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When I Paint My Masterpiece

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Capo on fret 1 (as written in this song)

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When I Paint My Masterpiece     4/4     Levon Helm     Bob Dylan
Album: Cahoots 1971 Big Sky Music
Standard Tuning, Capo 1
Took Ken Lee's Version and tried to make it a little simpler to follow, also added a few more D chords
Kevin Traylor (any improvement welcomed, love this song!)
[Intro]
D   A   D    A    E
[Verse 1]
 DOh, the streets of  ARome are       Dfilled with   Arubble,
Ancient Efoot prints are everyAwhere.
DYou could Aalmost think that your Dseein' Adouble,
On the Ecold, dark night on the Spanish AStairs.
EGotta hurry on back to my E7hotel Aroom,
Where I Egot me a date with a pretty little girl from AGreece.D  
She Apromised she'd  Dbe there Awith me,
When I Epaint my masterApiece.
[Interlude]
D  A   D   A   E
[Verse 2]
Oh, the Dhours we Aspent, inside the DColiAseum.
Dodging Elions, and a-wasting Atime,D  
Oh those Amighty kings of the jungle, I could Dhardly stand to Asee'em
Yes it Esure has been a E7long, hard cAlimb.
ETrain wheels a running through the back of my Amemory,
When I Eran on a hilltop followin' a pack of wild Ageese,D  
ASomeday everything is gonna Dsound like a Arhapsody
When I Epaint my masterApiece.
[Bridge]
DmSailing round the world in a dirty goAndola,
C#mOh to be baDck in the land of, CoEca cDola.A/C#  Cdim7  E  
[Verse 3]
Well DI left ARome, and Dlanded in ABrussels,
On a Eplane ride so bumpy that I E7almost Acried,
DClergy men in Auniform, and young girls Dpulling Amuscles,
Everyone was Ethere to greet me when I sE7tepped insAide,
ENewspaper men eatin' canAdy,
EHad to be held down by big poAlice.D  
ASomeday, everything is Dgonna be Adifferent,
When I Epaint my masterApiece.
D(fade)A  D  A  

All chords in this song (8)

The story behind the song

This song, first released by The Band, expresses a longing for inspiration and the creation of something truly great. It captures the feeling of waiting for that moment when everything clicks, and a perfect work of art comes to fruition. Though written by Bob Dylan, The Band's rendition embodies this hopeful anticipation. At its heart, it plays like a dream of future accomplishment.

AI-written from these sources:When I Paint My Masterpiece — Wikipedia ↗The Band — Wikipedia ↗MusicBrainz ↗

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Chord Book

670,000+ free guitar chords · free-chords.com

When I Paint My Masterpiece

by The Band

Lyrics & chords · Original key · Capo on fret 1 (as written in this song)

Chords in this song · guitar

C#m

A/C#

Cdim7

When I Paint My Masterpiece 4/4 Levon Helm Bob Dylan

Album: Cahoots 1971 Big Sky Music

Standard Tuning, Capo 1

Took Ken Lee's Version and tried to make it a little simpler to follow, also added a few more D chords

Kevin Traylor (any improvement welcomed, love this song!)

[Intro]

D A D A E

[Verse 1]

D A D A

Oh, the streets of Rome are filled with rubble,

E A

Ancient foot prints are everywhere.

D A D A

You could almost think that your seein' double,

E A

On the cold, dark night on the Spanish Stairs.

E E7 A

Gotta hurry on back to my hotel room,

E A D

Where I got me a date with a pretty little girl from Greece.

A D A

She promised she'd be there with me,

E A

When I paint my masterpiece.

[Interlude]

D A D A E

[Verse 2]

D A D A

Oh, the hours we spent, inside the Coliseum.

E A D

Dodging lions, and a-wasting time,

A D A

Oh those mighty kings of the jungle, I could hardly stand to see'em

E E7 A

Yes it sure has been a long, hard climb.

E A

Train wheels a running through the back of my memory,

E A D

When I ran on a hilltop followin' a pack of wild geese,

A D A

Someday everything is gonna sound like a rhapsody

E A

When I paint my masterpiece.

[Bridge]

Dm A

Sailing round the world in a dirty gondola,

C#m D E D A/C# Cdim7 E

Oh to be back in the land of, Coca cola.

[Verse 3]

D A D A

Well I left Rome, and landed in Brussels,

E E7 A

On a plane ride so bumpy that I almost cried,

D A D A

Clergy men in uniform, and young girls pulling muscles,

E E7 A

Everyone was there to greet me when I stepped inside,

E A

Newspaper men eatin' candy,

E A D

Had to be held down by big police.

A D A

Someday, everything is gonna be different,

E A

When I paint my masterpiece.

D A D A

(fade)

About When I Paint My Masterpiece Chords by The Band

Learn how to play When I Paint My Masterpiece by The Band with free guitar chords, lyrics, and interactive chord diagrams. Search for “When I Paint My Masterpiece chords”, “When I Paint My Masterpiece guitar chords”, or “The Band When I Paint My Masterpiece 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 When I Paint My Masterpiece chords and for experienced players who want accurate When I Paint My Masterpiece lyrics and chords in one place. Common chords in this song include D, A, E, E7, Dm, C#m.

FAQ — When I Paint My Masterpiece by The Band

How do I play "When I Paint My Masterpiece" by The Band on guitar?

Open the free chords for "When I Paint My Masterpiece" by The Band on Free Chord Book. Tap any chord to see its diagram, use transpose to change the key, and turn on auto-scroll to play hands-free.

Are the chords for "When I Paint My Masterpiece" by The Band free?

Yes. The chords for "When I Paint My Masterpiece" by The Band are 100% free on Free Chord Book — no sign-up required.

Can I transpose "When I Paint My Masterpiece" to a different key?

Yes. Use the transpose buttons on the song page to shift "When I Paint My Masterpiece" up or down by half-steps so it matches your vocal range or capo position.

Can I see chord diagrams for "When I Paint My Masterpiece"?

Yes. Tap any chord in "When I Paint My Masterpiece" to instantly see an interactive guitar chord diagram with alternate fingerings.

Is "When I Paint My Masterpiece" easy to play on guitar?

Many players learn "When I Paint My Masterpiece" by The Band with our free chords. Use transpose and chord diagrams to simplify tricky shapes, and browse related songs by The Band below.

What key is "When I Paint My Masterpiece" in?

The chords for "When I Paint My Masterpiece" show the original chord names (including D, A, E, E7, Dm, C#m). Use transpose to move the song into any key that fits your voice or capo.