A Hard Rains A-Gonna Fall
by Bob DylanChords
4.9 (1,555)
intermediate Key: F# Tuning: D A D G B E Capo: 2th fret Transpose
0
Capo
None
Size
100%
A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall – Bob Dylan
Written by: Bob Dylan
From: "The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan" (1963)
Tabbed by: maguri
Tuning: Drop-D (D-A-D-G-B-e) + capo 2nd (= E-B-E-A-C#-f#) /
Standard (E-A-D-G-B-e)
or Standard with partial capo on strings 1-5 (E-B-E-A-C#-f#)
capo: 2nd fret
key: E
Listen to this tab: https://soundcloud.com/maguri/a-hard-rains-a-gonna-fall?in=maguri/sets/ultimate-guitar
For chords in original key transpose these chords +2 to E.
These are the chords played on the studio version from “Freewheelin’”.
The key is E, but here I suggest using a Drop-D tuning with a capo 2nd fret.
Drop D is easy to do: Just tune down the 6th string (low E) down two steps
to D and leave the other strings as they are.
Tip: Partial capo
If you want that low root note on the D chord, like the one heard in Dylan’s
recording (which actually sounds as an E due to the capo), but without switching
to Drop D tuning:
Place a capo on the 2nd fret — but only on strings 1 through 5, leaving the
low E string open. Now, when you play a standard D voicing (0-0-0-2-3-2), you’ll
also get that low E root note. All other chord shapes can be played as usual.
To pull off this trick, you’ll need a capo that allows partial coverage —
meaning it only presses down on selected strings. Not all capos support this
setup. For example, a Shubb capo is perfect for this, as it allows selective
string clamping. On the other hand, traditional full-capos (like those that
clamp all six strings) won't allow you to isolate specific strings. There are,
however, many different kinds of partial capos available, allowing you to
experiment and unlock new sounds.
For novice players:
(1) Use Standard Tuning with the voicings suggested below.
(2) Additionally one could just leave out the notes after the slashes - instead
of G/D play a regular G shape, instead of A/D play a regular A. You can use
the "Simplify" button at the bottom of the screen to make the slash chords
disappear from the chord sheet.
Verse 4: Dylan actually sings "what did you meet" in the first line.
CHORDS
with partial capo (strings 1-5)
Tuning Drop D Standard Standard
D-A-D-G-B-e E-A-D-G-B-e E-A-D-G-B-e
D 0-0-0-2-3-2 x-x-0-2-3-2 0-0-0-2-3-2
A 2-0-2-2-2(0) x-0-2-2-2-0 x-0-2-2-2-0
G (0)2-0-0-3-3 3-x-0-0-0-3 3-x-0-0-0-3
G/D 0-0-0-4-3-3 (actually: Gadd2/D) x-x-0-0-0-3 x-x-0-0-0-3
A/D 0-0-0-6-5-5 (actually: Aadd4/D) x-x-0-2-2-0 x-x-0-2-2-0
D* 0-0-0-7-7-5 x-x-0-7-7-5 x-x-0-7-7-5
D* - this voicing is used fleetingly in the last bar (before the final chord)
Intro
Verse 1
Oh,
where have you been, my
blue-eyed
son?
And
where have you been, my darling young
one?
I&rsq
uo;ve stumbled on the si
de of twelve
misty mountains
I&rsq
uo;ve walked and I’ve
crawled on
six crooked highways
I&rsq
uo;ve stepped in the midd
le of seve
n sad forests
I&rsq
uo;ve been out in front
of a dozen
dead oceans
I’ve
been ten thousand miles i
n the mouth
of a graveyard
And it&rsqu
o;s a hard, i
t’s a h
ard, it&rsquo
;s a hard, it’s a hard
It&rsqu
o;s a har
d rai---n’
s a-gonna fall
Interlude
Verse 2
Oh,
what did you see, my
blue-eyed
son?
And
what did you see, my darling young
one?
I saw a
newborn baby with wild
wolves all a
round it
I saw a
highway of diamonds with
nobody
on it
I
saw a black branch with
blood that kept
drippin’
I saw a
room full of men with their
hammers a-
bleedin’
I
saw a white ladder all
covered with
water
I saw
ten thousand talkers whose
tongues were all
broken
I saw
guns and sharp swords in the
hands of young
children
And it&rsqu
o;s a hard, i
t’s a h
ard, it’s a
hard, and it’s a hard
And it&rsqu
o;s a har
d rai---n’
s a-gonna fall
Interlude
Verse 3
And
what did you hear, my
blue-eyed
son?
And
what did you hear, my darling young
one?
I heard the
sound of a thunder that
roared out a
warnin’
I heard the
roar of a wave that could
drown the whole
world
I heard
one hundred drummers whose
hands were a-
blazin’
I heard
ten thousand whisperin&rsquo
; and n
obody listenin’
I heard
one person starve, I heard
many people
laughin’
I heard the
song of a poet who
died in the
gutter
I heard the
sound of a clown who
cried in the
alley
And it&rsqu
o;s a hard, i
t’s a h
ard, it&rsquo
;s a hard, it’s a hard
It&rsqu
o;s a har
d rai---n’
s a-gonna fall
Interlude
Verse 4
Oh,
who did you meet, my
blue-eyed
son?
Who did you meet, my darling young
one?
I
met a young child be
side a dead
pony
I
met a white man who
walked a black
dog
I
met a young woman, her
body was
burning
I
met a young girl, she
gave me a
rainbow
I
met one man who was
wounded in
love
I
met another man who was
wounded in
hatred
And it&rsqu
o;s a hard, i
t’s a h
ard, it&rsquo
;s a hard, it’s a hard
It&rsqu
o;s a har
d rai---n’
s a-gonna fall
Interlude
Verse 5
And,
what’ll you do no
w, my blue-
eyed
son
?
And,
what’ll you do now, my darling
young one?
I&rsqu
o;m a-goin’ back ou
t ’fore
the rain starts a-fallin’
I&rsq
uo;ll walk to the depths o
f the deepest
dark forest
Where the
people are many and their
hands are all
empty
Where the
pellets of poison are
flooding their
waters
Where the
home in the valley meets the
damp dirty
prison
And the
executioner’s fa
ce is always
well hidden
Where
hunger is ugly, where the
souls are for
gotten
Where
black is the color, where
none is the
number
And I&rsq
uo;ll tell it and speak i
t and think i
t and breathe it
And
reflect from the mountain so
all souls can
see it
Then I&rsq
uo;ll stand on the oc
ean until I
start sinkin’
But I&rsq
uo;ll know my song w
ell before I
start singin’
And it&rsqu
o;s a hard, i
t’s a h
ard, it’s a
hard, and it’s a hard
It&rsqu
o;s a har
d rai---n’
s a-gonna fall
[Coda]
(ti
ming be
comes fuzzy here)
1x