Tangled Up In Blue is a lyrically daring song that tells its story in first and third person and mixes past, present, and future together. It ranked it #68 on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
Strumming
You can almost use just straight eighth strumming patterns. I said “almost”, because to really liven up the part you’ll want to throw in occasional sixteenth notes as accents.
The G/A chord is a G chord that uses an A note as its lowest note. To form the chord is super easy as we’ll only need to fret the 3rd fret of the high E string then strum all other strings, except the low E string, open. Don’t play the low E as it will change the sound of the chord drastically.
Verse 1
A G/A Early one mornin' the sun was shinin', A G/A I was layin' in bed A G/A Wond'rin' if she'd changed at all D If her hair was still red. A G/A Her folks they said our lives together A G/A Sure was gonna be rough A G/A They never did like Mama's homemade dress D Papa's bankbook wasn't big enough. E F#m And I was standin' on the side of the road A D Rain fallin' on my shoes E F#m Heading out for the East Coast A D E Lord knows I've paid some dues gettin' through, G D A G/A A G/A Tangled up in blue.
Verse 2
A G/A She was married when we first met A G/A Soon to be divorced A G/A I helped her out of a jam, I guess, D But I used a little too much force. A G/A We drove that car as far as we could A G/A Abandoned it out West A G/A Split up on a dark sad night D Both agreeing it was best. E F#m She turned around to look at me A D As I was walkin' away E F#m I heard her say over my shoulder, A D E "We'll meet again someday on the avenue," G D A G/A A G/A Tangled up in blue.
Verse 3
A G/A I had a job in the great north woods A G/A Working as a cook for a spell A G/A But I never did like it all that much D And one day the axe just fell. A G/A So I drifted down to New Orleans A G/A Where I happened to be employed A G/A Workin' for a while on a fishin' boat D Right outside of Delacroix. E F#m But all the while I was alone A D The past was close behind, E F#m I seen a lot of women A D E But she never escaped my mind, and I just grew G D A G/A A G/A Tangled up in blue.
Verse 4
A G/A She was workin' in a topless place A G/A And I stopped in for a beer, A G/A I just kept lookin' at the side of her face D In the spotlight so clear. A G/A And later on as the crowd thinned out A G/A I's just about to do the same, A G/A She was standing there in back of my chair D Said to me, "Don't I know your name?" E F#m I muttered somethin' underneath my breath, A D She studied the lines on my face. Em F#m I must admit I felt a little uneasy A D Em When she bent down to tie the laces of my shoe, G D A G/A A G/A Tangled up in blue.
Verse 5
A G/A She lit a burner on the stove and offered me a pipe A G/A "I thought you'd never A G/A say hello," she said D "You look like the silent type." A G/A Then she opened up a book of poems A G/A And handed it to me A G/A Written by an Italian poet D From the thirteenth century. E F#m And every one of them words rang true A D And glowed like burnin' coal E F#m Pourin' off of every page A D E Like it was written in my soul from me to you, G D A Asus A Asus Tangled up in blue.
Verse 6
A G/A I lived with them on Montague Street A G/A In a basement down the stairs, A G/A There was music in the cafes at night D And revolution in the air. A G/A Then he started into dealing with slaves A G/A And something inside of him died. A G/A She had to sell everything she owned D And froze up inside. E F#m And when finally the bottom fell out A D I became withdrawn, Em F#m The only thing I knew how to do A D E Was to keep on keepin' on like a bird that flew, G D A Asus A Asus Tangled up in blue.
Verse 7
A G/A So now I'm goin' back again, A G/A I got to get to her somehow. A G/A All the people we used to know D They're an illusion to me now. A G/A Some are mathematicians A G/A Some are carpenter's wives. A G/A Don't know how it all got started, D I don't know what they're doin' with their lives. E F#m But me, I'm still on the road A D Headin' for another joint E F#m We always did feel the same, A D E We just saw it from a different point of view, G D A Asus A Asus Tangled up in blue.