All Along The Watchtower | Chords + Lyrics (tune down 1/2 step)
Intro
| N.C B ||: C#m B | A B :|| x4
Verse 1
||: C#m B | A B :||
There must be some kind of way outta here.
Said the joker to the thief.
There’s too much confusion.
I can’t get no relief.
Verse 2
Businessmen they, they drink my wine.
Plowmen dig my earth.
None will level on the line.
Nobody offered his word, hey, hey.
Solo 1
||: C#m B | A B :|| x4
Verse 3
No reason to get excited.
The thief, he kindly spoke.
There are many here among us.
Who feel that life is but a joke. But, uh.
Verse 4
But you and I, we’ve been through that.
And this is not our fate.
So let us stop talkin’ falsely now.
The hour’s getting late, hey.
Solo 2
||: C#m B | A B :|| x16
Verse 5
Oh, all along the watchtower.
Princes kept the view.
While all the women came and went.
Barefoot servants, too. Well, look.
Verse 6
Outside in the cold distance.
A wildcat did growl.
Two riders were approaching.
And the wind began to howl, hey.
Solo 3
||: C#m B | A B :|| x8 repeat to fade
All along the watchtower…
All Along The Watchtower Chords: Learn the progressions
Jimi Hendrix‘s version of Bob Dylan‘s All Along The Watchtower is (in my opinion) the best recording ever made.
When it was released, the way the guitars were layered was groundbreaking.
There are so many guitar licks in there to learn from, it can only be compared with other great tunes such as Wish You Were Here, Stairway To Heaven, Sultans Of Swing, Like A Hurricane, and Hotel California.
Played over the super simple, and common, chord progression of VI – V – IV – V (incidentally, the same as Stairway and Sultans!) in the key of C#m, this spells:
||: C#m (VI) B (V) | A (IV) B (V) :||
This type of chord progression is very popular for guitar solos, look up any Iron Maiden tune and you’ll hear them wailing over this, usually in the key of Em. It just works so well for blanket-scale solos.
I’ve designed some TAB ideas for how to play the rhythm guitar part in C#m as well as with a capo, thinking in Am.
Here’s a link to that part of the lesson: All Along The Watchtower – Guitar Lesson with TAB.
When you’ve been through the TAB, all you need is a chord chart, here’s one I made for you.
All Along The Watchtower Chord Chart | PDF + iReal Pro
Even though there is only one chord progression in All Along The Watchtower, the intro does position these chords differently.
Usually, with a chord chart, you can’t display rhythm but I reckon I found a way. During the intro, the chord before the next bar is played later, after the rest.
Should you want to download this chart, here’s a PDF: All Along The Watchtower Chord Chart PDF.
This chord chart was created using iReal Pro, here’s a link to that file: All Along The Watchtower iReal Pro. Using this and the iRealPro app, you can change the key.
Speaking of changing the key, don’t forget that Hendrix is tuned down 1/2 step so when he plays a C#m, it’s a Cm chord. You may want to check with the band before you start the tune!
All Along The Watchtower covers
Jimi wasn’t the only artist to cover All Along The Watchtower, although it would probably be fair to say that everyone else did it because of him! Even Bob admitted he preferred Jimi’s version over his own.
In the playlist above, I’ve included Dave Matthews Band, U2, Jeff Healey, Eric Clapton with Lenny Kravitz, and of course, Bob’s original version!
There’s also a lesson in there on how to play all those little licks that Jimi so perfectly crafted on this legendary recording.
Should you be playing along to Jimi’s version, I’ve found that apart from tuning down a 1/2 step, setting the tuner slightly sharp, to 444 Hz really got me to the same frequency as Jimi.
If you don’t want to tune down your guitar, try the Digitech drop pedal, it’ll get the job done.
All Along The Watchtower Chords | Related Pages
All Along The Watchtower | Guitar Lesson + TAB
In this guitar lesson, you get TAB for a rhythm guitar part for All Along The Watchtower that would work acoustically or in a band.
| C#m B | A B |
There must be some kind of way outta here…
Five Similar Tunes | Chords + Lyrics
- Come Together chords by The Beatles
- Hey Joe chords by Jimi Hendrix
- Hotel California chords by the Eagles
- Like A Hurricane chords by Neil Young
- Like A Rolling Stone chords by Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan tunes
Widely regarded as the most influential artist in popular culture, Bob Dylan has been covered and copied by almost everyone who ever attempted to write a song. His famous tunes are so many it’s impossible to pick just a few.
Some say Dylan invented modern songwriting.
Bob Dylan on the web
Jimi Hendrix tunes
The world’s most famous guitarist, Jimi Hendrix had a short career spanning only 4 years and as many albums before he joined the 27 Club following misadventure.
His best tunes include Hey Joe, All Along The Watchtower, Little Wing, Foxy Lady, Purple Haze, Crosstown Traffic, The Wind Cries Mary, and Voodoo Chile.
Jimi Hendrix on the web
About me | Dan Lundholm
This was a guitar lesson about All Along The Watchtower chords, by Dan Lundholm. Discover more about him and how you can learn guitar with Spytunes.
Most importantly, find out why you should learn guitar through playing tunes, not practising scales, and studying theory in isolation.
