Cold Irons Bound
Words and music by Bob Dylan
Released on Time out of Mind (1997) and
in an alternate version on Tell Tale Signs
(2008).
Tabbed by Eyolf Østrem
*Time out of Mind* version
Capo 6th fret (original key Bb major).
The “Bbdim” is only a faint approximation to the wealth of notes
sounding at this point (and never twice the same, it seems). A chord
like x12300 or x12202 captures that fairly well, but there are really no
“correct” chords here!
The same goes for the other two chords – basically tonic, fifth and a
lot of blue notes.
Em7
I'm beginning to hear voices and there's no one around
now I'm all used up and the fields have turned brown
I went to church on Sunday and she passed by
and my love for her is taking such a long time to die
Bbdim A7 Em7
Lord I'm waist deep, waist deep in the mist
Bbdim A7 Em7
It's almost like, almost like I don't exist
A7 G Em7
I'm 20 miles out of town, Cold Irons bound
The walls of pride is high and wide,
can't see over to the other side
It's such a sad thing to see beauty decay,
it's sadder still to feel your heart torn away
one look at you and I'm out of control
like the universe has swallowed me whole
I'm 20 miles out of town and Cold Irons bound
There's too many people, too many to recall
I thought some of 'em were friends of mine
I was wrong about 'em all
Well, the road is rocky and the hillside's mud
Up over my head nothing but clouds of blood
I found my world, I found my world in you
but your love just hasn't proved true
I'm 20 miles out of town, Cold Irons bound
20 miles out of town, Cold Irons bound
...
Well the winds in Chicago have torn me to shreds
reality has always had too many heads
some things last longer than you think they will
there are some kind of things you can never kill
it's you and you only I'm thinking about
but you can't see in, and it's hard looking out
I'm 20 miles out of town, Cold Irons bound
Well the fat's in the fire, and the water's in the tank
and the whiskey's in the jar, and the money's in the bank
I tried to love and protect you because I cared
I'm gonna remember forever the joy we've shared
but looking at you and I'm on my bended knee
you have no idea what you do to me
I'm 20 miles out of town Cold Irons bound
20 miles out of town, Cold Irons bound
Live versions (2000-)
This is the version that is released on Tell Tale Signs, vol. 3.
Kenneth Mirandola has noted that in live versions (fall 2001) “both
Campbell and Larry played with capoes. Larry was capoed at the first
fret and Sexton at the third.” These are the chords according to those
two capo positions.
I’ve tabbed out some suggestions for licks for the version with A major
chords. The changes between A and A7 (G and G7 in the second version)
are not played as regularly as in the tab.
The Ebdim descent could also be seen (and played) as a descent eb-d-c-b
over a sustained D7 or D9 (xx0210) chord.
Guitar capoed on 1st fret:
Chords:
A xx7655
A7 xx5655 (=A7/g)
Ebdim xx1212 (or xx1210)
Ebdim/d xx0212
A A7
I'm beginning to hear voices and there's no one around
A A7
now I'm all used up and the fields have turned brown
A A7
I went to church on Sunday and she passed by
A A7
and my love for her is taking such a long time to die
Ebdim /d /c /b A
Lord I'm waist deep, waist deep in the mist
Ebdim /d /c /b A
It's almost like I don't even exist
D C A
I'm 20 miles out of town, Cold Irons bound
A A7
: . . . : . . . : . . . : . . . x8
||---------5------------|---------------|-----------5-------------|------------------||
||*--------5------------|---------------|-----------5-------------|-----------------*||
||---------6------------|---------------|-----------6-------------|------------------||
||---------7------------|---------------|-----------5-------------|------------------||
||*---------------------|---------------|-------------------------|-----------------*||
||----------------------|---------------|-------------------------|------------------||
Ebdim /d /c /b A
: . : . . . : . . . : . . .
|-------------||--------------------------|-------------------------|-----------------|
|-------------||*-1---1-1---1-1---1-1---1-|-etc---------------------|-----------------|
|-------------||--2---2-2---2-2---2-2---2-|-------------------------|-----------------|
|-------------||--1---1-1---1-0---0-0---0-|-------------------------|-----------------|
|-------------||*-------------------------|-3---3-3---3-2---2-2---2-|-0---------------|
|-------------||--------------------------|-------------------------|-----------------|
D C
: . . . : . . . : . . .
|-------------------------||-------------------------|--------------------------|
|------------------------*||*------------------------|--------------------------|
|-------------------------||-----------------2-------|-----------------2--------|
|-------------------------||-----------5-----------5-|-----------5------------5-|
|------------------------*||*------------------------|--------------------------|
|-------------------------||-------------------------|--------------------------|
A
: . . .
|-------------------------||
|------------------------*||
|-------------------------||
|-------------------------||
|------------------------*||
|-------------------------||
Guitar capoed on 3rd fret:
G G7
I'm beginning to hear voices and there's no one around
G G7
now I'm all used up and the fields have turned brown
G G7
I went to church on Sunday and she passed by
G G7
and my love for her is taking such a long time to die
Dbdim /c /Bb /a G
Lord I'm waist deep, waist deep in the mist
Dbdim /c /Bb /a G
It's almost like I don't even exist
C Bb G
I'm 20 miles out of town, Cold Irons bound