Chimes of Freedom The Byrds
Chimes of Freedom is beautifully arranged in the key of G. So McGuinn uses C and D major also to make up the I, IV, V relationship. He uses a picking style using a plectrum between thumb and index finger, and two metal fingerpicks on the middle and ring fingers leaving the baby finger free. Don't get too bothered about getting the intro right as there is a second rhythum guitar shadow in the background.
If you were in jail for a year and had the Byrds version and the Dylan version, the Byrds version would win out. It is also true about The Byrds doing other Dylan tunes, they excell all the time.
The song sounds as if alot more chords are used, but McGuinn is very descreet and clever in the way he uses them. I enjoy playing the song all the time, so here is my version.
INTRO;
------3--------0--------3---------2--------3--------0---------3------2----------0----3 -------0--------1--------0--------3---------0--------1---------0------3----------1----0 -----------------0--------0-------2----------0--------0---------0------2----------0----0 ----------------------------------0---------------------------------0----------------------------------3-------2---------------------------3---------------------------3--------------3-------------------------------------3-----------------3-------------333-------3----
[G] [C] [G/B] [D] [G] [C] [G] [D] [G] [C] [G]
For the verses the chords used are the ones above using the picking style
Verse 1:
F[G]ar between s[G/B]undowns fin[C]ish
And midn[G]ight's b[G/B]roken tol[C]l
We du[G]cked ins[G/B]ide the doo[C]rway thu[D]nder cras[G]hing[C] [G]
[G]As majestic b[G/B]ells of bo[C]lts
Struck sha[G]dows i[G/B]n the sou[C]nds
[G]Seeming to [G/B]be the ch[C]imes o[D]f freedom fla[G]shing[C] [G]
For the chorus the first line has a D D2 Dsus4 pattern and the rest is the usual G, C and D chords.
------2-----2----------0-----0-----------3------3----------------------------------------------3------3---------3------2----------3-------3---------------------------------------------2----------------2-----------------2---------2-------------------------------------------0----------------0-----------------0---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
D D2 DSUS4
Flashing for the warriors
whose stre[C]ngth is n[G]ot to fi[D]ght[G]
Flas[C]hing for the refugees
On the una[G]rmed road of flig[D]ht
And for e[G]ach and every und[C]erdog
Sol[G]dier in the ni[C]ght
And we ga[G]zed upon the ch[C]imes of fre[D]edom flas[G]hing[C] [G]
The Dee Dee Dee bit is:
DUM
C G D DSUS4 DSUS2 D C G D G C G
Verse 2:
Even though the clouds white curtain
The far off corner flashed
And the hypnotic splattered mist was slowly lifting
Electric light still struck like arrows
Fired but for the ones
Condemned to drift or else be kept from drifting
Chorus 2:
Tolling for the searching ones on their speechless seeking trail
For the lonesome hearted lovers with too personal a tale
And for each unharmful gentle soul misplaced inside a jail
And we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing
Dee dee dee etc.
Verse 3:
Starry-eyed and laughing
As I recall when we were caught
Can't find no track of ours for they hang suspended
And we listened one last time
And we watched with one last look
Spellbound and swallowed until the tolling ended
Chorus 3:
Tolling for the aching ones, whose wounds cannot be nursed
For the countless confused accused misused strung out ones and worse
And for each and every hung up person in the whole wide universe
And we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing
Dee dee dee etc.
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