Chords for How Bob Dylan Created All Along the Watchtower | Evermore Sound

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Bob Dylan's approach to musicianship has transcended generations, offering an intentional
image that rips apart any veneer for falsities.
Find out how one tragic accident created a timeless song in American music history in
today's video from Evermore Sound.
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[Am] _ _ _ [Bb] The 60s era proved to be difficult for life in America.
Hardships were everywhere.
At this time, the United States had [Bm] a damper feeling of nihilism looming over it.
Racial tension was high, the Vietnam War was ongoing, and the rising generational gap that
was only heightened by the burgeoning counter-culturalism movement.
Leading up to a motorcycle accident, Dylan had begun abusing amphetamines as a way to
meet the harsh demands of touring.
[Bm] Following the motorcycle crash, the singer [G] retreated into solitude, leading to an increasing
sense of self-awareness and examination of the calamitous times all Americans were living through.
Coming out of a creative drought meant letting the words [Em] flow onto his next album, titled
John Wesley Harding.
Tonally, the tracks on the John Wesley album would be less political than Dylan's previous work.
And rightfully so, [Gm] because 18 months were spent in contemplative reflection.
Before producing a single track, the singer reeled outside [G] of the public eye and away
from the pressures of fame.
[Bm] All along, The Watchtower is special for many reasons.
The singer and [B] the song shows the evolutionary nature of Dylan's songwriting, as well as
the double-edged [Em] sword of an artist that writes from differing perspectives.
[D] After the much-needed break, Dylan signed a four-album deal with Columbia, and the work
on this album would be primarily recorded in Nashville Studio [G] 8.
[Em] John Wesley Harding took three recording sessions, releasing on December [B] 17, _ 1967.
[E] _ Time of the song, Dylan [Gm] felt he was being robbed by his label of the royalties he felt
he rightfully [Bm] deserved.
Which is why he switched to Columbia in the first place.
In the song, the thief warrants of the passing away of one life.
In the Bible, thieves can be redeemed or condemned.
The [Gm] claim made by Dylan is audacious and cautionary, one that has been a source of confusion for
fans, historians, and critics alike.
When speaking about Watchtower, the singer said,
A [Bb] song is anything that can walk by itself.
All along, The Watchtower doesn't walk, [Bbm] it gallops.
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Verse 30-31 [Gm]
People do not despise a thief if he [Bb] steals
to satisfy his hunger when he [Bm] is starving.
Yet, if he is caught, he must pay sevenfold, though it costs him all the wealth of his house.
But Watchtower is about the longing of one figure to get more out of life as the world
around him is caving in.
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[E] _ [A] _ _ _ [Bb] As we hear in the song,
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[B] _ [Dbm] _ [B] The Joker [Bb] is struggling with the contentious nature of his life and seeks advice from an
individual called the [Bm] thief.
When Dylan sings,
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[Bb] Bob [Bb] Dylan has been pretty tight-lipped on the [Gm] theme of reason for riding all along the Watchtower.
However, [Bb] he did not own any [Bm] of his royalties to his previous works with CBS.
Because of this, he did not have creative control.
At least not completely.
The case can be made the song is about Dylan's contentious relationship with his label at the time.
In the case of All Along the Watchtower, it can be many things just like many of Dylan's songs.
[G] There can be double meanings.
Long-time associate of Dylan, Dave Von Ronk, stated that Watchtower was simply a mistake
from the title on down.
A Watchtower is not a [Em] road or a wall and you can't go along it.
He felt that Dylan could get away with it so he wrote whatever he wanted and left the
deciphering to the fans.
Whatever the case may be, [G] All Along the Watchtower has been covered by Dave Matthews and Jimi
Hendrix, with the latter being the most recognized in music history.
All Along the [Bm] Watchtower displays a larger picture in American life and one that is rewarding
rather than [B] self-seeking.
It may even detail the personal life of our subject, making it undeniable [Em] that a hopeful
beat is greater than an end [D] wrought with despair.
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I hope you will consider coming along on this journey and we [Bm] thank you so much for watching today's video.
See you in the next one.
Bye!
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