02_freewheelin/masters_of_war.htm

   1 <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
   2 <!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN"
   3 "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd">
   4 <html lang="en" xml:lang="en" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">
   5
   6 <head>
   7 <title>Masters of War</title>
   8 <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="../css/general.css" />
   9 </head>
  10
  11 <body>
  12
  13 <h1 class="songtitle">Masters of War</h1>
  14
  15
  16 <p>Words and music Bob Dylan<br />
  17 Released on <a class="recordlink" href="../02_freewheelin/index.htm">Freewheelin'</a> (1963) and <a class="recordlink" href="../28_biograph/index.htm">Biograph</a> (1985) and
  18 in live versions on <a class="recordlink" href="../26_reallive/index.htm">Real Live</a> (1984) and on <a href="../44_bs7_ndh/index.htm" class="recordlink">No direction home</a> (2005)<br />
  19 Tabbed by Eyolf &Oslash;strem</p>
  20
  21 <hr />
  22 <p>The source of the melody is the folk tune <em>Nottamun Town</em> (Roger
  23 McGuinn's did this)</p>
  24
  25 <p>Capo 3rd fret (sounding key F minor, but it is tuned a bit low on the record)</p>
  26
  27 <p>Dropped D tuning (DAdgbe') </p>
  28
  29 <p>Chords:</p>
  30 <pre>
  31 Cadd2   030030
  32 Dm/f    003230 or 003030
  33 G/b     020030
  34 </pre>
  35
  36 <p>Occasionally the G/b chord is inserted in the return from Cadd2 to
  37 Dm. <br />
  38 At *) a Cadd2 is inserted in some of the verses.</p>
  39
  40 <hr />
  41
  42 <p>Intro and recurring rhythmical pattern:</p>
  43 <pre class="tab">
  44   Dm                    Cadd2 Dm                    Cadd2
  45   :   .   .     :   .   .     :   .   .     :   .   .
  46 |-1---1-1-1-1-|-1---1-1-0---|-0h1-1-1-1-1-|-1-----1-0---|
  47 |-3---3-3-3-3-|-3---3-3-3---|-3---3-3-3-3-|-3-----3-3---|
  48 |-2---2-2-2-2-|-2---2-2-0---|-0h2-2-2-2-2-|-0h2---2-0---|  etc.
  49 |-0---0-0-0-0-|-0---0-0-0---|-0---0-0-0-0-|-0-----0-0---|
  50 |-0---0-0-0-0-|-0---0-0-3---|-0---0-0-0-0-|-0-----0-3---|
  51 |-0---0-0-0-0-|-0---0-0-0---|-0---0-0-0-0-|-0-----0-0---|
  52 </pre>
  53
  54 <pre class="verse">
  55 Dm
  56 Come you masters of war
  57
  58 You that build the big guns
  59
  60 You that build the death planes
  61          Cadd2         Dm
  62 You that build all the bombs
  63
  64 You that hide behind walls
  65          *)
  66 You that hide behind desks
  67                    Cadd2
  68 I just want you to know
  69                        Dm
  70 I can see through your masks
  71
  72 You that never done nothin'
  73 But build to destroy
  74 You play with my world
  75 Like it's your little toy
  76 You put a gun in my hand
  77 And you hide from my eyes
  78 And you turn and run farther
  79 When the fast bullets fly
  80
  81 Like Judas of old
  82 You lie and deceive
  83 A world war can be won
  84 You want me to believe
  85 But I see through your eyes
  86 And I see through your brain
  87 Like I see through the water
  88 That runs down my drain
  89
  90 You fasten the triggers
  91 For the others to fire
  92 Then you set back and watch
  93 When the death count gets higher
  94 You hide in your mansion
  95 As young people's blood
  96 Flows out of their bodies
  97 And is buried in the mud
  98
  99 You've thrown the worst fear
 100 That can ever be hurled
 101 Fear to bring children
 102 Into the world
 103 For threatening my baby
 104 Unborn and unnamed
 105                     Dm/f
 106 You ain't worth the blood
 107      Cadd2        Dm
 108 That runs in your veins
 109
 110 How much do I know
 111 To talk out of turn
 112 You might say that I'm young
 113 You might say I'm unlearned
 114 But there's one thing I know
 115 Though I'm younger than you
 116                  Cadd2
 117 Even Jesus would never
 118    G/b           Dm
 119 Forgive what you do
 120
 121 Let me ask you one question
 122 Is your money that good
 123 Will it buy you forgiveness
 124 Do you think that it could
 125 I think you will find
 126 When your death takes its toll
 127 All the money you made
 128 Will never buy back your soul
 129
 130 And I hope that you die
 131 And your death'll come soon
 132 I will follow your casket
 133 In the pale afternoon
 134 And I'll watch while you're lowered
 135 Down to your deathbed
 136                          Dm/f
 137 And I'll stand o'er your grave
 138          Cadd2            Dm
 139 'Til I'm sure that you're dead
 140 </pre>
 141
 142 <hr />
 143
 144 <h2 class="songversion"><em>Real Live</em> version</h2>
 145 <pre class="verse">
 146                  A  Bm    A  Bm
 147 Come you masters of war
 148                A       Bm     A  Bm
 149 You that build all the guns
 150                    A     Bm     A  Bm
 151 You that build the death planes
 152                    A   Bm     A  Bm
 153 You that build the big bombs
 154                 A    Bm     A  Bm
 155 You that hide behind walls
 156                 A    Bm     A  Bm
 157 You that hide behind desks
 158        G                 Em
 159 I just want you to know
 160                        Bm
 161 I can see through your masks
 162 </pre>
 163
 164 <p>Or with a capo on the second fret and the chords Am, G, F and Dm
 165 </p>
 166 <hr />
 167 <h2 class="songversion"><em>No Direction Home </em>version </h2>
 168 <p>Basically the same as the album version, but with an intro which is worth quoting: </p>
 169
 170 <p class="quote">I believe in the ten commandments, the first one: &ldquo;I'm the
 171 Lord thy god,&rdquo; it's a great commandment if it's not said by the wrong
 172 people.</p>
 173
 174 <p>  and some nice between-verses flourishes along the lines of: </p>
 175 <pre class="tab">
 176   :   .   .     :   .   .     :   .   .     :   .   .     :   .   .     :   .   .
 177 |-----strum upper strings throughout------|-------------|-1-------0---|-1-----------|
 178 |-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|-3-------3---|-3-----------|
 179 |-0h2-----0h2-|-0-----------|-------------|-------------|-0h2-----0---|-0h2---------|
 180 |-0-----------|-----3---0---|-3---0-------|-------------|-0-----------|-0-----------|
 181 |-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|---------3---|-------------|
 182 |-------------|-------------|---------3---|-0-----------|-------------|-------------|</pre>
 183 </body>
 184 </html>