Bob Dylan - The Girl I Left Behind: Guitar Chords

Learn to play "The Girl I Left Behind" 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 The Girl I Left Behind 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 "The Girl I Left Behind" smoothly on your guitar.

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

Cm
There was a wealthy old farmer
D#           G           Cm
That lived in the county nearby
Cm
He had a lovin' daughter
D#                 G
On whom I cast my eye
Cm
She was pretty fair and handsome
D#               G
And did so very fine
Cm
There was no girl in the county
G
With her that could compare

I asked her if she'd be willing
To let me cross over the plains.
She said it would be alright with her
Just so I'd return again.
She said that she'd be true to me
Till death would be unkind.
We kissed, shook hands, and parted.
I left my girl behind.

Out in a western city, boys,
A town you all know well,
Where everyone was friendly,
They'd show me all around.
The work an' money was plentyful,
And the girls to me were kind.
But the only girl I thought about
Was the girl I'd left behind.

One day when I was ramblin' 'round
Down by the public square,
The mail coach it came in,
And I met the mail boy there.
He handed me a letter, gave me to understand
That the girl I left in old Texas
She married another man.

I turned myself all around and around
Not knowing what else to do.
I rid down a little pace further,
Just to see if these words were true.
It's drinkin' I throw over,
Card playin' I'll resign,
For the only girl I ever did love
Was the girl I left behind.

Come around, you ramblin' gamblin' men,
And listen while I tell.
If it does to you no good, kind friends,
I'm a-sure it will do you no harm.
If you ever find you a fair young maid,
Just marry her while you can.
For if you ever cross over the plain,
she'll marry another man.


You can simplify chords by removing barre

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Simplify chords by removing barre

Guitar Chord Diagrams

A

Guitar chord A

Cm

Guitar chord Cm

D#

Guitar chord D#

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 "The Girl I Left Behind" on the ukulele, check out the chords on our sister site: Ukulele Chords for "The Girl I Left Behind" by Bob Dylan.

Bob Dylan Song List