written by Billy Joe Shaver
Recorded by Bob Dylan for the film Hearts Of Fire (1986)
Tabbed by Eyolf Østrem

Chords:

E(4th pos)   076400
A(5th pos)   x07650

The little licks at the end of each line are tabbed from the first verse, but they aren’t (of course) played the same way each time, regarding the rhythm.

I am not going to tab the weird strumming at the end.

Acoustic Take

A                                           E    [Lick 1]
I've spent a lifetime, making up my mind to be
E (4th pos)                                          A (5th) [Lick 2]
More than the measure of what I thought others could see
A                                                D/f# [Lick 3]
Good luck and fast bucks are too far and too inbetween
E                                            A  [Lick 4]
Cadillac buyers and old five and dimers like me

lick 1:

  E
  : . . : . .
|-------------
|-------------
|-1---2-4----- use E = 076400
|-2---4-6----- for the next line
|-------------
|-------------

lick 2:

  : . . ; . .   : . . ; . .
|-------------|-------------
|---5-5---5-5-|-------2-----
|---6-6---6-6-|-6-4-2-2-----
|---7-7---7-7-|-7-6-4-2-----
|-0-----0-----|-------------
|-------------|-------------
..see

lick 3:

  : . . ; . .   : . . ; . .
|---2-2---2-2-|---2---------|---2-2---2-2-|
|---3-3---3-3-|---3-3-----3-|---3-3---3-3-|-
|---2-2---2-2-|---2-2-1-2-2-|---2-2---2-2-|
|-------------|-----0-2-4-0-|-------------|
|-------------|-------------|-------------|
|-2-----2-----|-2-----------|-2-----------|
between

Lick 4:

|-------------|-------------|(0)-
|---2-2---2-2-|---2-2-------|-5--
|---2-2---2-2-|---2-2-1-2-4-|-6-- etc.
|---2-2---2-2-|---2-2-2-4-6-|-7--
|-0-----0-----|-0-----------|-0--
|-------------|-------------|----

She stood beside me letting me know she would be
Something to lean on when everyone ran out on me
Fenced yards ain't hole cards and, like as not, never will be
Reasons for rhymers and old five and dimers like me

(It's) taken me so long but now that I know I believe
All that I do or say is all that I ever will be
Too far and too high and too deep ain't too much to be
Too much ain't enough for old five and dimers like me.

        E                                       A
Yes, an old five and dimer is all I intented to be.

Electric Takes

The first take is a stainghtforward, square 4/4 version, whereas the second take is a bluesy thing in a triplet rhythm.

E                                           B
I've spent a lifetime, making up my mind to be
B                                                    E
More than the measure of what I thought others could see
E                                                A
Good luck and fast bucks are too far and too inbetween
B                                            E
Cadillac buyers and old five and dimers like me

B . . . A . . . E . . . E . . .