Words and music Bob Dylan
Released on Blonde on Blonde (1966) and in a live version on Live 1966 (1998)
Tabbed by Eyolf Østrem


Capo 4th fret (sounding key E major)
And you might as well tune down the E string two steps, to get the dropped C tuning that he uses on Live 1966 (C-A-d-g-b-e’).

The versions are quite similar, apart from (1) the little riff running through the album version, and (2) the basic chord alternation, which in the album version is C - F, and on Live 1966 C - Csus4. (it actually sounds like that’s what Dylan is playing in the album version as well, but the little riff clearly alternates between C and F, so that’s the predominant sound anyway).

  C             F
  :   .   .     :   .   .
|-----3---5-3-|-----5---6-5-|
|---5---5-----|---6---6-----|
|-5-----------|-5-----------|
|-------------|-------------|
|-------------|-------------|
|-------------|-------------|

Chords (with dropped C tuning):

C      032010
F      033211 or 003211 or Fmaj7 033210
Csus4  033010
Em     x22000
Dm     xx0231 or 200231

C    F               C
When she said,"Don't waste
     F                   C
your words, they're just lies,"
  F             C         F   C   F
I cried she was deaf.
    C   F            C
And she worked on my face
      F           C
until breaking my eyes,
           F                  C      F   C  F
Then said, "What else you got left?"
       Em
It was then that I got up to leave
                        Dm
But she said, "Don't forget,
     C         F              C
Everybody must give something back
    F              C       F  C  F
For something they get."

I stood there and hummed,
I tapped on her drum and asked her how come.
And she buttoned her boot,
And straightened her suit,
Then she said, "Don't get cute."
So I forced my hands in my pockets
And felt with my thumbs,
And gallantly handed her
My very last piece of gum.

She threw me outside,
I stood in the dirt where ev'ryone walked.
And after finding I'd
Forgotten my shirt,
I went back and knocked.
I waited in the hallway, she went to get it,
And I tried to make sense
Out of that picture of you in your wheelchair
That leaned up against . . .

Her Jamaican rum
And when she did come, I asked her for some.
She said, "No, dear."
I said, "Your words aren't clear,
You'd better spit out your gum."
She screamed till her face got so red
Then she fell on the floor,
And I covered her up and then
Thought I'd go look through her drawer.

And, when I was through
I filled up my shoe
And brought it to you.
And you, you took me in,
You loved me then
You didn't waste time.
And I, I never took much,
I never asked for your crutch.
Now don't ask for mine.

Live 1966 version

As I said, it’s identical, just replace all the F’s with Csus4’s.

Live version from 1999 (various locations)

D    Dsus4           D
When she said,"Don't waste
     Dsus4               D
your words, they're just lies,"
  C         G/b  D      Dsus4  D Dsus4
I cried she was deaf.
    D   Dsus4        D
And she worked on my face
      Dsus4       D
until breaking my eyes,
           C              G/b D      Dsus4 D
Then said, "What else you got left?"
       F#m
It was then that I got up to leave
                        Em
But she said, "Don't forget,
     D         Dsus4          D
Everybody must give something back
    Dsus4          D         Dsus4 D Dsus4
For something they get."