Dropped D tuning (D-A-d-g-b-e')
capo 2nd fret (sounding key E minor)


    Darkness at the break of noon
Shadows even the silver spoon
The handmade blade, the child's balloon
Eclipses both the sun and moon
To understand you know too soon
There is no sense in trying.

    Pointed threats, they bluff with scorn
Suicide remarks are torn ... From the fool's
 gold mouthpiece, The hollow horn 
plays wasted words, Proves to warn
That he not busy being born Is busy dying.

    Temptation's page flies out the door
You follow, find yourself at war
Watch waterfalls of pity roar
You feel to moan but unlike before
You discover That you'd just be
One more person crying.

    So don't fear if you hear
A foreign sound to your ear
It's alright, Ma, I'm only sighing.

    As some warn victory, some downfall
Private reasons great or small
Can be seen in the eyes of those that call
To make all that should be killed to crawl
While others say don't hate nothing at all
Except hatred.

    Disillusioned words like bullets bark
As human gods aim for their mark
Made everything from toy guns that spark
To flesh-colored Christs that glow in the dark
It's easy to see without looking too far
That not much Is really sacred.

    While preachers preach of evil fates
Teachers teach that knowledge waits
Can lead to hundred-dollar plates
Goodness hides behind its gates
But even the president of the United States
Sometimes must have To stand naked.
      
    An' though rules o' the road've been lodged
It's only people's games that you got to dodge
And it's alright, Ma, I can make it.

    Advertising signs that con ... you Into 
thinking you're the one
That can do what's never been done
That can win what's never been won
Meantime life outside goes on  All around you.

    You lose yourself, you reappear
You suddenly find you got nothing to fear
Alone you stand with nobody near
When a trembling distant voice, unclear
Startles your sleeping ears to hear
That somebody thinks  They really found you.

    A question in your nerves is lit
Yet you know there is no answer fit ...  to satisfy
Insure you not to quit
To keep it in your mind and not fergit
That it is not he or she or them or it 
That you belong to.

    Although the masters make the rules
For the wise men and the fools
I got nothing, Ma, to live up to.

    For them that must obey authority
That they do not respect in any degree
Who despise their job, their destiny
Speak jealously of them that are free
Cultivate their flowers to be
Nothing more than something They invest in.

    While some on principles baptized
To strict party platform ties
Social clubs in drag disguise
Outsiders they can freely criticize
Tell nothing except who to idolize
And then say God bless him.

    While one who sings with his tongue on fire
Gargles in the rat race choir
Bent out of shape from society's pliers
Cares not to come up any higher
But rather get you down in the hole that he's into.

    But I mean no harm nor put fault
On anyone that lives in a vault
But it's alright, Ma, if I can't please him.

    Old lady judges watch people in pairs
Limited in sex, they dare
To push fake morals, insult and stare
While money doesn't talk, it swears
Obscenity, who really cares 
Propaganda, all is phony.

    While them that defend what they cannot see
With a killer's pride, security
It blows the minds most bitterly
For them that think death's honesty
Won't fall upon them naturally
Life sometimes  Must get lonely.

    My eyes collide head-on with stuffed graveyards
False gods, I scuff
At pettiness which plays so rough
Walk upside-down inside handcuffs
Kick my legs to crash it off
Say okay, I have had enough
What else can you show me?

    And if my thought-dreams could be seen
They'd probably put my head in a guillotine
But it's alright, Ma, it's life, and life only.

~   Chords   ~

 Verse:
   
G/b
Darkness at the break of noon
D
Shadows even the silver spoon
      Csus2
The handmade blade, the child's balloon
G/b
Eclipses both the sun and moon
     Bb6
To understand you know too soon
                                         D
There is no sense in trying.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chorus:
                  D                 A
So don't fear if you hear
     D                                       G/b
A foreign sound to your ear
D    A  G/b   A                       D
It's alright, Ma, I'm only sighing.

    

Released on Bringing It All Back Home (1966) 
and in live versions on Before the Flood (1974), 
Budokan (1978) and Live 1964 (2004) 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

D           000232
G/b       02003x (or -0 or -3)
Csus2 030030
Bb6      01030x
F/d        000211
G/d       000433
A           202220

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Main Riff:

|--1--/3-------1----|(2)--------------|-
|.-1--/3-------1----|-3---3-3-3-3-3--.|-
|--2--/4-------2----|-2---2-2-2-2-2---|-
|--0---0-------0----|-0---0-0-0-0-0---|-
|.-0---0-------0----|-0---0-0-0-0-0--.|-
|--0---0-------0----|-0---0-0-0-0-0---|-

Darkness at the break of noon
Shadows even the silver spoon
The handmade blade, the child's balloon
Eclipses both the sun and moon
To understand you know too soon
There is no sense in trying.
        Pointed threats, they bluff with scorn
        Suicide remarks are torn ... From the fool's
         gold mouthpiece, The hollow horn 
        plays wasted words, Proves to warn
        That he not busy being born 
        Is busy dying.
Temptation's page flies out the door
You follow, find yourself at war
Watch waterfalls of pity roar
You feel to moan but unlike before
You discover That you'd just be
One more person crying.
        So don't fear if you hear
        A foreign sound to your ear
        It's alright, Ma, I'm only sighing.

As some warn victory, some downfall
Private reasons great or small
Can be seen in the eyes of those that call
To make all that should be killed to crawl
While others say don't hate nothing at all
Except hatred.
        Disillusioned words like bullets bark
        As human gods aim for their mark
        Made everything from toy guns that spark
        To flesh-colored Christs that glow in the dark
        It's easy to see without looking too far
        That not much 
        Is really sacred.

    

While preachers preach of evil fates
Teachers teach that knowledge waits
Can lead to hundred-dollar plates
Goodness hides behind its gates
But even the president of the United States
Sometimes must have To stand naked.         
        An' though rules o' the road've been lodged
        It's only people's games that you got to dodge
        And it's alright, Ma, I can make it.

Advertising signs that con ... you Into 
thinking you're the one
That can do what's never been done
That can win what's never been won
Meantime life outside goes on  All around you.
        You lose yourself, you reappear
        You suddenly find you got nothing to fear
        Alone you stand with nobody near
        When a trembling distant voice, unclear
        Startles your sleeping ears to hear
        That somebody thinks  They really found you.
A question in your nerves is lit
Yet you know there is no answer fit ...  to satisfy
Insure you not to quit
To keep it in your mind and not fergit
That it is not he or she or them or it 
That you belong to.
        Although the masters make the rules
        For the wise men and the fools
        I got nothing, Ma, to live up to.

For them that must obey authority
That they do not respect in any degree
Who despise their job, their destiny
 Speak jealously of them that are free
Cultivate their flowers to be
Nothing more than something They invest in.

While some on principles baptized
To strict party platform ties
Social clubs in drag disguise
Outsiders they can freely criticize
Tell nothing except who to idolize
And then say God bless him. 
        While one who sings with his tongue on fire
        Gargles in the rat race choir
        Bent out of shape from society's pliers
        Cares not to come up any higher
        But rather get you down in the hole that he's into.
But I mean no harm nor put fault
On anyone that lives in a vault
But it's alright, Ma, if I can't please him.

Old lady judges watch people in pairs
Limited in sex, they dare
To push fake morals, insult and stare
While money doesn't talk, it swears
Obscenity, who really cares 
Propaganda, all is phony.
        While them that defend what they cannot see
        With a killer's pride, security
        It blows the minds most bitterly
        For them that think death's honesty
        Won't fall upon them naturally
        Life sometimes  Must get lonely.
My eyes collide head-on with stuffed graveyards
False gods, I scuff
At pettiness which plays so rough
Walk upside-down inside handcuffs
Kick my legs to crash it off
Say okay, I have had enough
What else can you show me?
        And if my thought-dreams could be seen
        They'd probably put my head in a guillotine
        But it's alright, Ma, it's life, and life only.