A writer must “know and have an ever-present consciousness that this world is a world of fools and rogues… tormented with envy, consumed with vanity; selfish, false, cruel, cursed with illusions… He should free himself of all doctrines, theories, etiquettes, politics…” —Ambrose Bierce (1842-1914?). “The nobility of the writer's occupation lies in resisting oppression, thus in accepting isolation” —Albert Camus (1913-1960). “What are you gonna do” —Bertha Brown (1895-1987).
Tangled Up in Blue by Bob Dylan (Live 1975 version with a shifting point of view and minus one verse)
Early one mornin’ the sun was shinin’ she was lyin’ in bed Wond’rin’ if she’d changed at all If her hair was still red Her folks said their lives together Sure was gonna be rough They never did like Mama’s homemade dress Papa’s bank book wasn’t big enough He was standin’ on the side of the road The rain fallin’ on his shoes Headin’ out for the East Coast Lord knows he paid some dues gettin’ through Tangled up in blue
She was married when they first met Soon to be divorced He helped her out of a jam, I guess But he used a little too much force And drove that car as far as they could Abandoned it out West Splitting up on a dark sad night Both agreeing it was best She turned around to look at him As he was walkin’ away Saying over her shoulder “We’ll meet again someday on the avenue” Tangled up in blue
He had a job in Santa Fe Working in an old hotel But he never did like it all that much And one day it just went to hell So he drifted down to New Orleans Lucky enough to be destroyed Where he got him a job on a fishing boat Right outside of Delacroix But all the while he was alone The past was close behind He seen a lot of women But she never escaped his mind, and he just grew Tangled up in blue
She was workin’ in a topless place And I stopped in for a beer I just kept lookin’ at the side of her face In the spotlight so clear And later on when the crowd thinned out I was just about to do the same She was standing there right beside myself Said, “Don’t tell me, let me guess your name?” I muttered somethin’ underneath my breath She studied the lines on my face Must admit I felt a little uneasy When she bent down to tie the laces of my shoe Tangled up in blue
[She lit a burner on the stove And offered me a pipe “I thought you’d never say hello,” she said “You look like the silent type” Then she opened up a book of poems And handed it to me Written by an Italian poet From the thirteenth century And every one of them words rang true And glowed like burnin’ coal Pourin’ off of every page Like it was written in my soul from me to you Tangled up in blue]
I lived with them on Montague Street In a basement down the stairs There was music in the cafés at night And revolution in the air Then he started into dealing with slaves And something inside of him died She had to sell everything she owned And froze up inside And when it all came crashing down I became withdrawn The only thing I knew how to do Was to keep on keepin’ on like a bird that flew Tangled up in blue
So now I’m goin’ on back again I got to get to them somehow All the faces we used to know They’re an illusion to me now Some are mathematicians Some are truck drivers’ wives Don’t know how it all got started I don’t know what they’re doin’ with their lives But me I’m still on the road Headin’ for another joint We always did feel the same We just saw it from a different point of view Tangled up in blue
Tangled Up in Blue by Bob Dylan
ReplyDelete(Live 1975 version with a shifting point of view and minus one verse)
Early one mornin’ the sun was shinin’
she was lyin’ in bed
Wond’rin’ if she’d changed at all
If her hair was still red
Her folks said their lives together
Sure was gonna be rough
They never did like Mama’s homemade dress
Papa’s bank book wasn’t big enough
He was standin’ on the side of the road
The rain fallin’ on his shoes
Headin’ out for the East Coast
Lord knows he paid some dues gettin’ through
Tangled up in blue
She was married when they first met
Soon to be divorced
He helped her out of a jam, I guess
But he used a little too much force
And drove that car as far as they could
Abandoned it out West
Splitting up on a dark sad night
Both agreeing it was best
She turned around to look at him
As he was walkin’ away
Saying over her shoulder
“We’ll meet again someday on the avenue”
Tangled up in blue
He had a job in Santa Fe
Working in an old hotel
But he never did like it all that much
And one day it just went to hell
So he drifted down to New Orleans
Lucky enough to be destroyed
Where he got him a job on a fishing boat
Right outside of Delacroix
But all the while he was alone
The past was close behind
He seen a lot of women
But she never escaped his mind, and he just grew
Tangled up in blue
She was workin’ in a topless place
And I stopped in for a beer
I just kept lookin’ at the side of her face
In the spotlight so clear
And later on when the crowd thinned out
I was just about to do the same
She was standing there right beside myself
Said, “Don’t tell me, let me guess your name?”
I muttered somethin’ underneath my breath
She studied the lines on my face
Must admit I felt a little uneasy
When she bent down to tie the laces of my shoe
Tangled up in blue
[She lit a burner on the stove
And offered me a pipe
“I thought you’d never say hello,” she said
“You look like the silent type”
Then she opened up a book of poems
And handed it to me
Written by an Italian poet
From the thirteenth century
And every one of them words rang true
And glowed like burnin’ coal
Pourin’ off of every page
Like it was written in my soul from me to you
Tangled up in blue]
I lived with them on Montague Street
In a basement down the stairs
There was music in the cafés at night
And revolution in the air
Then he started into dealing with slaves
And something inside of him died
She had to sell everything she owned
And froze up inside
And when it all came crashing down
I became withdrawn
The only thing I knew how to do
Was to keep on keepin’ on like a bird that flew
Tangled up in blue
So now I’m goin’ on back again
I got to get to them somehow
All the faces we used to know
They’re an illusion to me now
Some are mathematicians
Some are truck drivers’ wives
Don’t know how it all got started
I don’t know what they’re doin’ with their lives
But me I’m still on the road
Headin’ for another joint
We always did feel the same
We just saw it from a different point of view
Tangled up in blue