“Mr. Tambourine Man” is one of Bob Dylan’s most poetic and enduring songs, captivating listeners with its lyrical imagery and gentle melody. For guitar players, it’s a rewarding song to learn, and thankfully, the chords are quite accessible for various skill levels. This guide will provide you with the guitar chords for “Mr. Tambourine Man”, covering the original version and some notable live renditions, ensuring you can strum along to this timeless classic.
Original Version Chords
The original studio version of “Mr. Tambourine Man” from the album Bringing It All Back Home is beautifully simple and relies on standard tuning. Here are the chords and lyrics to get you started:
|: D D Dsus2 D :|G A D G
Hey! Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me,
D G A Asus4 A
I'm not sleepy and there is no place I'm going to.
G A D G
Hey! Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me,
D G A D Dsus4 D Dsus2 D
In the jingle jangle morning I'll come followin' you.G A D G
Though I know that evenin's empire has returned into sand,
D G D
Vanished from my hand,
G A D G
Left me blindly here to stand but still not sleeping.
G A D G
My weariness amazes me, I'm branded on my feet,
D G D
I have no one to meet
D G A
And the ancient empty street's too dead for dreaming.Hey! Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me,
I'm not sleepy and there is no place I'm going to.
Hey! Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me,
In the jingle jangle morning I'll come followin' you.Take me on a trip upon your magic swirlin' ship,
My senses have been stripped, my hands can't feel to grip,
My toes too numb to step, wait only for my boot heels
To be wanderin'.
I'm ready to go anywhere, I'm ready for to fade
Into my own parade, cast your dancing spell my way,
I promise to go under it.Hey! Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me,
I'm not sleepy and there is no place I'm going to.
Hey! Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me,
In the jingle jangle morning I'll come followin' you.Though you might hear laughin', spinnin', swingin' madly across the sun,
It's not aimed at anyone, it's just escapin' on the run
And but for the sky there are no fences facin'.
And if you hear vague traces of skippin' reels of rhyme
To your tambourine in time, it's just a ragged clown behind,
I wouldn't pay it any mind, it's just a shadow you're
Seein' that he's chasing.Hey! Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me,
I'm not sleepy and there is no place I'm going to.
Hey! Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me,
In the jingle jangle morning I'll come followin' you.Then take me disappearin' through the smoke rings of my mind,
Down the foggy ruins of time, far past the frozen leaves,
The haunted, frightened trees, out to the windy beach,
Far from the twisted reach of crazy sorrow.
Yes, to dance beneath the diamond sky with one hand waving free,
Silhouetted by the sea, circled by the circus sands,
With all memory and fate driven deep beneath the waves,
Let me forget about today until tomorrow.Hey! Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me,
I'm not sleepy and there is no place I'm going to.
Hey! Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me,
In the jingle jangle morning I'll come followin' you.Live Versions and Chord Variations
Bob Dylan has performed “Mr. Tambourine Man” countless times, and he often adapts the arrangement and chords. Here are chords for some notable live versions:
Live 1964 and Live 1966 versions (Dropped D Tuning)
For his live performances in 1964 and 1966, Dylan often used a dropped D tuning (D-A-d-g-b-e’) and placed a capo on the 2nd fret. The chord shapes remain similar to the standard tuning version, but the dropped D tuning adds a richer, deeper tone, particularly to the D chord.
|: D D Dsus4 D :|
G A D G
Hey! Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me,
D G Em A Asus4 A
I'm not sleepy and there is no place I'm going to.
G A D G
Hey! Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me,
D G Em A D Dsus4 D Dsus2 D
In the jingle jangle morning I'll come followin' you.Notice the inclusion of the Em chord in these live versions, adding a slight variation to the chord progression.
Live 1975 version
In a 1975 live rendition, the chords are transposed to the key of C. The Em chord is also frequently omitted, simplifying the progression further in some instances.
C Csus4 C F G C Em F
Hey! Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me,
C (Em) Dm F G C/g G
I'm not sleepy and there is no place I'm going to.
F G C Em F
Hey! Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me,
C (Em) Dm F G C Csus4 C
In the jingle jangle morning I'll come followin' you.Budokan version (March 1978)
The Budokan version introduces a slightly different feel with a progression based around F, G, and C chords. The intro tab provided below hints at the melody being played on the higher strings, creating a distinct instrumental introduction.
F G C F : . . . : . . . : . . . : . . .
|--------------------|-----------------|--------------------|--------------------|
|-13------13---12-12-|---10--10--8-----|--8-10---8----------|--------------------|
|-14------14---12-12-|---10--10--9-----|--9-10---9---9------|------------------9-|
|--------------------|-----------------|-10---------10---10-|------10-10-12---10-|
|--------------------|-----------------|------------------8-|-------8--8-10------|
|--------------------|-----------------|--------------------|--------------------|C F G : . . . : . . . : . . . : . . .
|------------------|-----------------|---------------3-|-----------------|
|---8---8---8---10-|-----8---6-5---5-|-----3-3---------|-----3---------3-|
|---9---9---9---10-|-----9---7-5---5-|-----4-4---------|-4h5---5-4---4---|
|------------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------5-----|
|------------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|------------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|F G C F
Hey! Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me,
C F G
I'm not sleepy and there is no place I'm going to.
F G C F
Hey! Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me,
C F G C
In the jingle jangle morning I'll come followin' you.1995 Acoustic version Intro (Brixton, March 30, 1995)
This acoustic version from Brixton features a delicate and fingerpicked intro. The tab captures the essence of this intro, demonstrating a more intricate guitar part compared to the straightforward strumming of other versions.
F G C F : . . . : . . . : . . . : . . .
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-1---1---1---1---|-----0-----------|-----1-----------|-1---1---1---1---|
|-2---2---2---0---|-----0-----------|-----0-----------|-2---2---2---0---|
|-3---3---3---2---|-----0-----------|-----2---0---2---|-3---3---3---0---|
|-----------------|---------0---2---|-3---------------|-----------------|
|-----------------|-3---------------|-----------------|-----------------|C F C G G7 : . . . : . . . : . . . : . . .
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-----1-----------|-1---1---1---1---|-----0---------0-|-----0---0---0---|
|-----0-----------|-2---0---0---0---|-----0-------0---|-----0---0---0---|
|-----2---0---2---|-3---2---0---2---|-----0---0h2-----|-3---------------|
|-3---------------|-------------3---|-----------------|-----------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-3---------------|-----------------|F G C F : . . . : . . . : . . . : . . .
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-1---1---1---1---|-----0-----------|-----1-----------|-1--(1---1---1)--|
|-2---2---0---0---|-----0-----------|-----0-----------|-2--(2---2---2)--|
|-3---3---2---0---|-----0-----------|-----2---0---2---|-3--(3---3---3)--|
|-----------------|---------0---2---|-3---------------|-----------------|
|-----------------|-3---------------|-----------------|-----------------|C F C Gsus4 C : . . . : . . . : . . . : . . .
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-----1-----------|-1---1---1---1---|-----1-----------|--------light----|
|-----0-----------|-2---0---0---0---|-----0-----------|------strumming--|
|-----2---0---2---|-3---2---0---2---|-----0-----------|-----------------|
|-3---------------|-------------3---|-----------------|-3---------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-3---------------|-----------------|C F : . . . : . . . : . . . : . . .
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------||-----------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------||-----1-----------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------||-----2-----------| etc
|---------3---2---|-----------------|---------0---2---||-3-------2---0---|
|-3---------------|-3---------------|-----------------||-----------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------||-----------------|Conclusion
“Mr. Tambourine Man” is a fantastic song to add to your guitar repertoire. Whether you prefer the simplicity of the original chords or want to explore the variations in the live versions, there’s a way for every guitar player to enjoy this Bob Dylan masterpiece. Experiment with these chords, listen to the different versions, and find your own way to bring “Mr. Tambourine Man” to life on your guitar.
