Dylan's song was written for the Civil War movie "Gods and Generals". The song is a requiem for both sides in that war. Some of the verses clearly have to do with the death of Stonewall Jackson, shot accidentally by his own men during confused encounters on the first night of Chancellorsville, which was Lee and Jackson's greatest victory, but resulted in the death of Jackson, a death the South could ill afford.
Here are the lyrics as best I make them out (I think some versions that are out on the net now are mistaken on a few specific words and phrases):
I cross the Green Mountain I sit by the stream Heaven blazing in my head I dreamt a monstrous dream Something came up Out of the sea Swept through the land of The rich and the free
I look into the eyes Of my merciful friend And then I ask myself Is this the end? Memories linger Sad yet sweet And I think of the souls in heaven who we'll meet (or "who will meet"?)
Alters are burning The flames far and wide The foe has crossed over From the other side They tip their caps from the top of the hill You can feel them come All brave blood do spill (....or...."More brave blood to spill"?)
Along the dim Atlantic line The ravaged land Lasts for miles behind The light's coming forward And the streets are broad All must yield To the avenging God
The world is old The world is gray Lessons of life Can't be learned in a day I watch and I wait And I listen while I stand To the music that comes From a far better land
Close the eyes of our Captain Peace may he know His long night is done The great leader is laid low He was ready to fall He was quick to defend Killed outright he was by his own men
It's the last day's last hour Of the last happy year I feel that the unknown World is so near Pride will vanish And glory will rot But virtue lives And cannot be forgot
The bells Of evening have rung There's blasphemy On every tongue Let them say that I walked In fair nature's light And that I was loyal To truth and to right
Serve God and meet your foe Look upward beyond Beyond the darkness that masks The surprises of dawn In the deep green grasses And the blood stained woods They never dreamed of surrendering They fell where they stood
Stars fell over Alabama And I saw each star You're walking in dreams Whoever you are Chilled are the skies Keen is the frost And the ground's froze hard And the morning is lost A letter to mother Came today Gunshot wound to the breast Is what it did say But he'll be better soon He's in a hospital bed But he'll never be better He's already dead
I'm ten miles outside the city And I'm lifted away In an ancient light That is not of day They were calm they were blunt We knew 'em all too well We loved each other more than we ever dared to tell
The recording is in the key of G# (or A flat if you prefer). Put a capo on the first fret and play it as if in G. The verses are mostly of this pattern of chords
(Am)I cross the Green (Bm) Mountain (C)I sit by the (D) stream (Am)Heaven blazing (Bm)in my head (C)I dreamt a monstrous (D) dream (C)Something came (G) up (Am)Out of the (D)sea (Em)Swept through the (C) land of The (D) rich and the (Em) free (C) (G) (D)
I think there's an alternate pattern in some of the verses, though and the melody line shifts in those too...I'm busy figuring it out right now.