03_times/ballad_of_hollis_brown.htm

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   7 <title>Ballad of Hollis Brown</title>
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  12
  13 <h1 class="songtitle">Ballad of Hollis Brown</h1>
  14
  15
  16 <p>Words and music Bob Dylan<br />
  17 Released on <a class="recordlink" href="../03_times/index.htm">The Times They Are A-changin'</a> (1964)<br />
  18 Tabbed by Eyolf &Oslash;strem</p>
  19
  20 <p>Double dropped D tuning (D-A-d-g-b-d, i.e. tune the 1st and the 6th
  21 strings down one whole step).<br />
  22 Capo 1st fret (sounding key Eb minor)</p>
  23
  24 <hr />
  25
  26 <p>Intro (same strumming pattern throughout the song):</p>
  27 <pre class="tab">
  28   :   .   .   .      :   .   .   .
  29 |---0--keep--------|-----------------|
  30 |---3-strumming----|-----------------|
  31 |---2--------------|-----------------|
  32 |---------0------3-|-0-------0-----3-|etc.
  33 |-------3----------|-------3---------|
  34 |-0----------------|-----------------|
  35 </pre>
  36
  37 <pre class="verse">
  38 Dm
  39 Hollis Brown
  40                 /c         Dm
  41 He lived on the outside of town
  42
  43 Hollis Brown
  44                 /c         Dm
  45 He lived on the outside of town
  46
  47 With his wife and five children
  48
  49 And his cabin broken down
  50 </pre>
  51
  52 <pre class="tab">
  53     .   .     :
  54 |---0---0-|---0---
  55 |---3---3-|---3---
  56 |---2---0-|---2---
  57 |---------|-------
  58 |-3---2---|-------
  59 |---------|-0-----
  60 cabin broken down
  61 </pre>
  62
  63 <pre class="verse">
  64 You looked for work and money
  65 And you walked a rugged mile
  66 You looked for work and money
  67 And you walked a rugged mile
  68 Your children are so hungry
  69 That they don't know how to smile
  70
  71 Your baby's eyes look crazy
  72 They're a-tuggin' at your sleeve
  73 Your baby's eyes look crazy
  74 They're a-tuggin' at your sleeve
  75 You walk the floor and wonder why
  76 With every breath you breathe
  77 </pre>
  78
  79 <pre class="bridge">
  80 [Additional verse in the Gaslight version:
  81 There's bedbugs on your baby's bed
  82 There's chinches on your wife
  83 There's bedbugs on your baby's bed
  84 There's chinches on your wife
  85 Gangerene snuck in your side,
  86 It's a-cuttin' you like a knife.]
  87 </pre>
  88
  89 <pre class="verse">
  90 The rats have got your flour
  91 Bad blood it got your mare
  92 The rats have got your flour
  93 Bad blood it got your mare
  94 If there's anyone that knows
  95 Is there anyone that cares?
  96
  97 You prayed to the Lord above
  98 Oh please send you a friend
  99 You prayed to the Lord above
 100 Oh please send you a friend
 101 Your empty pockets tell yuh
 102 That you ain't a-got no friend
 103
 104 Your babies are crying louder now
 105 It's pounding on your brain
 106 Your babies are crying louder now
 107 It's pounding on your brain
 108 Your wife's screams are stabbin' you
 109 like the dirty drivin' rain
 110
 111 Your grass it is turning black
 112 There's no water in your well
 113 Your grass is turning black
 114 There's no water in your well
 115 You spent your last lone dollar
 116 On seven shotgun shells
 117
 118 Way out in the wilderness
 119 A cold coyote calls
 120 Way out in the wilderness
 121 A cold coyote calls
 122 Your eyes fix on the shotgun
 123 That's hangin' on the wall
 124
 125 Your brain is a-bleedin'
 126 And your legs can't seem to stand
 127 Your brain is a-bleedin'
 128 And your legs can't seem to stand
 129 Your eyes fix on the shotgun
 130 That you're holdin' in your hand
 131
 132 There's seven breezes a-blowin'
 133 All around the cabin door
 134 There's seven breezes a-blowin'
 135 All around the cabin door
 136 Seven shots ring out
 137 Like the ocean's pounding roar
 138
 139 There's seven people dead
 140 On a South Dakota farm
 141 There's seven people dead
 142 On a South Dakota farm
 143 Somewhere in the distance
 144 There's seven new people born.
 145 </pre>
 146
 147 <hr />
 148
 149 <p>The Gaslight II version (late oct 1962) is basically the same as the
 150 above (with the extra verse), only not as persistently regular (the
 151 bass pattern changes more, and more unpredictably), and with the capo
 152 on the 5th fret.
 153 </p></body></html>