I Threw It All Away
(„Nashville Skyline”, 1969 Columbia)
( A d C-e-F C F-G C )
C a F C
I once held her in my arms,
C a F G
She said she would always stay.
A d
But I was cruel,
C e F
I treated her like a fool,
C F C F
I threw it all away.
Once I had mountains in the palm of my hand,
And rivers that ran through ev'ry day.
I must have been mad,
I never knew what I had,
Until I threw it all away.
F G C a
Love is all there is, it makes the world go 'round,
F G A
Love and only love, it can't be denied.
F G
No matter what you think about it
C e a
You just won't be able to do without it.
B F G
Take a tip from one who's tried.
So if you find someone that gives you all of her love,
Take it to your heart, don't let it stray,
For one thing that's certain,
You will surely be a-hurtin',
If you throw it all away
C G C
If you throw it all away.
Nashville Skyline is singer-songwriter Bob Dylan's ninth studio album, released by Columbia Records in April 1969.
The album marked a dramatic departure for Dylan, previously known for his groundbreaking, poetic folk music and rock'n'roll. Nashville Skyline, building on a rustic style he experimented with on John Wesley Harding, displayed a complete immersion into country music. Along with the more basic themes, simple songwriting structures, and charming domestic feel, it introduced audiences to a radically new singing voice from Dylan - a soft, affected country croon.
The result received mostly positive reaction from critics at the time, and Nashville Skyline, considerably particular because of its short length (at 27 minutes, it's Dylan's shortest album), was a commercial success. Reaching number 3 in the US, the album also scored Dylan his fourth UK number 1 album.
As he would later write, by 1969, Dylan was growing more frustrated by his lack of privacy. Relocating his family failed to deter fans from intruding on his property and he became increasingly wary of how other residents viewed him. „The neighbors hated us”, Dylan recalled. „To them, it must've seemed like I was something out of a carnival show.”
Fatherhood had also changed Dylan's priorities. Married with three children, he was only interested in providing for his family and keeping out of trouble, which meant distancing himself from the political turmoil pervading the country. To his chagrin, the press continued to promote him as the spokesperson of his generation. „I wasn't the toastmaster of any generation”, Dylan wrote, „and that notion needed to be pulled up by its roots.”