[Index] [Expanded Index]

7. Blonde On Blonde

1. Rainy Day Women #12 & 35
Bob Dylan

Well, they'll stone you when you're trying to be so good
They'll stone you just like they said they would
They'll stone you when you're trying to go home
Then they'll stone you when you're there all alone
But I would not feel so all alone
Everybody must get stoned

Well, they'll stone you when you're walking on the street
They'll stone you when you're trying to keep your seat
They'll stone you when you're walking on the floor
They'll stone you when you're walking through the door
But I would not feel so all alone
Everybody must get stoned

They'll stone you when you're at the breakfast table
They'll stone you when you are 'ung and able
They'll stone you when you're trying to make a buck
They'll stone you and then they'll say good luck
Hey, but I would not feel so all alone
Everybody must get stoned

Well, they'll stone you and say that it's the end
Then they'll stone you and then they'll come back again
They'll stone you when you're riding in your car
They'll stone you when you're playing your guitar
Yes, but I would not feel so all alone
Everybody must get stoned

Well, they'll stone you when you are all alone
They'll stone you when you are walking home
They'll stone you and then say they are brave
They'll stone you when you're set down in your grave
But I would not feel so alone
Everybody must get stoned

2. Pledging My Time
(Words and Music by Bob Dylan)
1966, 1976 Dwarf Music

Well, early in the mornin'
'Til late at night,
I got a poison headache,
But I feel all right.
I'm pledging my time to you,
Hopin' you'll come through, too.

Well, the hobo jumped up,
He came down natur'lly.
After he stole my baby,
Then he wanted to steal me.
But I'm pledging my time to you,
Hopin' you'll come through, too.

Won't you come with me, baby?
I'll take you where you wanna go.
And if it don't work out,
You'll be the first to know.
I'm pledging my time to you,
Hopin' you'll come through, too.

Well, the room is so stuffy,
I can hardly breathe.
Ev'rybody's gone but me and you
And I can't be the last to leave.
I'm pledging my time to you,
Hopin' you'll come through, too.

Well, they sent for the ambulance
And one was sent.
Somebody got lucky
But it was an accident.
Now I'm pledging my time to you,
Hopin' you'll come through, too.

3. Visions of Johanna
Bob Dylan

Ain't it just like the night to play tricks when you're tryin' to be so quiet?
We sit here stranded, though we're all doin' our best to deny it
And Louise holds a handful of rain, temptin' you to defy it
Lights flicker from the opposite loft
In this room the heat pipes just cough
The country music station plays soft
But there's nothing, really nothing to turn off
Just Louise and her lover so entwined
And these visions of Johanna that conquer my mind.

In the empty lot where the ladies play blind man's bluff with the key chain
And the all-night girls, they whisper of escapades out on the "D" train
We can hear the night watchman click his flashlight
Ask himself if it's him or them that's realy insane
Louise, she's allright, she's just near
She's delicate and seems like the mirror (veneer)
But she just makes it all too concise and too clear
That Johanna's not here
The ghost of 'lectricity howls in the bones of her face
Where these visions of Johanna have now taken my place.

Now, little boy lost, he takes himself so seriously
He brags of his misery, he likes to live dangerously
And when bringing her name up he speaks of a farewell kiss to me
He's sure got a lotta gall
to be so useless and all
Muttering small talk at the wall
while I'm in the hall
How can I explain? Oh, it's so hard to get on
And these visions of Johanna, they kept me up past the dawn.

Inside the museums, Infinity goes up on trial
Voices echo this is what salvation must be like after a while
But Mona Lisa musta had the highway blues You can tell by the way she smiles
See the primitive wallflower freeze
When the jellyfaced women all sneeze
Hear the one with the mustache say, "Jeeze, I can't find my knees"
Oh, jewels and binoculars hang from the head of the mule
But these visions of Johanna they make it all seem so cruel.

The peddler now speaks to the countess who's pretending to care for him
Sayin' "Name me someone that's not a parasite
and I'll go out and say a prayer for him." But like Louise
always says, "Ya can't look at much, can ya man?" As she, herself, prepares for him
And Madonna, she still has not showed
We see this empty cage now corrode
Where her cape of the stage once had flowed
The fiddler, he now steps to the road
He writes ev'rything's been returned which was owed
On the back of the fish truck that loads
While my conscience explodes
The harmonicas play the skeleton keys and the rain
And these visions of Johanna are now all that remain.

4. One of Us Must Know (Sooner Or Later)
Bob Dylan

I didn't mean to treat you so bad
You shouldn't take it so personal
I didn't mean to make you so sad
You just happened to be there, that's all
When I saw you say "goodbye" to my friend and smile
I thought that it was well understood
That you'd be comin' back in a little while
I didn't know that you were sayin' "goodbye" for good

But,
sooner or later, one of us must know
You just did what you're supposed to do
Sooner or later, one of us must know
That I really did try to get close to you

I couldn't see what you could show me
Your scarf had kept your mouth well hid
I couldn't see how you could know me
But you said you knew me and I believed you did
When you whispered in my ear
And asked me if I was leavin' with you or her
I didn't realize just what I did hear
I didn't realize how young you were

But,
sooner or later, one of us must know
You just did what you're supposed to do
Sooner or later, one of us must know
That I really did try to get close to you

I couldn't see when it started snowin'
Your voice was all that I heard
I couldn't see where we were goin'
But you said you knew an' I took your word
And then you told me later, as I apologized
That you were just kiddin' me, you weren't really from the farm
An' I told you, as you clawed out my eyes
That I never really meant to do you any harm

But,
sooner or later, one of us must know
You just did what you're supposed to do
Sooner or later, one of us must know
That I really did try to get close to you

5. I Want You
by Bob Dylan

The guilty undertaker sighs,
The lonely organ grinder cries,
The silver saxophones say I should refuse you.
The cracked bells and washed-out horns
Blow into my face with scorn,
But it's not that way,
I wasn't born to lose you.
I want you, I want you,
I want you so bad,
Honey, I want you.

The drunken politician leaps
Upon the street where mothers weep
And the saviors who are fast asleep,
They wait for you.
And I wait for them to interrupt
Me drinkin' from my broken cup
And ask me to
Open up the gate for you.
I want you, I want you,
I want you so bad,
Honey, I want you.

Now all my fathers, they've gone down,
True love they've been without it.
But all their daughters put me down
'Cause I don't think about it.

Well, I return to the Queen of Spades
And talk with my chambermaid.
She knows that I'm not afraid
To look at her.
She is good to me
And there's nothing she doesn't see.
She knows where I'd like to be
But it doesn't matter.
I want you, I want you,
I want you so bad,
Honey, I want you.

Now your dancing child with his Chinese suit,
He spoke to me, I took his flute.
No, I wasn't very cute to him,
Was I?
But I did it, though, because he lied
Because he took you for a ride
And because time was on his side
And because I ...
I want you, I want you,
I want you so bad,
Honey, I want you.

6. Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again
By Bob Dylan

Oh the rag-man draws circles
Up and down the block.
I'd ask him what the matter was
But I know that he don't talk.
And the ladies treat me kindly
And furnish me with tape
But deep inside my heart
I know I can't escape
Oh Mama,
Can this really be the end
To be stuck here inside of Mobile
with the Memphis blues again

Well, Shakespeare, he's in the alley
With his pointed shoes and his bells.
Speaking to a french girl,
Who says she knows me well.
And I would send a message
To find out if she's talked,
Post the post office has been stolen
And the mail box is locked.
Oh Mama,
Can this really be the end
To be stuck inside of Mobile
With the Memphis blues again.

Mona tried to tell me
To stay far away from the train line.
She said that all the railroad men
Drink your blood like wine.
An' I said "Oh, I didn't know that
But then again there's only one I've met
An' he just smoked my eyelids
An' punched my cigarette"
Oh Mama
Can this really be the end
To be stuck inside of Mobile
With the Memphis blues again.

Grandpa died last week
And now he's buried in the rock
But everybody talk about
How badly they were shocked.
But me I expected it to happen
I knew he'd lost control
When he built a fire on main street
And shot it full of holes.
Oh Mama
Can this really be the end
To be stuck inside of Mobile
With the Memphis blues again.

Now the senator can down here
Showing everyone his gun.
Handing out free tickets
To the wedding of his son.
An' me I nearly got busted
An wouldn't it be my luck
To get caught without a ticket
And be discovered beneath a truck
Oh Mama
Can this really be the end
To be stuck inside of Mobile
With the Memphis blues again.

Now the preacher looked so baffled
When I asked him why he dressed
With twenty pounds of headlines
Stapled to his chest
But he cursed when I proved to him
Then I whispered not even you can hide.
You see you're just like me
I hope your satisfied
Oh Mama
Can this really be the end
To be stuck inside of Mobile
With the Memphis blues again.

Now the rainman gave men two cures
Then he said "Jump right in"
The one was Texas medicine
The other railroad gin.
An like a fool I mixed them
An' it strangled up my mind
An' now people just get uglier
An' I have no sense of time.
Oh Mama
Can this really be the end
To be stuck inside of Mobile
With the Memphis blues again.

When Ruthie says come see her
In her honkey-yonk lagoon,
Where I can watch her waltz for free
'Neath her Panamanian moon.
An' I say, "Aw come on now
You must know about my dedutante."
An' she says, "Your debutante knows just what you need
But I know what you want."
Oh Mama
Can this really be the end
To be stuck inside of Mobile
With the Memphis blues again.

Now the bricks lay on Grand Street
Where the neon madmen climb
They all fall there so perfectly.
It all seems so well timed.
An' here I sit so patiently
Waiting to find out what price
You have to pay to get out of
Going through all these things twice
Oh Mama
Can this really be the end
To be stuck inside of Mobile
With the Memphis blues again.

7. Leopard Skin Pillbox Hat
Bob Dylan
1966

Well i see you got your brand new leopardskin pillbox hat
Yes, i see you got your brand new leopardskin pillbox hat
You must tell me, honey, what your head feels under something like that-
Under your brand new leopardskin pillbox hat
Well you look so pretty in it, honey, can i jump on it sometime?
Yes - i just want to see if its really the expensive kind
You know it balances on your head
Just like a mattress balances on a bottle of wine-
Your brand new leopardskin pillbox hat
Well if you want to the sunrise, honey, i know where
We'll go out and see it sometime, we'll both just sit there and stare
Me with my belt wrapped around my head and you just sitting there
In your brand new leopardskin pillbox hat
I asked the doctor if i could see you - "its bad for your health" he said
Yes, i disobeyed his orders, i came to see you but i found him there instead
You know, i dont mind him cheatin on me,
But i sure wish he'd take that off his head-
Your brand new leopardskin pillbox hat
Well, i see you got a new boyfriend. no, i've never seen him before
Yes, i saw you making love with him - you forgot to close the garage door
You might think he loves you for your money
But i know what he really loves you for
It's your brand new leopardskin pillbox hat

8. Just Like A Woman
by Bob Dylan

Nobody feels any pain
Tonight as I stand inside the rain.
Everybody knows that baby's got new clothes,
But lately I see her ribbons and her bows
Have fallen from her curls.

She takes just like a woman.
She makes love just like a woman.
And then she aches just like a woman.
But she breaks just like a little girl.

Queen Mary, she's my friend.
Yes I believe I'll go see her again.
Nobody has to guess that baby can't be blessed
'Till finally sees that she's like all the rest
With her fog, her amphetamines, and her pearls.

She takes just like a woman.
She makes love just like a woman.
And then she aches just like a woman.
But she breaks just like a little girl.

It was raining from the first, and I was dying there of thirst,
So I came in here.
And your long-time curse hurts, but what's worse
Is this pain in here.
I can't stay in here.
Ain't it clear...

That I just can't fit.
I believe it's time for us to quit.
But when we meet again, introduced as friends,
Please don't let on that you knew me when
I was hungry, and it was your world.

You take just like a woman.
You make love just like a woman.
And then you ache just like a woman.
But you break just like a little girl.

9. Most Likely You'll Go Your Way (and I'll Go Mine)
Bob Dylan

You say you love me and you're thinking of me,
but you know you could be wrong.
You say you told me that you want to hold me,
but you know you're not that strong.
I just can't do what I've done before, I just can't beg you anymore.
I'm gonna let you pass, and I'll go last.
Then time will tell just who has fell, and who's been left behind.
When you go your way and I go mine.

You say you disturb me and you don't deserve me,
but you know sometimes you lie.
You say you shakin' and you're always achin',
but you know how hard you try.
Sometimes it gets so hard to care, It can't be this way ev'rywhere.
And I'm gonna let you pass, yes, and I'll go last.
The time will tell just who has fell, and who's been left behind.

The judge he holds a grudge, he's gonna call on you.
But he's badly built and he walks on stilts,
Watch out he don't fall on you.
You say you're sorry for tellin' stories
that you know I believe are true.
You say ya got some other kinda lover, and yes, I believe you do.
You say my kisses are not like his,
but this time I'm not gonna tell you why that is.
I'm just gonna let you pass, yes, and I'll go last.
The time will tell just who has fell, and who's been left behind.

10. Temporary Like Achilles
by Bob Dylan
1966, 1976 Dwarf Music

Standing on your window, honey,
Yes, I've been here before.
Feeling so harmless,
I'm looking at your second door.
How come you don't send me no regards?
You know I want your lovin',
Honey, why are you so hard?

Kneeling 'neath your ceiling,
Yes, I guess I'll be here for a while.
I'm tryin' to read your portrait, but,
I'm helpless, like a rich man's child.
How come you send someone out to have me barred?
You know I want your lovin',
Honey, why are you so hard?

Like a poor fool in his prime,
Yes, I know you can hear me walk,
But is your heart made out of stone, or is it lime,
Or is it just solid rock?

Well, I rush into your hallway,
Lean against your velvet door.
I watch upon your scorpion
Who crawls across your circus floor.
Just what do you think you have to guard?
You know I want your lovin',
Honey, but you're so hard.

Achilles is in your alleyway,
He don't want me here,
He does brag.
He's pointing to the sky
And he's hungry, like a man in drag.
How come you get someone like him to be your guard?
You know I want your lovin',
Honey. but you're so hard.

11. Absolutely Sweet Marie
Bob Dylan
1966

Well your railroad gate, you know i just cant jump it
Sometimes it gets so hard to see
I'm just sitting here, beating on my trumpet
With all these promises you left for me
But where you are tonight, sweet marie?

Well i waited for you when i was a half-sick
Yes, i waited for you when you hated me
Well i wai-aited for you inside of the frozen traffic
You, when you knew i had some other place to be
Now where are you tonight, sweet marie?

Well anybody can be just like me, obviously
But then not again not too many can be like you, fortunately
Well six white horses, that you did promise
Were finally delivered down to the penitentary
But to live outside the law you must be honest
I know you always say that you'll agree
Alright, so where are you tonight, sweet marie?

Well i dont know how it happened, but the river boat captain, he knows my fate
But everybody else, even including yourself, they're just gonna have to wait
Well, i got the fever down in my pockets
The persian drunkard, he follows me
Yes i can take him to your house, but i can't unlock it
You see you forgot to leave me with the key
Aww - where are you tonight, sweet marie?

I been in jail when all the mail showed
The man cant give his address out to bad company
And now i stand here looking at your yellowed railroad
In the ruins of your balcony
Wondering where you are tonight, sweet marie?

12. Fourth Time Around
Bob Dylan

When she said, "Don't waste your words, they're just lies," I cried she was deaf.
And she worked on my face until breaking my eyes, Then said, "What else you got left?"
It was then that I got up to leave But she said, "Don't forget,
Ev'rybody must give something back For something they get."

I stood there and hummed, I tapped on her drum and asked her how come.
And she buttoned her boot, And straightened her suit, Then she said, "Don't get cute."
So I forced my hands in my pockets And felt with my thumbs,
And gallantly handed her My very last peice of gum.

She threw me outside, I stood in the dirt where ev'ry-one walked.
And after finding I'd Forgotten my shirt, I went back and knocked.
I waited in the hallway, she went to get it, And I tried to make sense,
Out of that picture of you in your wheelchair that leaned up against

Her Jamaican rum And when she did come, I asked her for some.
She said, "No, dear." I said, "Your words aren't clear, You'd better spit out your gum."
She screamed till her face got so red, Then she fell on the floor,
And I covered her up and then Thought I'd go look through her drawer.

And when I was through, I filled up my shoe And brought it to you.
And you, you took me in, You loved me then, You didn't waste time.
And I, I never took much, I never asked for your crutch, Now don't ask for mine.

13. Obviously Five Believers
Bob Dylan

Early in the mornin', early in the mornin'
I'm callin' you to, I'm callin' you to
Please come home
Yes, I guess I could make it without you
If I just didn't feel so all alone

Don't let me down ,don't let me down
I won't let you down, I won't let you down
No I won't
You know I can if you can, honey
But honey, please don't

I got my black dog barkin', black dog barkin'
Yes it is now, yes it is now
Outside my yard
Yes, I could tell you what he means
If I just didn't have to try so hard

Your mama's workin',your mama's moanin'
She's cryin' you know, she's tryin' you know
You better go now
Well, I'd tell you what she wants if I
But I just don't know how

Fifteen jugglers, fifteen jugglers
Five believers, five believers
All dressed like men
Tell your mama not to worry because
Yes they're just my friends

Early in the mornin', early in the mornin'
I'm callin' you to, I'm callin' you to
Please come home
Yes, I could make it without you honey
If I just did not feel so all alone

14. Sad-Eyed Lady of the Lowlands
Bob Dylan

With your mercury mouth in the missionary times,
And your eyes like smoke and your prayers like rhymes,
And your silver cross, and your voice like chimes,
Oh, who among them do they think could bury you?
With your pockets well protected at last,
And your streetcar visions which you place on the grass,
And your flesh like silk, and your face like glass,
Who among them do they think could carry you?

(Chorus):
Sad eyed lady of the lowlands,
Where the sad eyed prophet says that no man comes,
My warehouse eyes, my Arabian drums,
Should I leave them by your gate,
Or sad eyed lady, should I wait?

With your sheets like metal and your belt like lace,
And your deck of cards missing the jack and the ace,
And your basement clothes and your hollow face,
Who among them can think he could outguess you?
With your sillouette when the sunlight dims
Into your eyes where the moonlight swims,
And your match-book songs and your gypsy hymns,
Who among them would try to impress you?

(Chorus)

The kings of Tyrus with their convict list
Are waiting in line for their geranium kiss,
And you wouldn't know it would happen like this,
But who among them really wants just to kiss you?
With your childhood flames on your midnight rug,
And your Spanish manners and your mother's drugs,
And your cowboy mouth and your curfew plugs,
Who among them do you think could resist you?

(Chorus)

Oh, the farmers and the businessmen, they all did decide
To show you the dead angels that they used to hide.
But why did they pick you to sympathize with their side?
Oh, how could they ever mistake you?
They wished you'd accepted the blame for the farm,
But with the sea at your feet and the phony false alarm,
And with the child of a hoodlum wrapped up in your arms,
How could they ever, ever persuade you?

(Chorus)

With your sheet metal memory of Cannery Row,
And your magazine-husband who one day just had to go,
And your gentleness now, which you just can't help but show,
Who among them do you think would employ you?
Now you stand with your thief, you're on his parole
With your holy medallion which your fingertips fold,
And your saintlike face and your ghostlike soul,
Oh, who among them do you think could destroy you?

(Chorus)

[Back to thet top] [Index] [Expanded Index]