Billy (Bob Dylan cover)

By Bob Dylan From the movie Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid

This is a song I've been playing for years, and so the lyrics have definitely morphed a little in my memory, but it should also be said that Bob Dylan himself sings several different versions of the lyrics around, so it's not like there's one right way, even for him. I've just typed them out here from memory, so I expect they'll match what I sing in the video.

There's a weird chord - let's call it C6 - but don't worry, it's not hard, and it's beautiful. Moving to it from the G chord, you keep you fingers where they are (which is the 3rd fret) on the very top and very bottom strings, and add 2nd string 1st fret with your index and 4th string 2nd fret with your middle finger. From there it's easy to move back to a G again, since your pinky and ring finger still stay where they are on the 3rd fret of the 1st and 6th strings:
C6?
E string — — X
B string X — —
G string — — —
D string — X —
A string — — —
E string — — X

G C6 G C6 / G C6 G C6 / C - G - / D C G -

There's* guns across the river aiming at you
Lawmen on your trail, they'd like to catch you
Bounty hunters too, they'd like to get you
Billy they don't like you to be so free

Staying up all night on the veranda
Playing cards till dawn in the hacienda
Up to Boot Hill they'd like to send you
Billy, don't you turn your back on me

Fooling around with some sweet señorita
Into her dark hallway she will lead you
In the shadow of the mesa she will greet you
Billy you're so far away from home

They say Pat Garrett's got your number
So sleep with one eye open when you slumber
Every little sound just might be thunder
Thunder from the barrel of his gun

So hang on to your woman if you've got one
Remember in El Paso once you shot one
Down in Santa Fe one time you bought one
Billy you've been running for so long

The businessmen from Taos want you to go down
They've hired Pat Garrett to force you to slow down
Billy don't it make you feel so lowdown
To be hunted by the man who was your friend

There's* mirrors inside the minds of crazy faces
Bullet holes and rifles in their cases
Always one more notch and four more aces
Billy and you're playing all alone

*"There are"