• Song:

    Tangled Up In Blue

  • Artist:

    Indigo Girls

  • Album:

    1200 Curfews (disc 1)

A5  A5   A5  A5   A5  A5   A5  A5 
{intro} 
 

A5                      A5           A5                A5 
Early one morning the sun was shining; I was laying in bed 
A5                    A5                D5               D5 
Wondering if she'd changed at all, if her hair was still red 
A5                         A5          A5                  A5 
Her folks, they said our lives together sure was gonna be rough 
           A5                A5                 D5                    D5 
They never did like Mama's homemade dress, Papa's bankbook wasn't big enough 
 

E5                       F#5               A5                  D5 
Me, I'm standing on the side of the road, rain falling on my shoes 
    E5                  F#5              A5                     D5 
I'm heading out to the east coast, lord knows I've paid some dues 
        E5       E5    G5   -   D5     A5   A5   A5  A5 
Getting through;     tangled up in blue 
 
She was married when we first met, soon to be divorced 

I helped her out of a jam , I guess, but I used a little too much force 

We drove that car as far as we could, abandoned it out west 

Split up on a sad dark night, both agreeing it was best 
 
She turned around to look at me as I was walking away 

And I heard her say over my shoulder, we'll meet again some day 

On the avenue, tangled up in blue 
 
I was living in the great North Woods, working as a cook for a spell 

But I never did like it all that much, and one day the axe just fell 

So I drifted down to New Orleans, where I happened to be employed 

Yeah I was working for a while on a fishing boat, right outside of Delacroix 
 
And all the while I was alone, the past was close behind 

I've seen a lot of women, but she never escaped my mind 

And I just grew tangled up in blue 
 
She was working at a topless bar, and I stopped in for a beer 

I just kept looking at the side of her face in the spotlight so clear 

Now, later on the crowd thinned out, and I was just about to do the same 

She's standing there in that back of my chair, she said, don't I know your name 
 
Well I muttered something underneath my breath, she studied the lines on my face 

I must admit I felt a little uneasy when she bent down to tie the laces 

Of my shoes; we were tangled up in blue.  I know, I know, I know.... 
 
{violin solo, same chords as one complete verse} 
 
She lit a burner on the stove and offered me a pipe 

I thought you'd never say hello, she said, you look like the silent type 

And then she opened up a book of poems and handed it to me 

Written by an Italian poet from the thirteenth century 
 
Every one of those words rang true and glowed like burning coal 

Pouring off of every page like it was written in my soul 

From me to you; tangled up in blue 
 
{guitar & violin solo, same chords as one complete verse; but, after 
 the G5 - D5 part, the tone changes dramatically and goes to A5 instead 

 of A5 & A5 
 
A5   A5   A5   A5 
{bass & drums; bluesy tempo} 
A5             A5      D5       D5 
  I lived with them on Montague Street 
     A5        A5        D5    D5 
In a basement down the stairs, yeah 
A5          A5               D5    D5 
  There was music in the cafes at night 
        E5   E5   E5   E5 
And revoluuuuuuuuuuuuuution in the air 
 

A5                 A5         D5             D5 
  That's when he started into dealing with slaves 
A5                 A5            D5      D5 
  And something inside of her died, just died 
A5            A5      D5         D5 
  She had to sell everything she owned 
        A5     A5          D5   D5 
And she frooooooooze up inside 
E5                       F#5             A5             D5 
  And finally, when the bottom feel out, I became withdrawn 
E5                       F#5              A5               D5 
  The only thing I knew how to do was to keep on keeping on 
                 E5               E5 
Like a bird that flewww-ew-ew-ew-ewww 
G5   -   D5     A5 
Tangled up in bluuuuue-oh yeah 
 

A5  A5   A5  A5   A5  A5   A5  A5 
{original tempo and chords} 
 
Now I'm heading back again, I got to get to her somehow 
And all the people that I used to know, they're an illusion to me now 
Some are mathematicians, some are carpenters' wives 
I don't know how it all got started, I dunno what they're doing with their lives 
 
But me, I'm still on the road, headed for another joint 
We always did feel the same, we just saw it from a different point 
Of view, tangled up in blue.  I know, I know, I know.... 
 
{violin solo, same chords as one complete verse; end on A.} 
 
 
 
TAB: 
 
  A                Asus4            A                Asus4 
E ---------------- | ------0--------- | ---------------- | ------0--------- |  
B --------2------- | 2=3-------3----- | --------0=2----- | 2=3-------3----- |  
G --------------2- | --------------2- | --------------2- | --------------2- |  
D ----2-------2--- | ----2-------2--- | ----2-------2--- | ----2-------2--- |  
A 0-------0------- | 0-------0------- | 0-------0------- | 0-------0------- |  
E ---------------- | ---------------- | ---------------- | ---------------- |  
  ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ .  ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ .  ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ .  ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ . 
 {intro} 
 
  A                Asus4            A                Asus4 
E ---------------- | ------0--------- | ---------------- | --0------------- |  
B --------0=2----- | 2=3-------3----- | ------0-----0=2- | ------2--------- |  
G ---------------- | --------------2- | ---------------- | ---------------- |  
D ----2-------2--- | ----2-------2--- | ----2-------2--- | ----2-----2----- |  
A 0-------0------- | 0-------0------- | 0-------0------- | 0-------0---0--- |  
E ---------------- | ---------------- | ---------------- | ---------------- |  
  ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ .  ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ .  ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ .  ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ . 
 {intro} 
 
  A                Asus4            A                Asus4 
E ---------------- | ------0--------- | ---------------- | -------0-------- |  
B ----------2----- | --3-------3----- | ----------2----- | --3-------3----- |  
G ------2-------2- | --------------2- | ------2-------2- | --------------2- |  
D ----2-------2--- | ----2-------2--- | ----2-------2--- | ----2-------2--- |  
A 0-------0------- | 0-------0------- | 0-------0------- | 0-------0------- |  
E ---------------- | ---------------- | ---------------- | ---------------- |  
  ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ .  ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ .  ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ .  ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ . 
  Early one morning the sun was shining; I was laying in bed 
 
  A                Asus4            D                D 
E ---------------- | -------0-------- | ----------2----- | --2-------2----- |  
B ----------2----- | --3-------3----- | ------3-------3- | ------3-------3- |  
G ------2-------2- | --------------2- | ----2-------2--- | ----2-------2--- |  
D ----2-------2--- | ----2-------2--- | 0-------0------- | 0-------0------- |  
A 0-------0------- | 0-------0------- | ---------------- | ---------------- |  
E ---------------- | ---------------- | ---------------- | ---------------- |  
  ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ .  ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ .  ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ .  ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ . 
  Wondering if she'd changed at all, if her hair was still red 
 
  A                Asus4            A                Asus4 
E ---------------- | ------0--------- | ---------------- | -------0-------- |  
B ----------2----- | --3-------3----- | ----------2----- | --3-------3----- |  
G ------2-------2- | --------------2- | ------2-------2- | --------------2- |  
D ----2-------2--- | ----2-------2--- | ----2-------2--- | ----2-------2--- |  
A 0-------0------- | 0-------0------- | 0-------0------- | 0-------0------- |  
E ---------------- | ---------------- | ---------------- | ---------------- |  
  ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ .  ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ .  ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ .  ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ . 
  Her folks, they said our lives together sure was gonna be rough 
 
  A                Asus4                          
E ------0--------- | -------0-------- | ----------0----- | ----------0----- |  
B --2-------2----- | --3-------3----- | ------3-------3- | ------3-------0- |  
G --------------2- | --------------2- | ----2-------2--- | ----2-------2--- |  
D ----2-------2--- | ----2-------2--- | 0-------0------- | 0-------0------- |  
A 0-------0------- | 0-------0------- | ---------------- | ---------------- |  
E ---------------- | ---------------- | ---------------- | ---------------- |  
  ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ .  ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ .  ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ .  ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ . 
  They never did like Mama's homemade dress, Papa's bankbook wasn't big enough 
 
  E                F#m              A                 
E ---------------- | ---------------- | ---------------- | ------0--------- |  
B ----------0----- | ----------2----- | ----------2----- | ----------3----- |  
G ------1------(0) | ------2------(2) | ------2-------2- | ----2-------2(0) |  
D ----2-------2--- | ----4-------4--- | ----2-------2--- | 0-------0------- |  
A ---------------- | ---------------- | 0-------0------- | ---------------- |  
E 0-------0------- | 2-------2------- | ---------------- | ---------------- |  
  ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ .  ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ .  ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ .  ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ . 
  Me, I'm standing on the side of the road, rain falling on my shoes 
 
  E                F#m              A                 
E ----------0----- | ---------------- | ---------------- | ----------0----- |  
B ---------------- | --2-------2----- | ----------2----- | ------3--------- |  
G ------1------(0) | ------2-------2- | ------2-------2- | ----2-------2--- |  
D ----2-------2--- | ----4-------4--- | ----2-------2--- | 0-------0------- |  
A ---------------- | ---------------- | 0-------0------- | ---------------- |  
E 0-------0------- | 2-------2------- | ---------------- | ---------------- |  
  ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ .  ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ .  ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ .  ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ . 
  I'm heading out to the east coast, lord knows I've paid some dues 
 
  E         Esus4          E        G       D 
E ------0-------0- | ------0------(0) | ------3-------2- |  
B ------------0--- | --0-------0----- | ----0-----3----- |  
G ----1---1=2----- | ----2-------1--- | 0-----------2--- |  
D ---------------- | 2-------2------- | --------0------- |  
A ---------------- | ---------------- | ---------------- |  
E 0--------------- | ---------------- | ---------------- |  
  ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ .  ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ .  ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ . 
  Getting through;                  tangled up in blue 
 
  A                Asus4            A                Asus4 
E ---------------- | ------0--------- | ---------------- | --0-------0----- |  
B --------0=2----- | 2=3-------3----- | --------0=2---3- | ------3-------3- |  
G --------------2- | --------------2- | --------2------- | ---------------- |  
D ----2-------2--- | ----2-------2--- | ----2-------2--- | ----2-------2--- |  
A 0-------0------- | 0-------0------- | 0-------0------- | 0-------0------- |  
E ---------------- | ---------------- | ---------------- | ---------------- |  
  ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ .  ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ .  ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ .  ^ . ^ . ^ . ^ . 
  {instrumental} 
 
 
 
- Adam Schneider, schneider@pobox.com
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