Chords
Ballad Of a Thin Man

This song, penned by Bob Dylan, mirrors his experience and frustration with the celebrity culture and music industry. The character Mister Jones stands for the individuals who are out of touch with the countercultural movement of the 60s, failing to grasp what was happening around them.

Key: Bm

Introduction:  Bm   Bm   Bm   Bm  

difficulty
intermediate |||||
  Bm                                          F#+ 
      You walk into the room                    with your pencil in your hand
  D/A                                         E7/G# 
      You see somebody naked and you            you say who is that man?
  G                                           Em 
      You try so hard but you                   Don' t understand
  D                    F#m                    Bm 
 Just what you will  say when you get           home                         Be-
  D                    F#m                    Bm 
-cause something is happening here but you  don' t know what it is
  G                                           Bm 
    Do you?                         Mister  Jones

  Bm                                          F#+ 
    You raise up your head                     and you ask "is this where it is?"
  D/A                                         E7/G# 
   And somebody points to you and           Says,        "It' s his"
  G                                           Em 
  And you say "what' s mine" and somebody  else says "well, what is?"  and you
  D                    F#m                    Bm 
 Say,   "Oh my    god  am I here all  a  -  lone?"                          But
  D                    F#m                    Bm 
  Something is    happening  and you     don' t know what it is
  G                                           Bm 
     Do you?                        Mister  Jones

  Bm                                          F#+ 
    You hand in your ticket                     and you go watch the geek
  D/A                                         E7/G# 
   Who immediately walks up to you             when he hears you speak
  G                                           Em 
  and says, "how does it feel to              be such a freak?" and you say "im-
  D                    F#m                    Bm 
 -possible" as he    hands you a            bone                             And
  D                    F#m                    Bm 
  something is happening here but you       don' t know what it is
  G                                           Bm 
    do you?                         Mister  Jones

  Bm                                            D/A 
      You have many contacts                      Among the lumberjacks    to
  G                                             Bm 
 Get you facts when someone attacks your imagination
  Bm                                            D/A 
      But nobody has any respect                 Anyway they already expect you
  G                                             Em 
 To all give a check to                      Tax-deductible      charity         organi-
  A7 
-zations                                                              Ahhhhhh..........

  Bm                                          F#+ 
     You' ve been with the professors and     they' ve all liked your looks
  D/A                                         E7/G# 
     With great lawyers you have dis -      cussed lepers and crooks
  G                                           Em 
    You' ve been through all of F. Scott Fitzgerald' s books
  D                    F#m                    Bm 
  You' re very well   read it' s well         known                           But
  D                    F#m                    Bm 
  something  is    happening here and ya    don' t know what it is
  G                                           Bm 
     do you?                        Mister  Jones
  Bm 
                                  Well the

  Bm                                          F#+ 
    sword swallower he comes up to          you and then he kneels
  D/A                                         E7/G# 
    He crosses himself and then he             clicks his high heels        and
  G                                           Em 
without further notice he asks you             how it feels           and he says
  D                    F#m                    Bm 
 Here is your throat back thanks for the    loan
  D                    F#m                    Bm 
  and you know something is happening but you don' t know what it is
  G                                           Bm 
     do you?                       Mister   Jones

  Bm                                          F#+ 
    you see this one-eyed midget              shouting the word "now"
  D/A                                         E7/G# 
    and you say "for what reason"              and he says "how?"
  G                                           Em 
 and you say "what does this mean?" and he screams back "you' re a cow"
  D                    F#m                    Bm 
 Give me some        milk or else    go        home                     and you
  D                    F#m                    Bm 
know something' s happening but you don' t   know what it is
  G                                           Bm 
     do you?                      Mister    Jones
  Bm 
                                   Well...

  Bm                                          F#+ 
 You walk into the room like a              camel and then you frown
  D/A                                         E7/G# 
    You put your eyes in your pocket and your   nose on the ground
  G                                           Em 
    There oughtta be a law            a -   gainst you comin'  around        You
  D                    F#m                    Bm 
 Should be made to   wear ear               phones
  D                    F#m                    Bm 
   Cause something is happening and you     don' t know what it is
  G                                           Bm 
      do you?                      Mister   Jones

  Bm 
                                   Whoaaaaaoooooh!