I Shall Be Released

Words and music Bob Dylan
Recorded during The Basement sessions (1967) and released on The Bootleg Series 1-3 (1991). A different version was recorded Oct 1971 with Happy Traum (banjo) and released on Greatest Hits II (1971)
Tabbed by Eyolf Østrem

Capo 2nd fret (sounding key A major)


"Basement" version

G   C/g  G
G                            Am
They say ev'rything can be replaced,
Bm        Am              G
Yet ev'ry distance is not near.
G                   Am
So I remember ev'ry face
Bm       Am             G
Of ev'ry man who put me here.
G                    C *)            *) Am in subsequent 
 I see my light come shining            verses
Bm        D *)          G
 From the west unto the east.
G            Am
 Any day now, any day now,
Bm D/a        G
 I shall be released.
They say ev'ry man needs protection,
They say ev'ry man must fall.
Yet I swear I see my reflection
Some place so high above this wall.
I see my light come shining
From the west unto the east.
Any day now, any day now,
I shall be released.
Now yonder standing here in this lonely crowd,
a man who swears he's not to blame.
All day long I hear his voice shouting so loud,
Crying out that he was framed.
I see my light come shining
From the west unto the east.
Any day now, any day now,
I shall be released.

Greatest Hits vol. 2 version

Capo 2nd fret (sounding key A major)

Intro (with a triple-time feel):
  :   .   .   .     :   .   .   .     :   .   .   .     :   .   .   .
|-----------------|-----------------|----------(0)----|-3-------3-------
|---3-----3-------|---2-----2-------|---1-----1-------|-0--(0)--1-------
|---3-----3-------|---0-----0-------|---0-----0-------|-0--(0)--0-------
|-3-----3-----3---|-2-----2-----2---|-1-----1-----0---|-0--(0)--2------- etc
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-2--(2)----------
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-3-------3-------
G                            Am
They say ev'ry man must need protection,
Bm              D        G          C/g   G
 They say ev'ry man must fall.
G                       Am
 Yet I swear I see my reflection
Bm            D              G      C/g   G
Some place so high above the wall.
G                   Am
I see my light come shining
Bm       D                G
From the west down to the east.
G            Am
Any day now, any day now,
Bm      D    G
I shall be released.
Down here next to me in this lonely crowd,
there's a man who swears he's not to blame.
All day long I hear him cry so loud,
Callin' out that he's been framed.
I see my light come shining
From the west down to the east.
Any day now, any day now,
I shall be released.