Lay, Lady, Lay
Words & Music:
Bob Dylan
From the wonderful (and
currently shut down) "Dylanchords.com" site: "Released on Nashville Skyline
(1969), Greatest Hits II (1971) and Biograph (1985), and in live versions on
Before the Flood (1974) and Hard Rain (1976). Tabbed by Eyolf ¯strem." There is also a transcription in the May 2002 issue of Guitar
One.
"Nashville Skyline" version:
The little ÒthingÓ that occurs
here and there (marked with a Ò*)Ó in the song):
A
D A D A
:
. . .
E |-5---5-5---5-5---|
B |-5---7-5---7-5---|
G |-6---7-6---7-6---|
D |-7---------------|
A |-7---------------|
E |-5---------------|
A C#m G Bm [2x]
A(5) C#m G Bm A C#m G Bm
Lay, lady, lay; lay across my
big brass bed.
A C#m G Bm
A C#m G Bm
Lay, lady, lay; lay across my
big brass bed.
E F#m
A
*)
Whatever colors you have in
your mind,
E
F#m
A
*)
I'll show them to you and
you'll see them shine.
A C#m G Bm A C#m G Bm
Lay, lady, lay; lay across my
big brass bed.
Stay, lady, stay; stay with
your man awhile.
Until the break of day, let me
see you make him smile.
His clothes are dirty but his
hands are clean.
And you're the best thing that
he's ever seen.
Stay, lady, stay; stay with
your man awhile.
C#m
E F#m A *)
Why wait any longer for the
world to begin?
C#m
A
You can have your cake and eat
it, too.
C#m
E F#m A *)
Why wait any longer for the
one you love,
C#m
Bm
When he's standing in front of
you?
Lay, lady, lay; lay across my
big brass bed,
Stay, lady, stay; stay while
the night is still ahead.
I long to see you in the
morning light.
I long to reach for you in the
night.
Stay, lady, stay; stay while
the night is still ahead.
A Bm C#m D
A
"Before The Flood" version:
The version uses the same chords, except for the bridge, which goes:
C#m
E(/B) A
Why wait any longer for the
world to begin?
C#m
A
You can have your cake and eat
it, too.
C#m
E(/B) A
Why wait any longer for the
one-- you love,
C#m Bm
When he's standing in front of
you?
"Hard Rain" version:
Bob's guitar seems to have a capo on the 2nd fret.
G
Bm C D
G C/G G
Lay, lady, lay---; lay across my big brass bed.
G
Bm C D G C/G G
Lay, lady, lay---; lay across my big brass bed.
D Em G
C/G-G C/G-G
Whatever colors-- you have in your mind,
D
Em
G
C/G-G C/G-G
I'll show them to you-- and you'll see them shine.
G
Bm C D
G C/G G
Lay, lady, lay---; lay across my big brass bed.
Forget this dance, let's go
upstairs!
Let's take a chance, who
really cares?
Why don't you know you got
nothing to prove?
It's all in your eyes and the
way that you move.
Forget this dance, let's go
upstairs!
Bm
C
G
Why wait any longer for no need to complain(?)?
Bm
G C/G G
You can have love, but you might lose it.
Bm
C
G
Why run any longer when you're running in place?
Bm
D
You can have the truth but you've got to choose it.
Stay lady stay; stay with your
man a while.
'Til the break of day; let me
see you make him smile.
I long to see you in the
morning light.
I long to hold you in the
night.
Stay lady stay; stay with your
man a while.
INSTRUMENTAL VERSE:
Lay lady lay; lay across my
big brass bed.