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  

 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  

 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  

 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  

 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  
 Bm  
                                              Whoaaaaaoooooh!