Shelter from the Storm lesson - Bob Dylan

Shelter from the Storm lesson, Bob Dylan, Blood on the Tracks, 1975,

Here are the chords in tab:
e ----O-----O-----O------------]
B ----O-----O-----5------------]
G ----4-----4-----6------------]
D ----6-----6-----7------------]
A ----7-----6-----O------------]
E ----O-----X-----X------------]

Lyrics:

'Twas in another lifetime, one of toil and blood
When blackness was a virtue, the road was full of mud
I came in from the wilderness, a creature void of form
"Come in," she said, "I'll give ya, shelter from the storm"

And if I pass this way again, you can rest assured
I'll always do my best for her, on that I give my word
In a world of steel-eyed death and men who are fighting to be warm ...

Not a word was spoke between us, there was little risk involved
Everything up to that point had been left unresolved
Try imagining a place where it's always safe and warm ...

I was burned out from exhaustion, buried in the hail
Poisoned in the buses, and blown out on the trail
Hunted like a crocodile, ravaged in the corn ...

Suddenly I turned around and she was standin' there
With silver bracelets on her wrists and flowers in her hair
She walked up to me so gracefully, and took my crown of thorns ...

Now there's a wall between us, something has been lost
I took too much for granted, I got my signals crossed
Just to think that it all began on a non-eventful morn ...

Well the deputy walks on hard nails and the preacher rides a mount
But nothing really matters much, its doom alone that counts
And the one-eye undertaker, he blows a futile horn ...

I heard new born babies wailin' like a morning dove
And old men with broken teeth stranded without love
Do I understand your question, man, is it hopeless and forlorn

In a little hilltop village, we gambled for my clothes
I bargained for salvation and she give me a lethal dose
I offered up my innocence, I got repaid with scorn ...

Now I'm livin' in a foreign country, but I'm bound to cross the line
Beauty walks a razor's edge, someday I'll make it mine
If I could only turn back the clock to a God and her reborn ...

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Bob
• Dylan
• Shelter
• from
• the
• Storm
• lesson
• cover
• guitar
• folk

[chromeheads]

and for what it's worth......I wish the "dislike" button on YouTube had an "explain yourself" button as a prerequiste in order to use it......otherwise it really just means that as of today, May 14th/11, 5 people can't play Shelter From The Storm as well as VGStratGuy ..or at all....just saying...

[VGStratGuy]

@chromeheads

Thanks for the comments and chord voicings. I actually retuned and tried it this way, and is sounds awesome. Cheers.

[bumwagler]

Thanks for this. I was actually working on a song of my own that in my head had this chord structure, and once I saw how you were doing it and started trying to fit it into my song it ended up changed pretty radically, but if I hadn't started with your lesson I never would have got it.  Great job.

[VGStratGuy]

@bumwagler

Thanks for the feedback, I appreciate that.

[chromeheads]

This is how he's playing it on the studio album version. The chord voicing's are as follows noted from lowest to highest E,E,G#,B,B,E...then (E),D#,F#,B,B,E, then (E),C#,E,A,B,E.....the (E) indicates that it can "pedal" throughout. He plays the A bass note on the A chord sometimes instead of C#. The F# note in the "B" makes it B/D# not Emaj7. Listen to the very last part of the song just after the harmonica break he pauses on that lovely A/C# just before it resolves to the E.

[VGStratGuy]

@chromeheads

Thanks, you've obviously got a great ear for this. And I agree, there are many (and I'm one of them) that claim Dylan used open chord tunings, but it's funny because everybody doesn't necessarily agree on exactly which ONE was used. But I tried to figure it as best I could in standard tuning; figuring some might like to simply play it without having to retune.

Thanks, again, for the comment, I appreciate that.

[SimaanFreeloader]

Dylan plays it in open E, which makes it kinda easier. E is played fifth fret on the fifth string, fourth on the fourth. B is played fourth fret on the fifth string, second on the fourth. A is played second fret fifth string, first on the third and second on the second.

But that is a great way of getting the same sound without having to retune one's guitar.

[thepumpdontwork]

I gotta hand it to ya dude, I just love this lesson. I always played this open E capo 2nd fret but this sounds almost more authentic probably because as explained here(which I never knew) Dylan didn't use open tuning on this...or have I read comments incorrectly?

[chromeheads]

@shollenator if you dont mind tuning to open "D" it is easier for most

[shollenator]

@chromeheads thanks for this I'll give it a whirl! its probably a little easier with the capo, for a beginner right?

[chromeheads]

The Open Tuned version is Eopen, E 5th fret, 5th string ,G# 4thfret, 4th string, B,3rd fret 3rd string, open B, open E.The B chord is (Eopen) D# 4th fret- 5th string, F# 2nd fret- 4th string, B 3rd fret- 3rd string, B open, Then, this where the A differs a little from the standard tuning A chord, A note, 5th fret, 6th string, mute 5th string, A note 5th fret -4th string, C# 5th fret 3rd string, B open, E open, Then ending Arpeggio is ,E,E,G#,G#,B,E, In standard tuning voice A as (E) C#,E,A,B,E

[chromeheads]

@shollenator Hey man, here's the thing.... you can tune to open "D" and capo 2nd fret if you like...you will have the same voicings exactly for the "E" and "B" chords the "A" chord is voiced a little different in standard tuning but it's really incidental as long as you have the "B"note and "C#" note in the A chord. Here is the fingering for the open tuning. Eopen, E 5th fret, 5th string ,G# 4thfret, 4th string, B,3rd fret 3rd string, open B, open E.....the rest to follow

[shollenator]

@chromeheads @chromeheads Have you seen a tab anywhere with this correct voicing? And is this with the open D tuning with 2nd fret capo? Thanks a lot.

[shollenator]

@chromeheads Have you seen a tab anywhere with this correct voicing? And is this with the open D tuning with 2nd fret capo? Thanks a lot.