When I Paint My Masterpiece
View chords used in this chart
A D A
Oh, the streets of Rome are filled with rubble
D A E A
Ancient footprints are everywhere
D A D A
You can almost think that you're seein' double
D A E A
On a cord, dark night on the Spanish Stairs
E7 A D
Got to hurry on back to my hotel room
E7 A
Where I've got me a date with Botticelli's niece
D A D A
She promised that she'd be right there with me
D A E A
When I paint my masterpiece
Oh, the hours I've spent inside the Coliseum
Dodging lions and wastin' time
Oh, those mighty kings of the jungle
I could hardly stand to see 'em
Yes, it sure has been a long, hard climb
Train wheels runnin' through the back of my memory
When I ran on the hilltop following a pack of wild geese
Someday, everything is gonna be smooth like a rhapsody
When I paint my masterpiece
BRIDGE:
Dm A
Sailin'round the world in a dirty gondola
C#m D E D A B7 E7
Oh to be back in the land of Coca Cola!
I left Rome and landed in Brussels
On a plane ride so bumpy that I almost cried
Clergymen in uniform and young girls pullin' muscles
Everyone was there to greet me when I stepped inside
Newspapermen eating candy had to be held down by big police Someday,
everything is gonna be different
D A E D A Bm A
When I paint my masterpiece
(from Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits Vol. 2, done around 1971)
(sent by Harlan at harlant@hawaii.edu)
How to play When I Paint My Masterpiece
Use the controls above to change the key and text size. Follow the highlighted chords while listening, then practice each section slowly before playing at the original tempo.
What is the starting chord?
The first identified chord is A. You can transpose without leaving the page.
Can I play it on guitar or keyboard?
Yes. The chord progression works on acoustic guitar, electric guitar and keyboard. Adapt the voicings to your instrument and level.