Trad.
From the “Banjo Tape”, recordedin the Basement of Gerde's Folk City, Feb 8, 1863
Tabbed by Eyolf Østrem
Twelve-string guitar tuned down one half step (sounding key F# major).
This song has just about every distinctive feature of a great Dylan instrumental: a little figure which sounds intricate, but is really simple; a clear proof of his ability to use the flatpick style to pick out melodic finesses; a full sound with many open strings, and, hence, tones foreign to the chords; a consistent use of the high and low strings to emphasise rhythm and melodies; and a rock steady singing rhythm, to which the meter of the song just has to adapt.
The little figure is really simple: index finger on the first string, fifth fret, and ring finger alternating between the three highest strings on the seventh fret.
Because this is played on a twelve-string, there are figures and tones you will not get on an ordinary acoustic guitar; especially what is played on the third string pair, which has the highest tuned string on the guitar.
D : . . . . : . . : . . . |-2-----2-----------/7-----------|-2-----2-----2-----|-5---5-5---5-5---5-7---5-5---0-| |-3-----3-----------/9----(0)----|-3-----3-----3-----|-7---7-7---7-0---0-0---0-7---0-| |-2-----2------------------0-----|-2-----2-----2-----|-0-----0-----7-----0-----0-----| |-0-----0------------------------|-0-----0-----0-----|-0-----0-----0-----------------| |-0-----0------------------------|-0-----------------|-------------------------------| |--------------------------------|-2-----------------|-------------------------------|
: . . . : . . . : . . .
||--2-----2------------2-----|-------2---------2-2---2--||-------2-----------2-----|
||*-3-----3------------3-----|-------3---------3-3---3-*||-------3-----------3-----|
||--2-----2------------2-----|-------2---------2-2---2--||-------2-----------2-----|
||--0-----------0------0-----|-0-----0-----0-----0------||-0-----0-----0-----0-----|
||*-------------0------0-----|-0-----------0-----------*||-0-----------0-----------|
||--------------2------------|-2-----------2------------||-2-----------2-----------|
I'd ra - ther see my __________
: . . . : . . . : . . .
|-------2----/5---5--5---5-|-5---5-5---5-5---5-5---5-|-5---5-5---5-/5---5-0----|
|-------3----/7---7--0---0-|-7---7-7---7-0---0-0---0-|-7---7-7---7-/7-----0----|
|-------2-----0------7-----|-0-----------7-----------|-0------------------0----|
|-0-----0------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|
|-0------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|
|-2------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|
through
_________ cof - fin com - ing com - ing my back
>
: . . . . . : . . .
|-------2---------2------2-----0-0-----|-2-----2---------2-2---2-|
|-------3---------3------3-----3-3-----|-3-----3---------3-3---3-|
|-2-----2-----2---2------2-----0-0-----|-2-----2---------2-2---2-|
|-0-----0-----0----------------0-0-----|-0-----0-----------0-----|
|-0----------------------------0-2-----|-------0-----------------|
|-2------------------0--h2-2-----------|-------2-----------------|
door
G
: . . . : . . . : . . .
|-2-----2----------2-2---2-|-------3---------3-3---3-|-------3----------------|
|-3-----3----------3-3---3-|-------0---------0-0---0-|-------0----------------|
|-2-----2----------2-2---2-|-------0---------0-0---0-|-------0----------------|
|-0-----0-----0------0-----|-0-----0-----0-----0-----|-0-----0-----3-----2----|
|-0-----------0------------|-2-----------2-----------|-2----------------------|
|-2-----------2------------|-3-----------3-----------|-3----------------------|
I'd ra - ther see my ____________________________ cof - fin
D
: . . . : . . . : . . .
|-------------------------|-------2-----------2-----|/5---5-5---5-7---5-5---0-|
|-------------------------|-------3-----------3-----|/7---7-0---0-0---0-7---0-|
|-------------------------|-------2-----------2-----|-0-----7-----------------|
|-0-----------------0-----|-------0-----------0-----|-------------------------|
|-------1-----2-----------|-------------------------|-------------------------|
|-------------------------|-2-----------2-----------|-------------------------|
coming through my back - door
G
: . . . : . . . : . . .
|-------2---2-2---2-0-----|-------2---------2-2---2-|-3-----3---------3-3---3-|
|-------3---3-3---3-3-----|-------3---------3-3---3-|-0-----0---------0-0---0-|
|-------2---2-2---2-0-----|-------2---------2-2---2-|-0-----0---------0-0---0-|
|-------0-----0-----0-----|-0-----0-----0-----0-----|-0-----0-----------0-----|
|-0-----------------2-----|-0-----------0-----------|-2-----------------------|
|-2-----------------------|-2-----------2-----------|-3-----------------------|
I'd ra - ther see ____ my _____________
: . . . : . . . : . . . |-------3---3-------3-----|-------3---------3-3---3-|-------------------------| |-------0---0-------0-----|-------0---------0-0---0-|-------------------------| |-------0---0-------0-----|-------0---------0-0---0-|-------------------------| |-2-----------0-----------|-------0-----------0-----|-3-----2-----0-----------| |-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------1-----| |-------------------------|-3-----------3-----------|------------------------- ___________ cof - fin com - ing __________ com- ing through my back
: . . . : . . . : . . . |-------2---------2-2---2-|/5---5-5---5-7---5-5---0-|-------2---------2-2---2-| |-------3---------3-3---3-|/7---7-0---0-0---0-7---0-|-------3---------3-3---3-| |-------2---------2-2---2-|-0-----7-----------------|-------2---------2-2---2-| |-------0-----------0-----|-------------------------|-0-----0-----0-----0-----| |-0-----------------------|-------------------------|-0-----------0-----------| |-------------2-----------|-------------------------|-2-----------2-----------| door _______
A7
: . . . : . . . : . . .
|-------2---------2-2---2-|-------3-----------3-----|-------3-----------3-----|
|-------3---------3-3---3-|-------2-----------2-----|-------2-----------2-----|
|-------2---------2-2---2-|-------2-----------2-----|-------2-----------2-----|
|-0-----0-----0-----0-----|-------2-----------2-----|-------2-----------2-----|
|-0-----------0-----------|-0-----------0-----------|-0-----------0-----------|
|-2-----------2-----------|-------------------------|-------------------------|
And the girl __________________________ I'm lov - ing __
: . . . : . . . : . . . |-------3-----------3-----|-------3-----------3-----|-------------------------| |-------2-----------2-----|-------2-----------2-----|-------------------------| |-------2-----------2-----|-------2-----------2-----|-------------------------| |-------2-----------2-----|-------2-----------2-----|-------------------0-----| |-0-----------0-----------|-0-----------0-----------|-0-----1-----2-----------| |-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------| _____________________________________ she says __________ she don't _____
D
: . . . : . . . : . . .
|-------------------------|-------2---------2-2---2-|------/5---5-5---5-7---5-5---0-|
|-------------------------|-------3---------3-3---3-|------/7---7-0---0-0---0-7---0-|
|-------------------------|-------2---------2-2---2-|-------0-----7-----------------|
|-2-----3-----------2-----|-0-----0-----0-----0-----|-0-----------------------------|
|-------------------------|-0-----------0-----------|-0-----------------------------|
|-------------------------|-2-----------2-----------|-2-----------------------------|
love me no more
: . . . x4 : . . . : . . .
||--------2---------2-2---2--||------/5---5-5---5-7---5-|/5---5-5---5-7---5-5---0-|
||*-------3---------3-3---3-*||------/7---7-0---0-0-----|/7---7-0---0-0---0-7---0-|
||--------2---------2-2---2--||-------0-----7-----------|-0-----7-----------------|
||--0-----0-----0-----0------||-0-----------------------|-------------------------|
||*-0-----------0-----------*||-0-----------------------|-------------------------|
||--2-----------2------------||-2-----------------------|-------------------------|
When you see me _______________________________________
: . . . : . . . : . . . |-------2---------2-2---2-|-------------------------|-------------------------| |-------3---------3-3---3-|-------------------------|-------------------------| |-------2---------2-2---2-|-------------------------|-------------------0-----| |-0-----0-----0-----0-----|-3-----2-----0-----------|-------0-----2-----------| |-0-----------0-----------|-------------------1-----|-2-----------------------| |-2-----------2-----------|-------------------------|-------------------------| lea - vin' ____________ Baby, I should have left so
: . . . . . : . . . : . . . |-----------0-----0-5---5-7---5-5---0-|-------2---------2-2---2-|-------2---------2-2---2-| |-------6-----6-----0-----0-----7---0-|-------3---------3-3---3-|-------3---------3-3---3-| |-------------------------0-----0-----|-------2---------2-2---2-|-------2---------2-2---2-| |-0-----------------------------------|-0-----0-----------0-----|-0-----0-----0-----0-----| |-0-----------------------------------|-0-----------------0-----|-0-----------0-----------| |-------------------------------------|-2-----------0-----2-----|-2-----------2-----------| far. when you
G : . . . : . . . : . . . |-------3---------3-3---3-|-------3---------3-3---3-|-------------------------| |-------0---------0-0---0-|-------0---------0-0---0-|-------------------------| |-------0---------0-0---0-|-------0---------0-0---0-|-------------------------| |-0-----0-----0-----0-----|-0-----0-----0-----0-----|-3-----2-----0-----------| |-2-----------2-----------|-2-----------2-----------|-------------------1-----| |-3-----------3-----------|-3-----------3-----------|-------------------------| see me ________________________________________ lea - vin' ____________
: . . . : . . . : . . . |-------3---------3-3---3-|-------3-----------3-----|-------3-----------------| |-------0---------0-0---0-|-------0-----------0-----|-------0-----------------| |-------0---------0-0---0-|-------0-----------0-----|-------0-----------------| |-------0-----------0-----|-------0-----3-----------|-2-----------------------| |-2-----------------------|-------------------------|-------------0-----2-----| |-------------3-----------|-3-----------------------|-------------------------| ------------- Mama, I feel I should have left so
D : . . . . : . . . : . . . |-------2---------2-2---2-3-----|-------2---------2-2---2-|-------2---------2-2---2-| |-------3---------3-3---3-3-----|-------3---------3-3---3-|-------3---------3-3---3-| |-------2---------2-2---2-0-----|-------2---------2-2---2-|-------2---------2-2---2-| |-0-----------------0-----0-----|-0-----0-----------0-----|-0-----0-----0-----0-----| |-------------------------2-----|-------0-----------------|-0-----------0-----------| |-------------0-----2-----------|-------2-----------------|-2-----------2-----------| far
A7
: . . . . . : . . . : . . .
|-------2---------2-2---2-----2-2---2-|-------3---------3-3---3-|-3-----2-----------------|
|-------3---------3-3---3-----3-3---3-|-------2---------2-2---2-|-2-----2-----------------|
|-------2---------2-2---2-----2-2---2-|-------2---------2-2---2-|-2-----2-----------------|
|-0-----0-----0-----0-----0-----0-----|-------2-----------2-----|-2-----2-----------------|
|-0-----------0-----------0-----------|-0-----------0-----------|-------0-----------------|
|-2-----------2-----------2-----------|-------------------------|-------------3-----0-----|
Some - times ____________________ I'm a-wond'-
: . . . : . . . : . . .
|-3-----3---------3-3---3-|-3-----3---------3-3---3-|-------------------------|
|-2-----2---------2-2---2-|-2-----2---------2-2---2-|-------------------------|
|-2-----2---------2-2---2-|-2-----2---------2-2---2-|-------------------------|
|-2-----2---------2-2---2-|-2-----2---------2-2---2-|-3-----2-----0-----------|
|-------0-----------0-----|-0-----0-----------0-----|-------------------1-----|
|-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|
- rin' _______________________________________ Who you _____________
D
: . . . : . . . : . . .
|-------------------------|-------2---------2-2---2-|/5---5-5---5-7---5-5---0-|
|-------------------------|-------3---------3-3---3-|/7---7-0---0-0---0-7---0-|
|-------------------------|-------2---------2-2---2-|-0-----7-----------------|
|-------0-----2-----3-----|-0-----0-----0-----0-----|-------------------------|
|-2-----------------------|-0-----------0-----------|-------------------------|
|-------------------------|-2-----------2-----------|-------------------------|
_____ think you are
: . . . : . . . : . . . |-------2---------2-3-----|-2-----2---------2-2---2-|-2-----2---2-2---2-| |-------3---------3-3-----|-3-----3---------3-3---3-|-3-----3---3-3---3-| |-------2---------2-0-----|h2-----2---------2-2---2-|-2-----2---2-2---2-| |-0-----0-----0-----0-----|-0-----0-----------0-----|-0-----0-----0-----| |-0-----------0----h2-----|-------0-----------------|-0-----------------| |-2-----------2-----------|-------2-----------------|-2-----------------|
: . . . : . . . : . . . |/5---5-5---5-7---5-5---0-|-2-----2--------------3--|-2-----------2----------|| |/7---7-0---0-0---0-7---0-|-3-----3--------------0--|-3-----------3----------|| |-0-----7-----------------|-2-----2--------------0--|-2-----------2----------|| |-------------------------|-0-----0-----0--------0--|-0-----------0----------|| |-------------------------|-0--------------1--2-----|-------------0----------|| |-------------------------|-2-----------------------|-------------2----------||
D
I'd rather see my coffin coming through my back door
G D
I'd rather see my coffin coming through my back door
G D
I'd rather see my coffin coming through my back door
A7 D
And the girl I'm loving, she says she don't love me no more
When you see me leaving, baby, I should have left so far When you see me leaving, Mama, I feel I should have left so far Sometimes I'm a-wond'rin' who you think you are.