It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry

🎤 Bob Dylan 🎵 Key: C

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Original album version . : . . . |---|---------3-------------3-|- |---|---------1-------------1-|- |---|-------0---0-----------0-|- etc. |---|-0---0-2---2-0---0-2---2-|- |-0-|-2---2-x---x-2---2-x---x-|- |-0-|-3---3-3---3-3---3-3---3-|- G C/G G C/G Well, I ride on a mailtrain, baby, G7 C/G G G/G Can't buy a thrill. C/G G C/G G C/G Well, I've been up all night, G C/G G Leanin' on the window sill. G G7(/F) Well, if I die C/E D Dsus4 On top of the hill G C/G G C/G And if I don't make it, G C/G G C/GG You know my baby will. Don't the moon look good, mama, Shinin' through the trees? Don't the brakeman look good, mama, Flagging down the "Double E"? Don't the sun look good Goin' down over the sea? Don't my gal look fine When she's comin' after me? Now the wintertime is coming, The windows are filled with frost. I went to tell everybody, But I could not get across. Well, I wanna be your lover, baby, I don't wanna be your boss. Don't say I never warned you When your train gets lost. No Direction Home version Well, I ride on a mailtrain, mama, Can't buy no thrill. I've been up all night, baby, Leanin' on the window sill. But if I die On top of the hill And if I don't make it, You know my baby will. Ah, don't the sun look good, baby, Coming down through the trees? Don't the ghost child look good, mama, Sittin' on this mad-man's knee? Don't the moon look good Goin' down over the sea? Don't my gal look fine When she's runnin' after me? Well I just been to the baggage room where the engineer he's been tossed Oh, I stamped on 40 compasses, God knows what they cost Well, I wanna be your lover, baby, I don't wanna be your boss. And I can't help it if this train gets lost. Bootleg Series version {c:Uptempo electric blues with Dylan at the piano (presumably – it sounds like him, and none of the guitars do). The most appropriate way to play it on a guitar would be with a capo on the 4th fret (or with barré chords), as in the following tab.} |-------------------------|--------------------------| |-------------------------|--------------------------| |-------------------------|--------------------------| |-------------------------|--------------------------| |-2-----2-----4-----4-----|-5-----5-----4-----4------| |-0-----0-----0-----0-----|-0-----0-----0-----0------| {c:The solo guitar plays this little lick at the end of each two-bar period (during the E-E6-E7-E6, that is):} . . : . ------------------|------------ ------------------|------------ ------------------|------------ ---b8r6---4-------|------------ ------------6---4-|-6---------- ------------------|------------ {c:(b8r6 means that the string is struck in bent position, two semitones, as if played on the 8th fret, then released to normal position, on the 6th fret). } E E6 E7 E6 Well, I ride on a mailtrain, baby, E E6 E7 E6 |: E E6 E7 E6 :| Can't buy no thrill. E E6 E7 E6 Yes, I've been up all night, baby E E6 E7 E6 |: E E6 E7 E6 :| Leanin' on the window sill. E E7/D Yes, but if I die A/C# B On top of the hill E E6 E7 E6 And if I don't make it, E E6 E7 E6 |: E E6 E7 E6 :| x4 You know my baby will. Bangla Desh Concert version {c:Great (almost) solo acoustic version, played at the Concert for Bangla Desh, Aug 1, 1971 (Us release Dec 20, 1971)} Intro and recurring riff: "Can't buy a thrill" figure: G C/G G C/G G G/D Eo' D7 : . . . : . . . |-3---3-3---3-3---3-3---3-| |-------------------------|-3--- the bass plays an |-0---0-1---0-0---0-1---0-| |-3---3-3---3-2-----1-----|-0--- ascending d-e-f#-g here) |-0---0-0---0-0---0-0---0-| |-4---4-4---4-3-----2-----|-0--- |-0---0-2---0-0---0-2---0-| |-0-----------0-----0-----|-0--- etc. |-2---2-----2-2---2-----2-| |-------------------------|-2--- |-3---3-3---3-3---3-3---3-| |-------------------------|-3--- can't buy a thrill "Top of the hill" figure: : . . . . . : . . . : . . . |-3-----------3-----------0-----------|-2---2-2---2-3---3-3---3-|-5-5-5-5---5-2---2-2---2-| |-0-----------0-----------1-----------|-3---3-3---3-3---3-3---3-|-3-3-3-3---3-3---3-3---3-| |-0-----------0-----------0-----------|-2---2-2---2-4---4-4---4-|-5-3-5-5---5-2---2-2---2-| |-0-----------0-----------2-----------|-0---0-0---0-0---0-0---0-|-0---0-0---0-0---0-0---0-| |-2-----------2-----------3-----------|---------------------------------------------------| |-3-----------1-----------0-----------|---------------------------------------------------| If I die on top of the hill G Well, I ride a mailtrain, baby, G/D Eo' D7 G Can't buy a thrill. G Well, I've been up all night, G/D Eo' D7 G Leanin' on the window sill. G G7/F Well, if I die C/E D D7(iii)) On top of the hill G And if I don't make it, G/D D7 G You know my baby will. |-7---7-7---7-6---6-5---5-|-3-- |-------------------------|-0-- |-7---7-7---7-6---6-5---5-|-0-- etc. |-0---0-0---0-0---0-0---0-|-0-- |-------------------------|-2-- |-------------------------|-3-- Rolling Thunder Revue version {c:See the Bangla Desh version for intro and recurring riff and for the basic outline of the “top of the hill” figure.} G Well, I ride a mailtrain, baby, G C C G Can't buy a thrill. G Well, I've been up all night, G C C G Leanin' on the window sill. G G7/F *) *) could be played G7sus4/F (xx3013) Well, if I die or plain F instead C/E D D7(iii)) On top of the hill G And if I don't make it, C C G You know my baby will.