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248

Happy trials

learning a song in small steps.
248
Cross-post from Patti Smith
If you're a fan of Patti Smith or Bob Dylan, or if you're trying to learn how to play the guitar, you might enjoy this post. Patti shows us how she's going about learning Bob's song "The Man in the Long Black Coat" for her upcoming tour. To my surprise, she shares that she's not confident on the guitar and she suffers from a form of dyslexia. But when she sings, it's always a home run for me. I suggest listening to Bob's recording first and then watching Patti's video. I hope you enjoy this peek into the life of a rock 'n' roll star who never stops learning and challenging herself to perform new material. What an inspiration for us all. -

Hello everybody,

I’m sitting here trying to learn a song and thought to share my elementary process as well as the song itself. I hope everyone is faring well and I will update you on my progress. Today is kind of warm out and something in the air that is aggravating allergies. Most likely smoke residue from neighboring wildfires. But all is well and hope everyone is getting ready to greet the summer solstice….

Below is Bob Dylan’s lyrics and recoRding of the song in question. The man with the long black coat. A moody evocative song from Oh Mercy….

The man in the long black coat

Crickets are chirpin' the water is high
There's a soft cotton dress on the line hangin' dry
Window wide open African trees
Bent over backwards from a hurricane breeze
Not a word of goodbye not even a note
She gone with the man in the long black coat

Somebody seen him hangin' around
At the old dance hall on the outskirts of town
He looked into her eyes when she stopped him to ask
If he wanted to dance he had a face like a mask
Somebody said from the bible he'd quote
There was dust on the man in the long black coat

Preacher was talking there's a sermon he gave
He said every man's conscience is vile and depraved
You cannot depend on it to be your guide
When it's you who must keep it satisfied
It ain't easy to swallow it sticks in the throat
She gave her heart to the man in the long black coat

There are no mistakes in life some people say
It is true sometimes you can see it that way
But people don't live or die people just float
She went with the man in the long black coat

There's smoke on the water it's been there since June
Tree trunks uprooted beneath the high crescent moon
Feel the pulse and vibration and the rumbling force
Somebody is out there beating on a dead horse
She never said nothing there was nothing she wrote
She gone with the man in the long black coat

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