Masters Of War by Bob Dylan
Some time ago I worked out a version with a Capo on the 2nd fret.
I think Dylan moves from a Dm to a form of 'C' which the top three strings are
unused/muted so just uses his index finger to make:
E x - A x - D x - G 0 - B 1 - E 0
In parts he pulls the index off for one downstroke, to add a bit of complexity
from that C shape - creating an effective Em:
E x - A x - D x - G 0 - B 0 - E 0
this is particularly noticeable in the final line of the verses.
The strum pattern is, if ^ = upstroke v = downstroke
V v ^ v ^ V ^ v ^ V v ^ v ^ V ^ v ^
Dm C (Em) Dm C
(repeat times x 12)
V v ^ v ^ V ^ v ^ V v ^ v ^ V ^ v ^
Dm C Em Am Am
Masters Of War - Bob Dylan
(Capo 2)
Dm C Dm C
Come you masters of war
Dm C Dm C
You that build the big guns
Dm C Dm C
You that build all the bombs
Dm C Dm C
You that hide behind walls
Dm C Dm C
You that hide behind desks
Dm C Em Am
I just want you to know I can see through your
Dm C Dm C
masks
Repeat for following verses...
You that never have done nothin' but build to destroy
You play with my world like it's your little toy
You put a gun in my hand then you hide from my eyes
Then you turn and run farther when the fast bullets fly
Like Judas of old you lie and deceive
A world war can be won, you want me to believe
But I see through your eyes and I see through your brain
Like I see through the water that runs down my drain
You that fasten all the triggers for the others to fire
Then you sit back and watch while the death count gets higher
You hide in your mansions while the young people's blood
Flows out of their bodies and gets buried in the mud
You've thrown the worst fear that can ever be hurled
Fear to bring children into the world
For threatening my baby, unborn and unnamed
You ain't worth the blood that runs in your veins
How much do I know to talk out of turn
You might say that I'm young, you might say I'm unlearned
But there's one thing I know, though I'm younger than you
Even Jesus would never forgive what you do
Let me ask you one question: is your money that good?
Will it buy you forgiveness? Do you think that it could?
I think you will find when your death takes its toll
All the money you made won't ever buy back your soul
And I hope that you die and your death will come soon
I'll follow your casket through the pale afternoon
And I'll watch while you're lowered into your death-bed
Then I'll stand over your grave till I'm sure that you're
Dead
On the final word 'dead' strum Dm hard and quickly to end.
A great anti-warmonger poem.
Nice and simple left hand guitaring like much of Dylan's work. The great sound comes from the strumming.
You can sing it as out of tune as you like and it still sounds great!