The Chimes of Freedom ---  Bob Dylan

 

Far be-[G]tween the finished [D]sundown and [G]midnight’s broken [C]toll,

We [G]ducked inside the [C]doorway as [D]thunder went [G]crashing.

As ma-[G]jestic bells of [D]bolts struck [G]shadows in the [C]sounds,

[G]Seeming to be the [C]chimes of [D]freedom [G]flashing.

            [D]Flashing for the warriors whose [G]strength is not to fight.

            [C]Flashing for the [G]refugees on the [Am]unarmed road of [D]flight.

            And for [G]each and every [D]underdog [G]soldier in the [C]night

            And we [G]gazed upon the [C]chimes of [D]freedom [G]flashing.

 

Through the [G]city’s melted [D]furnace, unex-[G]pectedly we [C]watched,

With [G]faces hidden [C]as the [D]walls were [G]tightening.

As [G]echo of the [D]wedding bells be-[G]fore the blowin’ [C]rain

Dis-[G]solved into the [C]bells [D]of the [G]lightning.

            [D]Tolling for the rebel, [G]tolling for the rake.

            [C]Tolling for the [G]luckless, the a-[Am]bandoned, and for-[D]saked.

            [G]Tolling for the [D]outcast, burnin’ [G]constantly at [C]stake.

            And we [G]gazed upon the [C]chimes of [D]freedom [G]flashing.

 

Through the [G]mad mystic [D]hammering of the [G]wild ripping [C]hail,

The [G]sky cracked its [C]poems in [D]naked [G]wonder.

That the [G]clinging of the [D]church bells blew [G]far into the [C]breeze,

Leaving [G]only bells of [C]lightning [D]and its [G]thunder

            [D]Striking for the gentle, [G]striking for the kind,

            [C]Striking for the [G]guardians and pro-[Am]tectors of the [D]mind.

            And the [G]poet and the [D]painter far be-[G]hind his rightful [C]time,

            And we [G]gazed upon the [C]chimes of [D]freedom [G]flashing.

 

In the [G]wild cathedral [D]evening the [G]rain unraveled [C]tales

For the [G]disrobed faceless [C]forms of [D]no po-[G]sition.

[G]Tolling for the [D]tongues with no [G]place to bring their [C]thoughts,

All [G]down in taken-for-[C]granted [D]situ-[G]ations.

            [D]Tolling for the deaf and blind, [G]tolling for the mute,

            And the mis-[C]treated, mateless [G]mother, the mis-[Am]titled prosti-[D]tute.

            For the [G]misdemeanor [D]outlaw, chained and [G]cheated by pur-[C]suit.

            And we [G]gazed upon the [C]chimes of [D]freedom [G]flashing.

 

Even [G]though a cloud’s white [D]curtain in a [G]far-off corner [C]flashed,

And the hyp-[G]notic splattered [C]mist was [D]slowly [G]lifting.

E-[G]lectric light still [D]struck like arrows, [G]fired but for the [C]ones

Con-[G]demned to drift or [C]else be [D]kept from [G]drifting.

            [D]Tolling for the searching ones, on their [G]speechless, seeking trail,

            For the [C]lonesome-hearted [G]lovers with too [Am]personal a [D]tale.

            And for [G]each unharmful [D]gentle soul mis-[G]placed inside a [C]jail.

            And we [G]gazed upon the [C]chimes of [D]freedom [G]flashing.

 

[G]Starry-eyed and [D]laughing as I re-[G]call when we were [C]caught,

Trapped [G]by no track of [C]hours for they [D]hanged sus-[G]pended.

As we [G]listened one last [D]time and we [G]watched with one last [C]look,

Spell-[G]bound and swallowed [C]‘til the [D]tolling [G]ended.

            [D]Tolling for the aching ones whose [G]wounds cannot be nursed,

            For the [C]countless confused, [G]accused, misused, [Am]strung-out ones and [D]worse.

            And for [G]every hung-up [D]person in the [G]whole wide uni-[C]verse.

            And we [G]gazed upon the [C]chimes of [D]freesom [G]flashing.

 

Back to songs index