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Hurricane

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[Intro]
| Am| F| x4
[Verse 1]
AmPistol shots ring out in the Fbarroom night
AmEnter Patty Valentine from the Fupper hall
AmShe sees the bartender in a Fpool of blood
AmCries out "My God they Fkilled them all!"
CHere comes the story of the FHurricaneG  
CThe man the authorities Fcame to blame
DmFor something that he never Cdone
DmPut in a prison cell but Cone Emtime
He could have Ambeen the Fchampion of the CworldG  
[Instrumental]
| Am| F| Am| F|
[Verse 2]
AmThree bodies lyin’ there does FPatty see
And aAmnother man named Bello, movin’ aFround mysteriously
Am“I didn’t do it,” he says, and he Fthrows up his hands
“I was Amonly robbin’ the register, I Fhope you understand
CN.C. FN.C. G  
I saw them leavin’,” he says, and he stops
CN.C. FN.C.
“One of us had better call up the cops”
DmAnd so Patty calls the Ccops
DmAnd they arrive on the Cscene with their Emred lights Amflashin’
In the Fhot New Jersey CnightG  
[Instrumental]
| Am| F| Am| F|
[Verse 3]
AmMeanwhile, far away in aFnother part of town
Rubin AmCarter and a couple of Ffriends are drivin’ around
AmNumber one contender for the Fmiddleweight crown
Had Amno idea what kinda shit was aFbout to go down
CN.C. FN.C. G  
When a cop pulled him over to the side of the road
CN.C. FN.C.
Just like the time before and the time before that
In DmPaterson that’s just the way things Cgo
If you’Dmre black you might as well Cnot show Emup on the Amstreet
’Less you Fwanna draw the CheatG  
[Instrumental]
| Am| F| Am| F|
[Verse 4]
Alfred AmBello had a partner and he had a Frap for the cops
Him and AmArthur Dexter Bradley were just out Fprowlin’ around
He Amsaid, “I saw two men runnin’ out, they Flooked like middleweights
AmJumped into a white car with Fout-of-state plates”
CN.C. FN.C. G  
And Miss Patty Valentine just nodded her head
CN.C. FN.C.
Cop said, “Wait a minute, boys, this one’s not dead”
So they Dmtook him to the infirmarCy
DmAnd though this man could hardly Csee
They Emtold him he could AmidentifFy the guilty CmenG  
[Instrumental]
| Am| F| Am| F|
[Verse 5]
AmFour in the mornin’ and they Fhaul Rubin in
They Amtook him to the hospital and they Fbrought him upstairs
The Amwounded man looks up through his Fone dyin’ eye
"Say, Amwhy’d you bring him in here for? He Fain’t the guy!”
CN.C. FN.C. G  
Yes, here’s the story of the Hurricane
CN.C. FN.C.
The man the authorities came to blame
DmFor somethin’ that he never Cdone
DmPut in a prison cell, but Cone Emtime he could-a Ambeen
The Fchampion of the CworldG  
[Instrumental]
| Am| F| Am| F|
[Verse 6]
AmFour months later, the Fghettos are in flame
AmRubin’s in South America Ffightin’ for his name
While AmArthur Dexter Bradley’s still in the Frobbery game
And the Amcops are puttin’ the screws to him lookin’ for Fsomebody to blame
CN.C. FN.C. G  
“Remember that murder that happened in a bar?
CN.C. FN.C.
Remember you said you saw the getaway car?
You Dmthink you’d like to play ball with the Claw?
DmThink it might-a been that fighter that you Csaw Emrunnin’ that Amnight?
Don’t forFget that you are Cwhite.”G  
[Instrumental]
| Am| F| Am| F|
[Verse 7]
AmArthur Dexter Bradley said, “I’m Freally not sure”
The Amcop said, “A poor boy like you could Fuse a break
We Amgot you for the motel job and we’re Ftalkin’ to your friend Bello
AmYou don’t wanta have to go back to jail, Fbe a nice fellow
CN.C. FN.C. G  
You’ll be doin’ society a favor
CN.C. FN.C.
That sonofabitch is brave and gettin’ braver
DmWe want to put his ass in sCtir
DmWe want to pin this triple CmurEmder on Amhim
He Fain’t no Gentleman CJim”G  
[Instrumental]
| Am| F| Am| F|
[Verse 8]
AmRubin could take a man out with Fjust one punch
But he Amnever did like to talk about it Fall that much
It’s my Amwork, he’d say, I Fdo it for pay
And Amwhen it’s over I’d just as Fsoon go on my way
CN.C. FN.C. G  
Up to some paradise
CN.C. FN.C.
Where the trout streams flow and the air is nice
DmAnd ride a horse along a Ctrail
DmBut then they took him to the CjailEmhouse
Where they Amtry to turn a Fman into a CmouseG  
[Instrumental]
| Am| F| Am| F|
[Verse 9]
AmAll of Rubin’s cards were Fmarked in advance
The Amtrial was a pig-circus, he Fnever had a chance
The Amjudge made Rubin’s witnesses Fdrunkards from the slums
To the Amwhite folks who watched he was a Frevolutionary bum
CN.C. FN.C. G  
And to the black folks he was just a crazy nigger
CN.C. FN.C.
No one doubted that he pulled the trigger
DmAnd though they could not produce the Cgun
The DmD.A. said he was the Cone who Emdid the Amdeed
And the Fall-white jury aCgreedG  
[Instrumental]
| Am| F| Am| F|
[Verse 10]
AmRubin Carter was Ffalsely tried
The Amcrime was murder “one.” FGuess who testified?
AmBello and Bradley and they Fboth baldly lied
AmAnd the papers, they all went aFlong for the ride
CN.C. FN.C. G  
How can the life of such a man
CN.C. FN.C.
Be in the palm of some fool’s hand?
DmTo see him obviously Cframed
DmCouldn’t help but make me feel aCshamed to Emlive in a Amland
Where Fjustice is a CgameG  
[Instrumental]
| Am| F| Am| F|
[Verse 11]
Now Amall the criminals in their Fcoats and their ties
Are Amfree to drink martinis and Fwatch the sun rise
While AmRubin sits like Buddha in a Ften-foot cell
An Aminnocent man in a Fliving hell
CN.C. FN.C. G  
Yes, that’s the story of the Hurricane
CN.C. FN.C.
But it won’t be over till they clear his name
DmAnd give him back the time he’s Cdone
DmPut in a prison cell, but Cone Emtime he could-a Ambeen
The Fchampion of the CworldG  
[Outro]
| Am| F| Am| F|
| Am| F| Am| F|
| C| F| C| F|
| Dm| C| Dm| C   Em| Am   F| C| G|
| Am| F| Am| F|
| Am| F| Am| F| C  
(fade)
All chords in this song (6)

The story behind the song

"Hurricane" is a powerful protest song that tells the story of boxer Rubin "Hurricane" Carter, who was imprisoned after a flawed murder trial. The lyrics describe the acts of racism and profiling that led to his wrongful conviction, painting a vivid picture of the events as a "total storytelling mode." Bob Dylan was moved to write the song after reading Carter's autobiography and visiting him in prison, channeling his feelings into this detailed narrative. It stands as a testament to the fight against injustice, playing like a cinematic account of a man wronged by the system.

AI-written from these sources:Hurricane (Bob Dylan song) — Wikipedia ↗Bob Dylan — Wikipedia ↗MusicBrainz ↗

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About Hurricane Chords by Bob Dylan

Learn how to play Hurricane by Bob Dylan with free guitar chords, lyrics, and interactive chord diagrams. Search for “Hurricane chords”, “Hurricane guitar chords”, or “Bob Dylan Hurricane chords” and you will find this page — transpose to any key, tap chords for diagrams, and use auto-scroll while you play. Perfect for beginners looking for easy Hurricane chords and for experienced players who want accurate Hurricane lyrics and chords in one place. Common chords in this song include Am, F, C, G, Dm, Em.

FAQ — Hurricane by Bob Dylan

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What key is "Hurricane" in?

The chords for "Hurricane" show the original chord names (including Am, F, C, G, Dm, Em). Use transpose to move the song into any key that fits your voice or capo.