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John Brown

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This song is much more complex the way Bob plays it, but this is an easy way to
play it and it definitely gives you an idea.
AmWhen John Brown went off to war to fight on a foreign shore.
His mother Gsure was Dproud of Amhim!
AmAs he stood straight and tall in his uniform and all.
His mother's face bGroke out aDll to a gAmrin.
"Oh son, you look so fine, I'm glad you're a son of mine,
You make me proud to know you hold a gun.
Do what the captain says, lots of medals you will get,
And we'll put them on the wall when you come home."
When that old train pulled out, John's ma began to shout,
Tellin' ev'rybody in the whole neighborhood:
"That's my son that's about to go, he's a soldier now, you know."
She made well sure her neighbors understood.
COh! GLord! UAmnderstood!
She got a letter once in a while and her face broke into a smile
As she showed them to the people from next door.
And she bragged about her son with his uniform and gun,
And these things you called a good old-fashioned war.
Then the letters ceased to come, for a long time they'd never come.
They ceased to come for about nine months or more.
Then a letter finally came saying, "Go down and meet the train.
Your son's a-coming home from the war."
Oh! Lord! From the war.
She smiled and went right down, she looked up and all around
But she did not see her soldier son in sight.
But as all the people passed, she saw her son at last,
When she did she could hardly believe her eyes.
His face was all shot up and his hands were both blown off
And he wore a metal brace around his waist.
He whispered kind of slow, in a voice she did not know,
While she couldn't even recognize his face!
"Oh my darling son, tell me what to you they done.
How is it that you come to be this way?"
His mouth could hardly move as he tried his best to talk
And she did not even recognize his voice.
"Don't you remember, Ma, when I went off to war
You thought it was the best thing I could do?
I was on the battleground, you were home, feeling proud.
Thank God you wasn't standing in my shoes."
"Oh, I thought when I was there, God, what am I doing here?
I'm a-tryin' to kill my enemy or die tryin'.
But as the enemy came close, the thing that hurt me most
As I saw that his face looked just like mine."
Oh! Lord! Just like mine!
"And I couldn't help but think, through the thunder sound and stink,
That I was just a puppet in a play.
And through the roar and smoke, this string is finally broke,
And a cannon ball blew my eyes away."
As he turned away to walk, his Ma was still in shock
At seein' the metal brace that helped him stand.
But as he turned to go, he called his mother close
And he dropped his medals down into her hand.
Oh! Lord! To her hand!
All chords in this song (4)

The story behind the song

This anti-war song tells the story of a mother who is proud to see her son go off to war, only for him to return badly injured. The soldier reflects on his experiences, realizing he was "just a puppet in a play" and that his enemy looked just like him, before dropping his medals into his mother's hands. Written in October 1962, the lyrics draw inspiration from traditional songs about maimed soldiers returning home. It's a poignant exploration of the harsh realities of war and its devastating impact on individuals.

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

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About John Brown Chords by Bob Dylan

Learn how to play John Brown by Bob Dylan with free guitar chords, lyrics, and interactive chord diagrams. Search for “John Brown chords”, “John Brown guitar chords”, or “Bob Dylan John Brown 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 John Brown chords and for experienced players who want accurate John Brown lyrics and chords in one place. Common chords in this song include Am, G, D, C.

FAQ — John Brown by Bob Dylan

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What key is "John Brown" in?

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