Peace in the Valley
Written by Thomas A. Dorsey
Performed once by Bob Dylan (Les Arènes, Frejus, France 13 June 1989)
Tabbed by Eyolf Østrem
Dylan’s performance is a tremendous one, but one where – as often is the case with his one-offs – the words aren’t always clear. I’ve noted some deviations from the “standard” version, but not all of them. The end of the chorus is sung differently, but I can’t hear what he’s singing there. Thus, the version below is a hybrid: neither exactly what Dylan sings, nor what he should have sung.
Either the tape is a little fast, or he has a capo on the 1st fret.
C (Csus4-C)
Oh well, I'm tired and so weary,
F C
But I must travel on
C D7 G C/g G
Till the lord comes and takes me away,
C
Well the morning's so bright
F C
And the lamp is alight
C G C Csus4 C
And the night, night is as black as the sea *)
F
There will be peace in the valley
C
for me, one of these days
C D7
There will be peace, peace in the valley
G Gsus4 G
for me, oh Lord I pray
C C/e
There'll be no sadness, no sorrow
F D7/f#
No trouble, trouble I see **)
C G7
There will be peace, peace in the valley
C
for me, one of these days
Well the bear will be gentle
And the wolves will be tame
And the lion shall lie down by the lamb, oh yes ***)
And the beasts from on wild
they will be lit by a child
And I'll be changed from this creature that I am
There will be peace in the valley for me, some day
There will be peace in the valley for me, oh Lord I pray
There'll be no sadness, no sorrow
No trouble, trouble I see
There will be peace in the valley for me, for me
Dylan sings:
*) “But I never […] night / And the night’s so bright / With the night as bright as the day.”
**) “there’ll be no trouble / no trouble [at day?] / up over the […] / of a harder day”
***) “Well the beasts will be gentle / And the lion it’ll be tame / And the lion will lie down with the lamb”