If I Don't Be There By Morning
Written by Bob Dylan for Eric Clapton
Released by Eric Clapton on his album Backless (1978)
Tabbed by Eyolf Østrem
To get that high ringing b from the piano, the song has to be played
around the 7th fret, with barre chords (or a capo). The guitar that can
be heard on the tape probably plays with a capo on the 2nd fret and the
chords in the 2nd version below.
Another alternative is to play with a capo on the 4th fret with the
chords in the second column below.
Chords:
No capo: Capo 4th fret:
B 799877 G 320003
E/b 779997 C/g 3x2013
E7 076750 or 079797 C7 x32310
D#m7 x68676 Bm7 x24232
G#m 466444 Em 022000
C#m7 x46454 Am7 x02010
F#6 24x342 D6 xx0202
F#7 242322 D7 xx0212
Intro and recurring pattern:
B E/b B E/b
> (>) > (>)
: . . . : . . .
|-7---7---7-7-7-7-|-----7---7-7-7-7-|
|-7---7---9-9-9-7-|-----7---9-9-9-7-|
|-8---8---9-9-9-8-|-----8---9-9-9-8-| repeat
|-9---9---9-9-9-9-|-----9---9-9-9-9-|
|-9---9---7-7-7-9-|-----9---7-7-7-9-|
|-7---7---7-7-7-7-|-----7---7-7-7-7-|
B E/b B
Blue sky
E/b B E/b B E/b
upon the horizon,
B E/b B
Private eye
E/b B E/b B B7
is on my trail,
E7
And if I don't be there by morning
B E/b B
She'll know that I
E/b B E/b B E/b
must've spent the night in jail.
I been runnin'
from Memphis to LA
Had an appointment
set sometime for today
And if I don't be there by morning
She'll know that I
must have gone the other way.
D#m7 G#m
Finding my way back to you, girl,
B E
lonely and blue, and mistreated too,
D#m7 G#m
Sometimes I think of you, girl,
C#m7 F#6 F#7
is it true you think of me too?
[instr. verse]
I got a woman
living in LA
I got a woman
waiting for my pay,
And if I don't be there by morning
Pack my clothes,
get down on your knees and pray.
Finding my way back to you, girl,
lonely and blue, and mistreated too,
Sometimes I think of you, girl,
is it true you think of me too?
I left my woman
with a twenty-dollar bill,
I left her waiting,
I hope she's waiting for me still.
But if I don't be there by morning
I guess that I,
I never will.
[instr. verses and fade out]
Version with capo 2nd fret:
Chords:
D/f# 200232
C#m7 x46454
F#m 244222
Bm7 x24232
E6 022120
E7 020100
A D/f# A
Blue sky
D/f# A D/f# A D/f#
upon the horizon,
A D/f# A
Private eye
D/f# A D/f# A A7
is on my trail,
D7
And if I don't be there by morning
A D/f# A
She'll know that I
D/f# A D/f# A D/f#
must've spent the night in jail.
. . .
C#m7 F#m
Finding my way back to you, girl,
A D
lonely and blue, and mistreated too,
C#m7 F#m
Sometimes I think of you, girl,
B#m7 E6 E7
is it true you think of me too?