Tomorrow is a Long Time
Words and music Bob Dylan
Recorded as a Witmark Demo Dec. 1962, in the NY Town Hall Apr 12 1963
for the unissued live album In Concert (Included on Greatest Hits
vol. 2), and June 1970 during the
sessions for New Morning (outtake).
Tabbed by Eyolf Østrem
Town Hall Apr 12 1963 (*In Concert/Greatest Hits vol. 2*)
Standard tuning, capo 3rd fret (sounding key Bb major)
Chords:
C/g 3x2013
G 320003
D/f# 200232
D7/f# 20021(2)
The C/g G at most of the line endings is played like the figure at the beginning of the intro.
Intro (same picking pattern throughout):
C/g G C/g G G C/g
: . . . : . . . : . . . : . . .
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|---3-------------|
|-----1------(0)--|-----1------(0)--|-----0-----------|-----------------|
|-----------0-----|-----------0-----|-----------0-----|-----------0-----|
|-----2-------0---|-----2-------0---|-----0-------0---|-----0-------2---|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-3-------3-------|-3-------3-------|-3-------3-------|-3-------3-------|
G C/g G C/g G C/g G
| . . . | . . . | . . . | . . .
|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|
|-----0h1----(0)------------------|-----1------(0)------1------(0)--|
|-----------0---------------0-----|-----------0---------------0-----|
|-----0h2-----0-------0-------0---|-----2-------0-------2-------0---|
|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|
|-3-------3-------3-------3-------|-3-------3-------3-------3-------|
G
| . . . | . . .
|---------------------------------|
|---------------------------------|
|-----------0---------------0-----|
|-----0-------0-------0-------0---|
|---------------------------------|
|-3-------3-------3-------3-------|
If today...
G C/g G C/g G
If today was not an endless highway, *)
G C/g G
If tonight was not a crooked trail,
C/g D/f# C/g G
If tomorrow wasn't such a long time,
C/g D/f# C/g G
Then lonesome would mean nothing to you at all.
C/g D/f# C/g G
Yes, and only if my own true love was waitin',
C/g D/f# C/g G
if I could hear her heart a-softly poundin',
C/g D/f# C/g G
Yes, and only if she was lyin' by me,
C/g . . . D7/f# . . . C/g G | C/g G | C/g G | G
I'd lie in my bed once again.
I can't see my reflection in the waters,
I can't speak the sounds that show no pain,
I can't hear the echo of my footsteps,
Or can't remember the sound of my own name.
Yes, and only if my own true love was waitin',
Yes, and if I could hear her heart a-softly poundin',
Only if she was lyin' by me,
Then I'd lie in my bed once again.
There's beauty in the silver, singin' river,
There's beauty in the sunrise in the sky,
But none of these and nothing else can touch the beauty
That I remember in my true love's eyes.
Yes, and only if my own true love was waitin',
Yes, and if I could hear her heart a-softly poundin',
Only if she was lyin' by me,
Then I'd lie in my bed once again.
- ) He sings “crooked highway”.
New Morning Outtake, June 1970
Intro:
A
| . . . | . . .
|---------------------------|
|---------------------------|
|---------------------------| repeat
|---------------------------|
|-0--0--3--3--5--5--b7r5-3--|
|---------------------------|
2nd guitar (from 1st chorus):
A
| . . . | . . .
|---------------------------|
|-------------------1-------|
|-------0--0--2--2-----2-0--|
|-2--2----------------------|
|---------------------------|
|---------------------------|
A
If today was not an endless highway,
If tonight was not a crooked trail,
D7 A
If tomorrow wasn't such a long time,
D (n.c.) A
Then lonesome would mean nothing to me at all.
D7 A
and if only my own true love was waitin',
D A
if I could hear her heart a-softly poundin',
D A
If only she was lyin' by me,
[intro]x4
Then I'd lie in my bed once again.
Witmark Demo, Dec. 1962
The chords seem numerous and difficult, with their long names, but it’s all quite simple actually – don’t let the appearance scare you.
E 000000
A/c# 020120
Esus4 000100
Aadd9/c# x20100
Esus4/b x00100
B7/f# 200100
E/g# 400004
A/e 020100
B'/d# x40300
fingerpicking pattern (incl. lick 1):
lick 1
| . . . | . . . .
|-------------------------------0-|
|---0-------0-------0-------0h3---|
|-------0-------0-------0---------|
|-----0-------0-------0-----------|
|---------------------------------|
|-0-------0-------0-------0-------|
E lick 1
If today was not an crooked highway,
lick 1
If tonight I could finally stand tall,
A/c# E Esus4 E
If tomorrow wasn't such a long time,
Aadd9/c# Esus4/b B7/f# E
Then lonesome would mean nothing to me at all.
Aadd9/c# Esus4/b E/g#
yes and only if my own true love was waitin',
Aadd9/c# Esus4/b E/g#
yes, and if I could hear her heart a-softly poundin',
Aadd9/c# Esus4/b E A/e E
only if she was lyin' by me,
Aadd9/c# B'/d# E
Then I'd lie in my bed once again.
I can't see my reflection in the waters,
I can't speak the sounds that know no pain,
I can't hear the echo of my footsteps,
Or can't remember the sound of my own name.
Yes, and only if my own true love was waitin',
Yes, and if I could hear her heart a-softly poundin',
Only if she was lyin' by me,
Then I'd lie in my bed once again.
There's beauty in the silver, singin' river,
There's beauty in the sunrise in the sky,
But none of these and nothing else can match the beauty
That I remember in my true love's eyes.
Yes, and only if my own true love was waitin',
Yes, and if I could hear her heart a-softly poundin',
Only if she was lyin' by me,
Then I'd lie in my bed once again.