I Shall Be Released
Words & Music:
Bob Dylan
Once again, from the
terrific Dylanchords.com site (on hiatus), an explaination for why you find so
many versions of this song: "Recorded during The Basement sessions (1967)
and released on The Bootleg Series 1-3 (1991). A different version was recorded
Oct 1971 with Happy Traum (banjo) and released on Greatest Hits II (1971). A
live version was released on Live 1975 (2002). Tabbed by Eyolf ¯strem."
"Basement" version:
[Capo 2nd fret (sounding
key A major)]
G C/G G
G
Am
Bm Am
G
They say ev'rything can be
replaced, yet ev'ry distance is not near.
G
Am Bm Am
G
So I remember ev'ry face of
ev'ry man who put me here.
CHORUS:
G
C *) [*) =
Am in subsequent verses]
I see my light come shining
Bm D *) G
From the west unto the east.
G
Am Bm D/A G
Any day now, any day now, I shall be released.
They say ev'ry man needs
protection, they say ev'ry man must fall.
Yet, I swear I see my
reflection some place so high above this wall.
CHORUS:
Now, yonder standing here in
this lonely crowd, a man who swears he's not to blame.
All day long I hear his voice
shouting so loud, crying out that he was framed.
CHORUS:
Greatest Hits vol. 2 version:
[Capo 2nd fret (sounding
key A major)]
Intro (with a triple-time feel):
: . .
. : . .
. : . .
. : . . .
E |-----------------|-----------------|----------(0)----|-3-------3-------|
B
|---3-----3-------|---2-----2-------|---1-----1-------|-0--(0)--1-------|
G
|---3-----3-------|---0-----0-------|---0-----0-------|-0--(0)--0-------| [etc.]
D |-3-----3-----3---|-2-----2-----2---|-1-----1-----0---|-0--(0)--2-------|
A
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-2--(2)----------|
E
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-3-------3-------|
G
Am
Bm
D G C/G G
They say ev'ry man must need
protection, they say ev'ry man must fall.
G
Am
Bm
D
G C/G G
Yet I swear I see my reflection someplace so high above the
wall.
CHORUS:
G
Am
Bm
D G
I see my light come shining
from the west down to the east.
G
Am
Bm
D G
Any day now, any day now, I
shall be released.
Down here next to me in this
lonely crowd there's a man who swears he's not to blame.
All day long I hear him cry so
loud, callin' out that he's been framed.
CHORUS:
Live 1975 version:
[Capo 2nd fret]
||: G . . C/G :||
G [n.c.]
Am(7) Bm(7) D
G C/G G
They say ev'rything can be replaced, yet ev'ry distance is
not near.
G
Am(7) Bm(7) D
G
So I remember ev'ry face of
ev'ry man who put me here.
CHORUS:
G
Am
Bm
D
G
I see my light come shining
from the west down to the east.
G
Am Bm . .
D
G
Any day now, any day now,............I shall be released.
Budokan version:
G#m7 = 464444 F#m7 = 242222 A#dim = x12020 B11 = x22222
E
G#m
F#m E G#m
F#m
They say ev'rything can be replaced, yet ev'ry distance is
not near.
E G#m F#m E G#m
F#m
So I remember ev'ry face of ev'ry man who put me here.
CHORUS:
E G#m7 F#m7 D A
E
I see my light come shining from the west unto the east.
E G#m7 F#m7 E E/G# A A#dim E/B [B11
E]
Any day now, any day now,
I shall be released.
Alternate lyrics:
From the Martin Luther King Jr. Tribute, Washington, DC
January 20, 1986:
They say every man needs
protection
They say that every man must
fall
I swear I see my own
reflection
Somewhere so high above this
wall
I see my light come shinin'
I don't need no doctor or no
priest
Any day now, any day now
I shall be released
It don't take much to be a
criminal
One wrong move and they'll
turn you into one
At first decay is just
subliminal
To protect yourself and your
forever on the run
I see my light come shinin'
I don't need no doctor or no
priest
Any day now, any day now
I shall be released
He will find you where your
stayin'
Even in the arms of somebody
elses wife
Your laughin' now, you should
be prayin'
To be in the midnight hour of
your life
I see my light come shinin'
I don't need no doctor or no
priest
Any day now, any day now
I shall be released