Black Rider

Written by 
Bob Dylan
Released on 
Rough and Rowdy Ways (2020)
Tabbed by 
Eyolf Østrem

One of the more interesting Dylan songs, chordwise: the chords differ from verse to verse, although the basic kind of progression is the same. This makes it Dylan’s most complex song ever, harmonically. I have written a lengthy analysis to demonstrate this point.

All the slash chords are there to capture the chromatically descending bass line; if you don’t fancy that, just play the plain chords.

The chords in the first column is the shapes that Blake Mills himself plays. The other suggestions are first position chords.

Chords 
A7/d     xx0220
A7       x05650 (or x02020)
E7/d     xx0434 or xx0100
A7/c#    x42020 or x45250 (or x4x655)
D7/c     x30232
Gm/bb    x10333 or x10033
Dm6/a    x0343x or x00201
A'       x0522x

Bb6      x13333 or x1303x
F/a      x03211
E7/g#    4x2430
A7/g     3x2220
Em7-5    0x2333 or 023030
Bm7-5    x03435 or x2323x
Ab/a     x06544
G9/a     x03435

Dm       A/d       Dm      A/d

      Dm                 A7
Black rider, black rider, you've been living too hard
     D7                    Gm
Been up all night, have to stay on your guard.
    E7/d                          A7/c#
The path that you're walking, too narrow to walk,
D7/c                    Gm/bb
 Every step of the way, another stumbling block.
Dm/a                           A7
 The road that you're on, same road that you know,
Dm6/a
Just not the same as it was
A'         Dm       A7/d       Dm      A7/d
 a minute ago.


      Dm                 A7
Black rider, black rider, you've seen it all
       D7                  Gm
You've seen the great world and you've seen the small
    E7/d                          A7/c#
You fell into the fire and you're eating the flame
D7/c                    G/b
Better seal up your lips if you wanna stay in the game
Bb6                    F/a
Be reasonable, mister, be honestly fair
E/g#
 Let all of your earthly thoughts
A    Dm       A7/d       Dm      A7/d
be a prayer
            
      Dm                 A7
Black rider, black rider, all dressed in black
    Gm           Dm
I'm walking away, you try to make me look back
Bb                               F/a
My heart is at rest, I'd like to keep it that way
E7/g#               A7/g
I don't wanna fight, at least not today
D/f#                  Em7-5
Go home to your wife, stop visiting mine
Bm7-5/a                   A7        Dm       A7/d       Dm      A7/d
One of these days I'll forget to be kind
            

      Dm                          A7
Black rider, black rider, tell me when, tell me how
     D7                  Gm
If there ever was a time, then let it be now
E7/d               A7/c#
Let me go through, open the door
D7/c                   G/b
My soul is distressed, my mind is at war
Gm/bb                                 A
Don't hug me, don't flatter me, don't turn on the charm
E/g#                              A     Dm       A7/d       Dm      A7/d
I'll take a sword and hack off your arm
           

      Dm                 A7
Black rider, black rider, hold it right there
    Gm                     Dm
The size of your cock will get you nowhere
Bb                           F/a
I'll suffer in silence, I'll not make a sound
E7/g#               A
Maybe I'll take the high moral ground
Ab/a                  A7
Some enchanted evening I'll sing you a song
G9/a                     A                           Dm       A7/d       Dm      A7/d
Black rider, black rider, you've been on the job too long

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