Tempest Lyrics & Tabs by Bob Dylan
Tempest
guitar chords lyrics
The pale moon rose in its glory
Out on the western town
She told a sad, sad story
Of the great ship that went down.
T'was the 14th day of April
over the waves she rode
sailing into tomorrow
to a golden age foretold.
The night was black with starlight
The seas was sharp and clear
Moving through the shadows
The promised hour was near.
Lights were holding steady
Driving over the foam
All the lords and ladies
Lights were holding steady
Driving over the foam
All the lords and ladies
Heading for their eternal home.
The chandeliers was raying
From the barrage? place above
The orchestra was playing
Songs of faded love.
The watchman, he layed dreaming
as the ballroom dances twirled
He dreamed that the Titanic was sinking
Into the underworld.
FIDDLE SOLO
Leo took his sketchbook
He was often so inclined
He closed his eyes and painted
The scenery in his mind.
Cupid struck his busom
And brokered with a snap (?)
The closest woman to him
He fell into her lap.
Something sounded wrong
His inner spirit was saying
that he couldn't stand here long.
He staggerad to the quarter deck
no time now to sleep
water on the xxxdeck
already three feet deep.
Smokestack was leaning sideways
and his feet began to pound
He walked into the whirlwind??? all around.
The ship was going under
The universe had open wide
The roll was called up yonder
The angels turned aside.
Lights down in the hallway
flickering dim and dull
dead bodies already floating
in a double bottom hole.
The engines then exploded
propellers they failed to start
the boarders? overloaded
the ship bounced wide apart.
Passangers were flying
backward, forward, far and fast
they mumbled, fumbled, tumbled
each one more weary than the last.
The veil was torn asunder
between the hours between twelve and one
no change, no sudden wonder
could undo what had been done.
The watchman lay dreaming
At 45 degrees
he dreamed that the Titanic was sinking
Wellington he was sleeping
his bed began to stag
his valiant heart was beating
he pushed the tables aside.
Glass of solid crystal
lay scattered roundabout
he strapped on both his pistols
how long could he hold out?
were nowhere to be seen
in silence then he waited for
time and space to intervene.
The passageway was narrow
there was blackness in the air
he saw every kind of sorrow
the voices hit the air?
Alarm-bells were ring to
to hold back the swirlin tide
friends and lovers tumbling
to each other side by side.
Mothers and their daughters
descending down the stairs
jumped into the icy waters
love and pity sent their prayers.
The rich man, Mister Astor
kissed his darling wife
he had no way of knowing
he'd lost his he had lost the …life.
Gentlemen? drinking whisky
gambled in the dark
no one of them would ever live to
tell the tale of the disembark.
Brother rose up against brother
in every cicumstance
they fought and slaughtered each other
in a galley dance.
They lowered down the lifeboats
from the sinking wreck
there were tears, there were turbulence
broken backs and broken necks.
The bishop left his cabin
to help others in need
turned his eyes up to the heavens
said: the poor are yours to feed.
David the brothel-keeper came out
dismissed his girls
saw the water getting deeper
saw the changing of his world.
Jim Dandy smiled
he never learned to swim
saw the little crippled child
and he gave his seat to him.
He saw a star shining
streaming from the east
death was on the rampage
but his heart was now at peace.
The buried? down the hatches
but the hatches wouldn't hold
they drowned upon the staircase
of brass and polished gold.
Leo said to Cleo
I think I'm going mad
but he'd lost his mind already
whatever mind he had.
He tried to block the doorway
to save all those from harm
blood from that open wound
all ran down his arm.
Petals fell from flowers
'til all of them were gone
in the long and dreadful hours
the wizard curse played on.
The host was pouring brandy
he was going down slow
he stayed right to the ending
was the last to go.
There were many, many others
nameless here for ever more
they never sailed the ocean
or left their homes before.
The watchman he lay dreaming
the damage had been done
he dreamed the Titanic was sinking
and he tried to tell someone.
The captain, barely breathing
kneeling at the wheel
above him and beneath him
50 000 tons of steel.
and he gazed into its face
…….hour…
he knew he lost the race.
In the dark illumination
he remembered bygone years
he read the Book of Revelations
and he filled his cup with tears.
When the Reapers task had ended
1600 had gone to rest
the good, the bad, the rich, the poor
the loveliest and the best.
They waited at the landing
and they tried to understand
but there is no understanding
on the judgement in Gods hand.
The news came over the wires
and struck with deadly force
xxxx had lost it's fire??
all dreams had run their course.
The watchman he lay dreaming
of all the things that can be
he dreamed that the Titanic was sinking
into the deep, blue sea.
