Bob Dylan - When I Paint My Masterpiece: Guitar Chords

Learn to play "When I Paint My Masterpiece" 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 When I Paint My Masterpiece 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 "When I Paint My Masterpiece" smoothly on your guitar.

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

                    A
Oh, the streets of Rome are filled with rubble,
              E               A
Ancient footprints are everywhere.
You can almost think that you're seein' double
                 E                    A
On a cold, dark night on the Spanish Stairs.
 E                          D     A
Got to hurry on back to my hotel room,
            E                       D       A
Where I've got me a date with Botticelli's niece.
           A
Yup, she promised that she'd be right there with me
            E          A
When I paint my masterpiece.

Oh, the hours I've spent inside the Coliseum,
Dodging lions and wastin' time.
Oh, those mighty kings of the jungle,
I could hardly stand to see 'em,
Yes, it sure has been a long, hard climb.
Train wheels runnin' through the back of my memory,
as the daylight hours do increase
Someday, everything is gonna be smooth like a rhapsody
When I paint my masterpiece.

F7     A#       D#        A#
I left Rome and landed in Brussels,
       A#/F                    F         A#
With a picture of a tall oak tree by my side.
A#                             D#/A#         A#
Clergymen in uniform and young girls pullin' muscles,
A#/F                    F               A#
Everyone was there and nobody tried to hide.
F                   A#
Newspapermen eating candy
F                      D#    A#
Had to be held down by big police.
A#                     D#/A#    A#
Someday, everything is gonna be diff'rent
       A#/F F         A#
When I paint my masterpiece.


You can simplify chords by removing barre

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Simplify chords by removing barre

Guitar Chord Diagrams

A

Guitar chord A

A#

Guitar chord A#

D

Guitar chord D

D#

Guitar chord D#

E

Guitar chord E

F

Guitar chord F

F7

Guitar chord F7

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 "When I Paint My Masterpiece" on the ukulele, check out the chords on our sister site: Ukulele Chords for "When I Paint My Masterpiece" by Bob Dylan.

Bob Dylan Song List