The Ballad of a Thin Man
Bob Dylan

capo 2

Intro: Am w/hammer D on/off

     Am               Am/G#
You walk into the room with your pencil in your hand
Am/G                    Am/F#
You see somebody naked and you say, "Who is that man?"
F                      Dm
You try so hard but you  don't understand
C                 E7                Am
Just what you will say when you get home
        C            G    
Because something is happening here
        Am                    F               Am
And you don't know what it is, do you, Mister Jones?

Am                                 Am/G#
 You raise up your head and you ask, "Is this where it is?"
Am/G                                Am/F#
 And somebody points to you and says, "It's his"
F                                           Dm
 And you say, "What's mine?" and somebody else says, "Well, what is?"
              C                E7         Am
And you say, "Oh my god - am I here all alone?"
    C            G    
But something is happening
        Am                    F               Am
And you don't know what it is, do you, Mister Jones?

Am                             Am/G#
 You hand in your ticket and you go watch the geek
      Am/G                      Am/F#
Who immediately walks up to you when he hears you speak
    F                           Dm
And says, "How does it feel to be such a freak?"
                C               E7           Am
And you say, "Impossible" as he hands you a bone
    C            G    
And something is happening here
        Am                    F               Am
But you don't know what it is, do you, Mister Jones?

Am                      C
You have many contacts among the lumberjacks
           F                                     Am
To get you facts when someone attacks your imagination
                           C
But nobody has any respect, anyway they already expect you
F                             Dm                      G
 To all give a check to tax-deductible charity organizations


     Am               Am/G#
You've been with the professors, and they've all liked your looks
Am/G                            Am/F#
 With great lawyers you have discussed lepers and crooks
F                                    Dm
 You've been through all of F. Scott Fitzgerald's books
                 C      E7         Am
You're very well-read, it's well known
    C            G    
But something is happening here
        Am                    F               Am
And you don't know what it is, do you, Mister Jones?

          Am                              Am/G#
Well, the sword swallower he comes up to you and then he kneels
Am/G                            Am/F#
 He crosses himself and then he clicks his high heels
        F                             Dm
And without further notice he asks you  how it feels
              C                     E7                   Am
And he says, "Here is your throat back, thanks for the loan"
        C                 G    
And you know something is happening
        Am                    F               Am
But you don't know what it is, do you, Mister Jones?

        Am                      Am/G#
Now you see this one-eyed midget  shouting the word, "Now!"
Am/G                                Am/F#
 And you say, "For what reason?" and  he says, "How?"
        F                                    Dm
And you say, "What does this mean?" and he screams back, "You're a cow!
             C         E7       Am
Give me some milk - or else go home!"
        C                 G    
And you KNOW something's happening
        Am                    F               Am
But you don't know what it is, do you, Mister Jones?

          Am                        Am/G#
Well, you walk into the room like a camel and then you frown
    Am/G                                 Am/F#
You put your eyes in your pocket and your  nose on the ground
      F                          Dm
There oughta be a law against you  coming around
              C       E7        Am
You should be made to wear earphones
       C            G    
'Cause something is happening
        Am                    F               Am
And you don't know what it is, do you, Mister Jones?
         C                 G    
Yeah you know something is happening
        Am                    F               Am
But you don't know what it is, do you, Mister Jones?