Level: 2/3
Tuning: Standard

Using the old spiritual tune, "No More Auction Block For Me" as a starting point, Dylan penned one of his most famous protest songs in 1962, and it was released the following year on his 2nd album, "The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan." Peter, Paul and Mary's cover of the tune, in 1963, was a huge hit - #2 on the charts - and Stevie Wonder had a top ten hit with it a few years later. Hundreds of artists recorded it, and it established Dylan as a world famous songwriter and a voice of the anti-war and civil rights movements.

This fingerpicked, key-of-D version is in drop-D tuning (the same as standard tuning except the 6th string is tuned down to a low D). The intro is an instrumental version of the last 8 bars of the chorus. The thumb alternates bass notes throughout, a few partial, three finger, up-the-neck chords are used during the instrumental solo. Note the altered G chord which works well in this tuning.