Bob Dylan - Ballad of a Thin Man: Guitar Chords

Learn to play "Ballad of a Thin Man" on your guitar with our detailed chord guide and lyrics. This page provides everything you need to perform this song on the guitar, including lyrics integrated with chords, chord diagrams, and a key transposer to match your vocal range.

Learn Ballad of a Thin Man Guitar Chords and Lyrics by Bob Dylan

This section will guide you through each part of the song, providing the guitar chords placed directly above the lyrics for easy playing. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced player, these elements will help you perform "Ballad of a Thin Man" smoothly on your guitar.

For easier playing, use our Simplify Chords feature to remove difficult chords like barre.

Bm
You walk into the room
F#/A#
With your pencil in your hand
D/A
You see somebody naked
       E/G#
And you say, "Who is that man?"
G
You try so hard
       Em
But you don't understand
 D                  F#m
Just what you will say
             Bm
When you get home
   D                  F#m
Because something is happening here
         Bm
But you don't know what it is
G              Bm
Do you, Mister Jones?

You raise up your head
And you ask, "Is this where it is?"
And somebody points to you and says
"It's his"
And you say, "What's mine?"
And somebody else says, "Where what is?"
And you say, "Oh my God
Am I here all alone?"

Because something is happening here
But you don't know what it is
Do you, Mister Jones?

You hand in your ticket
And you go watch the geek
Who immediately walks up to you
When he hears you speak
And says, "How does it feel
To be such a freak?"
And you say, "Impossible"
As he hands you a bone

Because something is happening here
But you don't know what it is
Do you, Mister Jones?
Bm
You have many contacts
D
Among the lumberjacks
    G
To get you facts
                               Bm
When someone attacks your imagination
But nobody has any respect
D
Anyway they already expect you
G
To just give a check
    Em                           A
To tax-deductible charity organizations

You've been with the professors
And they've all liked your looks
With great lawyers you have
Discussed lepers and crooks
You've been through all of
F. Scott Fitzgerald's books
You're very well read
It's well known

Because something is happening here
But you don't know what it is
Do you, Mister Jones?

Well, the sword swallower, he comes up to you
And then he kneels
He crosses himself
And then he clicks his high heels
And without further notice
He asks you how it feels
And he says, "Here is your throat back
Thanks for the loan"

Because something is happening here
But you don't know what it is
Do you, Mister Jones?

Now you see this one-eyed midget
Shouting the word "NOW"
And you say, "For what reason?"
And he says, "How?"
And you say, "What does this mean?"
And he screams back, "You're a cow
Give me some milk
Or else go home"

Because something is happening here
But you don't know what it is
Do you, Mister Jones?

Well, you walk into the room
Like a camel and then you frown
You put your eyes in your pocket
And your nose on the ground
There ought to be a law
Against you comin' around
You should be made
To wear earphones

Because something is happening here
But you don't know what it is
Do you, Mister Jones?


You can simplify chords by removing barre

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Simplify chords by removing barre

Guitar Chord Diagrams

A

Guitar chord A

Am

Guitar chord Am

A#

Guitar chord A#

D

Guitar chord D

E

Guitar chord E

Em

Guitar chord Em

F#m

Guitar chord F#m

G

Guitar chord G

G#

Guitar chord G#

Bm

Guitar chord Bm

Here you can see detailed diagrams for each guitar chord used in the song. Utilize our key transposer to adjust the chords to a key that better fits your singing range. Simply select the desired key, and the chords throughout this page will update automatically, ensuring you can play and sing comfortably.

If you are also interested in learning how to play "Ballad of a Thin Man" on the ukulele, check out the chords on our sister site: Ukulele Chords for "Ballad of a Thin Man" by Bob Dylan.

Bob Dylan Song List