitious with a Cajun band. Curious to see what Lanois had in mind, Dylan agreed to recut
the song. The next evening, a session was held with Rockin' Dopsie and His Cajun Band, but the results were
disastrous. The group experimented with different keys and tempos, but according to Dylan, everyone was
frustrated with the results….”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dignity_%28Bob_Dylan_song%29
3. “…In fact the way to hear this song is at a distance, not taking in the lyrics, not really knowing
what Dylan is singing about, not feeling ill at ease about the moralistic point about the worth of
humankind that he somehow never succeeds in making. …” http://bob-dylan.org.uk/archives/23
4. Although, it’s a rambling, long song - I find it an encouraging lyric and a great
‘lost Dylan classic’. This version is a standout from the original version. Although, the chords
are scored simply in the above TAB, the rolling rhythm is punctuated by the subtle rhythmic morphing of
chords by Dylan's band throughout the song lines. It can be achieved simply where D = D - D3add4 - D,
G = G - G6 - G , A = A - A11 - A and E = E - Em7 - E. These 'rolling' chords forms are created by
releasing the nominated fingers from the original base chords and then alternating back to the
original chord. Use your discretion, in their application. :-R
