Bob Dylan Best Songs
On The Acoustic

Abandoned Love was first recorded in 1975 and was intended for the "Desire" album, but was shelved for 10 years. It became a track for his 1985 album "Biograph".

The song was never a single release and there is only one known live performance of the song by Dylan which was in Greenwich Village in 1975 at The Bitter End Cafe.

This one I play with a capo 3rd fret in standard tuning with a root down root up down up and repeat rhythm pattern. Some picking required here playing the chords G, C, D, Em and Bm.

All Along The Watchtower is a track from Dylan's 1967 album John Wesley Harding. The album peaked at #1 in the US and #2 in the UK. The song itself did not chart.

Jimi Hendrix covered the song a year later and had a top 20 with his version. Dylan than began playing that version in concert. All Along The Watchtower is the most performed song by Dylan in concert from his library of compositions.

The original chords are Am, G and F with a capo 4th, but I changed it to an Em, D and C to fit my vocals. Use a down down down up down up down up rhythm pattern with some improvised lead throughout.

Blind Willie McTell was written by Dylan about the blue artist from the 1920s known as Blind Willie McTell. The song was recorded in 1983 but not released until 1991 on the album "The Bootleg Series Vol 1-3".

The song was never released as a single.

Play this one with a capo 1st fret in standard tuning with the chords Dm, A7, G, C and A#. You will pick a little in the rhythm while playing a down down up down up down up and repeat rhythm pattern.

Blowin In The Wind was from the 1962 album The Freewheelin Bob Dylan. The original single release only charted in France, reaching #3, but we all know how popular the song has become despite the charts in 1963.

For chords here you'll need a C, F, G, Dm, Am and G6 in standard tuning. The rhythm pattern is a root down up down up down up and repeat rhythm pattern with some lead work required.

Country Pie is a track on the 1969 album Nashville Skyline and was a B-side to the A-side single Tonight I'll Be Staying Here With You.

Play this with a down down up down up and repeat rhythm pattern and a capo on the 2nd fret. Picking required here with the chords G, C, Em, A7, D7, E7, B7 and a D.

Forever Young written by Bob Dylan in 1966 for his son Jesse, appeared on the 1974 album "Planet Waves" in both fast and slow versions, recorded with The Band. Dylan performed it live with Bruce Springsteen and on Letterman in 1993.

Though not released as a single in the US, a live version from a 1978 Tokyo concert was released in Europe. Rod Stewart's similarly titled song shared royalties with Dylan. Joan Baez's 1974 cover hit #13, and Louisa Johnson's version reached #9 in the UK.

Paul Rogers also created a book with the song's lyrics and illustrations, likely available online.

I play this one in drop D tuning with the chords D, A/Db, Bm, G, Asus, A7 and an A. There is lead in her with the rhythm pattern of down down down up down up and repeat.

Gotta Serve Somebody is a track from Dylan's album "Slow Train Coming" which was released in 1979.

This track managed to make it to #24 in the US.

This one has a down down down up down up and repeat rhythm pattern in a quick shuffle while in standard tuning. A bit of picking with the chords G, C7 and D7.

If You See Her Say Hello was recorded twice by Dylan. The first time in New York in the fall of 1974 and then again in Dec of '75 in Minneapolis. His brother David was the producer and the song later became the B-side to Tangled Up In Blue, released as a single in 1975.

This will you'll play with a 1-2-3 up down up down up where 1-2-3 are arpeggio notes of the chord your on in standard tuning. The chords here are D, A, G, Bm, C and a D7. No lead work here.

Jokerman was on of three tracks from the 1984 album "Infidels".

The track failed to chart anywhere.

Use a capo 3rd fret here with a bit of picking in the rhythm while in standard tuning.

A down down down up down up and repeat rhythm pattern will work here with the chords G, Gmaj7, Am7, D7, C/G, D, C, D/Gb, Em and a Bm.

Just Like A Woman is from the 1966 album entitled "Blonde On Blonde".

This track was released as a single and peaked at #28 in the US and #8 in Australia.

I play this one with Drop D Tuning and a capo 3rd fret using the chords D, G, A7, Bm and Gb. A down down down up down up and repeat rhythm pattern will work with a little picking in the rhythm.

Knocking On Heavens Door was a #10 in the US, #14 in the UK and hit #9 in Ireland when it was released as a single in 1973.

The track is from the album "Pat Garrett & Billy The Kid".

Play a down down down up down up and repeat rhythm pattern for this one in standard tuning. A bit of lead work with the chords G, D, Am and C.

Lay Lady Lay from Bob Dylan's 1969 album "Nashville Skyline," peaked at #7 in the US and #5 in the UK. It was intended for the "Midnight Cowboy" soundtrack but missed the deadline. Dylan revealed in 1971 that the song was written for Barbra Streisand.

After a 1960s gig, Dylan sang the song to The Everly Brothers, who found it too sexual and passed on it, though they recorded it 15 years later. Kris Kristofferson, then a janitor at Columbia Studios, held the cowbell and bongos during the recording, explaining the distant drum sound. Charlie Daniels played guitar on the track.

Notable covers include versions by The Byrds, Ramblin' Jack Elliott, Buddy Guy, The Everly Brothers, Ministry, Duran Duran, The Flaming Lips, and more.

This song has a down down up down up down up and repeat rhythm pattern in standard tuning with the chords A, Abm, G, Bm, E and a Gbm. No lead work in this one.

License To Kill, not to be confused with a Gladys Knight song of the same name, is a track from the 1983 album "Infidels".

The song was never released as a single.

Played with a capo on the 4th fret with the chords D, Bm, A, G, Em and A7, you will have some lead work in this song.

Play this one with a down down up down up down up and repeat rhythm pattern with a few chops in the rhythm.