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Bob Dylan - My Back Pages Chords

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ChordsC, Am, Em, F, G, G7
Strumming↓-↓↑-↑↓↑

Before you play, tune your guitar and use the tools below to set up your view and flow.

  • Guitar C chord diagram Fingering: x-3-2-0-1-0Guitar C chord diagram
  • Guitar Am chord diagram Fingering: x-0-2-2-1-0Guitar Am chord diagram
  • Guitar Em chord diagram Fingering: 0-2-2-0-0-0Guitar Em chord diagram
  • Guitar F chord diagram Fingering: 1-3-3-2-1-1 Barre at fret 1.Guitar F chord diagram
  • Guitar G chord diagram Fingering: 3-2-0-0-0-3Guitar G chord diagram
  • Guitar G7 chord diagram Fingering: 3-2-0-0-0-1Guitar G7 chord diagram

[Opening]
[C]Crimson [Am]flames tied [Em]through my ears
Rollin’ [F]high and [G]mighty [C]traps
[C]Pounced with [Am]fire on [Em]flaming [C]roads
Using [F]ideas [Em]as my [G]maps

[verse 2]
“We’ll [F]meet on [Am]edges, [G]soon,” said [C]I
[Am]Proud ‘neath heated [F]brow. [G]
Ah, [C]but I was so much [Am]older [C]then,
I’m [F]younger [G]than that [C]now.

[interlude]
[G] [G] [G7] [G7]

[verse 3]
[C]Half-wracked [Am]prejudice [Em]leaped forth
“[F]Rip down all [G]hate,” I [C]screamed
[C]Lies that [Am]life is [Em]black and white
[F]Spoke from my skull. I [G]dreamed

[verse 4]
Ro[Am]mantic facts of [Em]musketeers
Foun[F]dationed deep, some[G]how.
Ah, but [C]I was [Am]so much [Em]older [F]then,
I’m [G]younger [G7]than that [C]now.

[verse 5]
[C]Girls’ faces [Am]formed the [Em]forward path
From [F]phony [G]jealou[C]sy
[C]To memo[Am]rizing [Em]politics
Of [F]ancient [Am]histo[G]ry

[verse 6]
Flung [Am]down by corpse e[Em]vangelists
Un[F]thought of, though, som[G]how.
Ah, [C]but I was so much [F]older [C]then,
I’m [F]younger [G]than that [C]now.

[verse 7]
A [C]self-or-[Am]dained pro[Em]fessor’s tongue
Too [F]ser[G]ious to [C]fool
[C]Spouted [Am]out that [Em]liberty
Is [F]just equality in [G]school

[verse 8]
“E[Am]quality,” I [Em]spoke the word
As [F]if a wedding [G]vow.
Ah, [C]but I was [Am]so much older then,
[F]I’m younger [G]than that [C]now.

[verse 9]
In a [C]soldier’s [Am]stance, I [Em]aimed my hand
At the [F]mongrel [G]dogs who [C]teach
[C]Fearing not that I’d [Am]become my [Em]enemy
In the [F]instant that I [G]preach

[verse 10]
My [Am]existence led by [F]confusion [C]boats
[Am]Mutiny from [Em]stern to [G]bow.
Ah, but [C]I was [Am]so much [F]older [C]then,
I’m [G]younger than that [C]now.

[verse 11]
Yes, my [C]guard [Am]stood hard when [Em]abstract threats
Too [F]noble [G]to ne[C]glect
De[C]ceived me [Am]into [Em]thinking
I had [F]something to pro[G]tect

[Closing]
[Am]Good and bad, I de[Em]fine these terms
[F]Quite clear, no doubt, some[G]how.
Ah, but [C]I was [Am]so much [F]older [C]then,
I’m [G]younger than that [C]now.

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SONG DATA3 Chords, 200 Chains, 1 BookDiscover the most-used three-chord combinations in songs and build real command on guitar.
14,015 TRANSITIONS ANALYZED#1 at 23%: Which Transition?Master guitar today with the most repeated high-impact chord transitions.
ArtistBob Dylan
AlbumAnother Side of Bob Dylan
GenresFolk
Year1964
KeyC

How to play My Back Pages on Guitar (Step-by-step)

Bob Dylan - My Back Pages on guitar requires 6 chords and 12 core chord transitions. You can find the full step-by-step guide below. Before you start, tune your instrument. The song uses the ↓-↓↑-↑↓↑ pattern; practice it muted first, or simplify to downstrokes while you learn the changes.

My Back Pages uses these transitions most often: C → Am (19), F → G (19), and Am → Em (18). These transitions may feel a little challenging at first, but with steady practice you can play this song quickly.When you are ready, begin with C - Am chord transition.

1. C → Am chord transition

Guitar C chord diagram Fingering: x-3-2-0-1-0Guitar C chord diagram
Guitar Am chord diagram Fingering: x-0-2-2-1-0Guitar Am chord diagram

To move from C to Am;

  1. Keep index finger on B string fret 1.
  2. Keep middle finger on D string fret 2.
  3. Lift your ring finger from A string fret 3 and place it on G string fret 2.
C to Am

2. Am → Em chord transition

Guitar Am chord diagram Fingering: x-0-2-2-1-0Guitar Am chord diagram
Guitar Em chord diagram Fingering: 0-2-2-0-0-0Guitar Em chord diagram

To move from Am to Em;

  1. While playing Am, lift your index finger from B string fret 1.
  2. Lift your middle finger from D string fret 2 and place it on A string fret 2.
  3. Slide your ring finger from G string fret 2 to D string fret 2.
Am to Em

3. Em → F chord transition

Guitar Em chord diagram Fingering: 0-2-2-0-0-0Guitar Em chord diagram
Guitar F chord diagram Fingering: 1-3-3-2-1-1 Barre at fret 1.Guitar F chord diagram

To move from Em to F;

  1. Lift your middle finger from A string fret 2 and place it on G string fret 2.
  2. Slide your ring finger from D string fret 2 to A string fret 3.
  3. Place index finger on E string fret 1.
  4. Place pinky on D string fret 3.
Em to F

4. F → G chord transition

Guitar F chord diagram Fingering: 1-3-3-2-1-1 Barre at fret 1.Guitar F chord diagram
Guitar G chord diagram Fingering: 3-2-0-0-0-3Guitar G chord diagram

To move from F to G;

  1. While playing F, lift your pinky from D string fret 3.
  2. Lift your index finger from E string fret 1 and place it on A string fret 2.
  3. Slide your middle finger from G string fret 2 to E string fret 3.
  4. Lift your ring finger from A string fret 3 and place it on E string fret 3.
F to G

5. G → C chord transition

To move from G to C;

  1. Lift your index finger from A string fret 2 and place it on B string fret 1.
  2. Slide your middle finger from E string fret 3 to D string fret 2.
  3. Lift your ring finger from E string fret 3 and place it on A string fret 3.

6. Em → C chord transition

To move from Em to C;

  1. Lift your middle finger from A string fret 2 and place it on D string fret 2.
  2. Slide your ring finger from D string fret 2 to A string fret 3.
  3. Place index finger on B string fret 1.

7. C → F chord transition

To move from C to F;

  1. Lift your index finger from B string fret 1 and place it on E string fret 1.
  2. Slide your middle finger from D string fret 2 to G string fret 2.
  3. Keep ring finger on A string fret 3.
  4. Place pinky on D string fret 3.

8. Em → G chord transition

To move from Em to G;

  1. Lift your middle finger from A string fret 2 and place it on E string fret 3.
  2. Slide your ring finger from D string fret 2 to E string fret 3.
  3. Place index finger on A string fret 2.

9. F → Am chord transition

To move from F to Am;

  1. While playing F, lift your pinky from D string fret 3.
  2. Lift your index finger from E string fret 1 and place it on B string fret 1.
  3. Slide your middle finger from G string fret 2 to D string fret 2.
  4. Lift your ring finger from A string fret 3 and place it on G string fret 2.

10. Am → G chord transition

To move from Am to G;

  1. Lift your index finger from B string fret 1 and place it on A string fret 2.
  2. Slide your middle finger from D string fret 2 to E string fret 3.
  3. Lift your ring finger from G string fret 2 and place it on E string fret 3.

11. G → G7 chord transition

To move from G to G7;

  1. Keep index finger on A string fret 2.
  2. Keep middle finger on E string fret 3.
  3. Slide your ring finger on E string from fret 3 to fret 1.

12. G7 → C chord transition

To move from G7 to C;

  1. Lift your index finger from A string fret 2 and place it on B string fret 1.
  2. Slide your middle finger from E string fret 3 to D string fret 2.
  3. Lift your ring finger from E string fret 1 and place it on A string fret 3.

My Back Pages chord transition analysis

A short, data-driven summary of the chord flow in My Back Pages.

  • My Back Pages includes 125 chord transitions, 12 of them unique.
  • These transitions represent 0.03% of all chord transitions in Chordier.
  • My Back Pages contains 6 of the top 10 transitions across Chordier.
  • These transition patterns show how My Back Pages connects to the rest of Chordier. Mastering them helps you move to similar songs faster.
    After C, the most likely next chords across Chordier are G (35%), F (16%), and D (11%).
    • C → G: 35%
    • C → F: 16%
    After G, the most likely next chords across Chordier are C (25%), D (24%), and Am (13%).
    • G → C: 25%
    • G → Am: 13%
SONG DATA3 Chords, 200 Chains, 1 BookThe 200 most popular three-chord chains from real songs. See which songs use each chain and expand your repertoire with patterns that actually matter.