Bob Dylan - Early Roman Kings: Guitar Chords

Learn to play "Early Roman Kings" 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 Early Roman Kings 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 "Early Roman Kings" smoothly on your guitar.

G
All the early Roman kings in their shark-skin suits,
Bow-ties and buttons, high-top boots,
Driving the spikes in, blazing the rails,
Nailed in their coffins in top-hats and tails.
C
Fly away little bird, fly away, flap your wings
G
Fly by night like the early Roman kings.

All the early Roman kings in the early, early morn,
Comin' down the mountain, distributing the corn,
Speedin' through the forest, racing down the track,
You try to get away, they drag you back.
Tomorrow is Friday, we'll see what it brings.
Everybody's talking about the early Roman kings.

They're peddlers and they're meddlers, they buy and they sell.
They destroyed your city, they'll destroy you as well.
They're leacherous and treacherous, hell-bent for leather.
Each of them bigger than all men put together.
Sluggers and muggers wearing fancy gold rings.
All the women going crazy for the early Roman kings.

I can dress up your wounds with a blood-clotted rag.
I ain't afraid to make love to a bitch or a hag.
If you see me coming, and you're standing there,
Wave your handkerchief in the air!
I ain't dead yet, my bell still rings.
I keep my fingers crossed like the early Roman kings.

I can strip you of life, strip you of breath,
Ship you down to the house of death.
One day you will ask for me.
There'll be no one else that you'll want to see.
Bring down my fiddle, tune up my strings:
I'm gonna break it wide open like the early Roman kings.

I was up on Black mountain the day Detroit fell.
They killed them all off, and they sent them to hell.
Ding-dong daddy, you're coming up short.
Gonna put you on trial in a Sicilian court.
I've had my fun, I've had my flings.
Gonna shake them all down like the early Roman kings.

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Guitar Chord Diagrams

C

Guitar chord C

G

Guitar chord G

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 "Early Roman Kings" on the ukulele, check out the chords on our sister site: Ukulele Chords for "Early Roman Kings" by Bob Dylan.

Bob Dylan Song List