Bob Dylan's dream
Bob Dylan/To Cry/ll Night) Lyrics
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I fell asleep for to take my rest
I dreamed a dream that made me sad
Concerning myself and the first few friends I had
With half-damp eyes I stared to the room
Where my friends and I'd spent many an afternoon
Where we together weathered many a storm
By the old wooden stove where our hats was hung
Our words were told, our songs were sung
Where we longed for nothin' and were satisfied
Jokin' and talkin' about the world outside
With hungry hearts through the heat and cold
We never much thought we could get very old
We thought we could sit forever in fun
But our chances really was a million to one
As easy it was to tell black from white
It was all that easy to tell wrong from right
And our choices they was few so the thought never hit
That the one road we traveled would ever shatter and split
How many a year has passed and gone?
Many a gamble has been lost and won
And many a road taken by many a first friend
And each one I've never seen again
I wish, I wish, I wish in vain
That we could sit simply in that room again
Ten thousand dollars at the drop of a hat
I'd give it all gladly if our lives could be like that
In Bob Dylan's song "Bob Dylan's Dream, the singer recounts a dream that he had while riding on a train going west. In the dream, he was with his old friends in a room where they used to hang out, play music and tell each other stories of their youthful adventures. Dylan laments the passage of time and how they have all grown apart, wishing that they could go back to the simple times where they didn't want for anything, and were content just being in each other's company. They were naïve and thought they could stay forever young and sit in fun, but life had other plans, and they all took different roads, leaving him feeling wistful for the companionship they once held.
The song is a poignant reflection of the bonds of friendship and how they change over time. It is a reminder to cherish the moments we have with loved ones, as they may not always be around. Dylan's use of imagery and metaphorical language paints a vivid picture of the past and the contrast between then and now. He longs for the simplicity and innocence of the past, where they didn't have to worry about anything beyond each other's company.
Overall, "Bob Dylan's Dream" is a nostalgic and reflective piece that speaks to the human experience of growing older and moving on from the past.
Line by Line Meaning
While riding on a train goin' west
Bob Dylan was traveling west on a train.
I fell asleep for to take my rest
Bob Dylan went to sleep to rest.
I dreamed a dream that made me sad
Bob Dylan had a dream that made him sad.
Concerning myself and the first few friends I had
Bob Dylan's dream was about himself and his first few friends.
With half-damp eyes I stared to the room
Bob Dylan looked around the room with half-damp eyes.
Where my friends and I'd spent many an afternoon
The room was a place where Bob Dylan and his friends had spent many afternoons.
Where we together weathered many a storm
Bob Dylan and his friends had gone through many challenging times together.
Laughin' and singin' till the early hours of the morn
They laughed and sang till the early hours of the morning.
By the old wooden stove where our hats was hung
Their hats were hung by an old wooden stove.
Our words were told, our songs were sung
They talked and sang songs.
Where we longed for nothin' and were satisfied
They longed for nothing and were content with what they had.
Jokin' and talkin' about the world outside
They talked and joked about the world outside.
With hungry hearts through the heat and cold
They had passionate hearts, for good or ill, through difficult times.
We never much thought we could get very old
They never thought they would age.
We thought we could sit forever in fun
They thought they could have fun and sit around forever.
But our chances really was a million to one
Their chances of that were remote.
As easy it was to tell black from white
It was just as easy to distinguish right from wrong.
It was all that easy to tell wrong from right
The difference between right and wrong wasn't hard to tell.
And our choices they was few so the thought never hit
They had few choices so they never thought about it.
That the one road we traveled would ever shatter and split
They did not expect that the road they took would split and leave them alone.
How many a year has passed and gone?
Years have passed since then.
Many a gamble has been lost and won
They have won some and lost some gambles.
And many a road taken by many a first friend
Their first friends have taken many different paths.
And each one I've never seen again
Bob Dylan has never seen any of his old friends again.
I wish, I wish, I wish in vain
Bob Dylan wishes in vain.
That we could sit simply in that room again
Bob Dylan wishes they could sit together in that room again.
Ten thousand dollars at the drop of a hat
Bob Dylan would give ten thousand dollars at a moment's notice.
I'd give it all gladly if our lives could be like that
He would give it all to have the same life they had back then.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BOB DYLAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@cityzen2717
I was riding on the mayflower when I thought I spied some land
I was riding on the mayflower when I thought I spied some land
I yelled down to captain arab, I'll have ya understand,
Who came running to the deck and said boys forget the whale
We're goin' over yonder. cut the engines. change the sails.
Haul on that bowline we sang that melody,
Like all tough sailors do when they're far away at sea.
I think I'll call it america. I said as we hit land.
I took a deep breath. I fell down, I could not stand.
Captain arab he starting writing out some deeds
He said let's build us a fort and start buying the place with beads.
Just then a cop come down the street crazy as a loon
They throws us all in jail for carryin' harpoons.
Aw, me, I busted out don't even ask me how,
I went lookin' for some help, I walked past a guernsey cow
Who directed me down to the bowery slums
Where people carried signs around sayin' ban the bums.
I jumped right in line, sayin' I hope that I'm not late
When I realized I hadn't eaten for five days straight.
I went into a restaurant lookin' for the cook
I told him I was the editor of a famous etiquette book.
The waitress he was handsome and he wore a powder blue cape.
I ordered up some suzette, I said could you please make that crepe
Just then the whole kitchen exploded from boiling fat
Food was flyin' everywhere I left without my hat.
I didn't mean to be nosy but I went into a bank
To get some bail for arab the boys back in the tank.
They asked me for some collateral and I pulled down my pants.
They threw me in the alley, when up comes this girl from france
Who invited me to her house. I went, but she had a friend
Who knocked me out an' robbed my boots an' was I on the street again.
I rapped upon a house with a u.s. flag upon display.
I said can you please help me out, I got some friends down the way.
The man said get out of here I'll tear you limb from limb.
I said you know, they refused jesus, too. he said you're not him.
Get out of here before I break your bones. I ain't your pop.
I decided to have him arrested and went looking for a cop.
I ran right outside and hopped inside a cab
I went out the other door this english man said fab
As he saw me leap a hot dog stand and a chariot that stood
Parked across from a building advertising brotherhood.
I ran right through the front door like a hobo sailor does,
But it was just a funeral parlor and the man asked me who I was
I repeated that all my friends were in jail, with a sigh.
He gave me his card and said call me if they die.
I shook his hand and said goodbye and went back out on the street,
When a bowling ball came down the road and knocked me off my feet.
A pay phone was ringin' and it just about blew my mind
When I picked it up an' said hello, this foot came through the line
Well about this time I was fed up at trying to make a stab
At bringing back any help for my friends and captain arab.
I decided to flip a coin, like either heads or tails,
Would let me know if I should go back to ship or back to jail.
So I hocked my sailor's suit an' I got a coin to flip.
It came up tails, it rhymed with sails, so I made it back to the ship.
Well I got back and took the parking ticket off the mast.
I was ripping it to shreds when this coast guard boat went past.
They asked me my name and I said captain kidd
They believed me but they wanted to know exactly what I did
I said for the pope of eyruke I was employed
They let me go right away, they were very paranoid
Well the last I heard of arab he was stuck on the side of a whale
That was married to the deputy sheriff of the jail
But the funniest thing was as I was leavin' the bay
I saw three ships sailing and they were all headed my way
I asked the captain what his name was an' how come he didn't drive a truck
He said his name was Columbus an' I just said good luck
Source: LyricFind
Songwriters: Bob Dylan
@juancamacho5746
I was riding on the Mayflower when I thought I spied some land
I yelled for Captain Arab, I have you understand
Who came running to the deck, said, "Boys, forget the whale
Look on over yonder, cut the engines, change the sails"
"Haul on the bowline", we sang that melody
Like all tough sailors do when they are far away at sea
"I think I'll call it America", I said as we hit land
I took a deep breath, I fell down, I could not stand
Captain Arab, he started writing up some deeds
He said, "Let's set up a fort, then start buyin' the place with beads"
Just then this cop comes down the street, crazy as a loon
He throws us all in jail for carryin' harpoons
Ah, me I busted out, don't even ask me how
I went to get some help, I walked by a Guernsey cow
Who directed me down to the Bowery slums
Where people carried signs around, sayin', "Ban the bums"
I jumped right into line, sayin', "I hope that I'm not late"
When I realized I hadn't eaten for five days straight
I went into a restaurant lookin' for the cook
I told them I was the editor of a famous etiquette book
The waitress, he was handsome, he wore a powder-blue cape
I ordered some suzette, I said, "Could you please make that crepe"
Just then the whole kitchen exploded from boilin' fat
Food was flyin' everywhere, I left without my hat
Now, I didn't mean to be nosy, but I went into a bank
To get some bail for Arab and all the boys back in the tank
They asked me for some collateral and I pulled down my pants
They threw me in the alley, when up comes this girl from France
Who invited me to her house, I went, but she had a friend
Who knocked me out and robbed my boots and I was on the street again
Well, I rapped upon a house with the U.S. flag upon display
I said, "Could you help me out? I got some friends down the way"
The man says, "Get out of here, I'll tear you limb from limb"
I said, "You know, they refused Jesus, too", he said, "You're not Him"
"Get out of here before I break your bones, I ain't your pop"
I decided to have him arrested and I went looking for a cop
🎵🎶🎵🎶
I ran right outside, I hopped inside a cab
I went out the other door, this Englishman said, "Fab"
As he saw me leap a hot dog stand and a chariot that stood
Parked across from a building advertising brotherhood
I ran right through the front door like a hobo sailor does
But it was just a funeral parlor and the man asked me who I was
I repeated that my friends were all in jail, with a sigh
He gave me his card, he said, "Call me if they die"
I shook his hand and said, "Goodbye", ran out to the street
When a bowling ball came down the road and knocked me off my feet
A pay phone was ringing and it just about blew my mind
When I picked it up and said, "Hello", this foot came through the line
🎵🎶🎵🎶
Well, by this time I was fed up at tryin' to make a stab
At bringin' back any help for my friends and Captain Arab
I decided to flip a coin, like either heads or tails
Would let me know if I should go back to ship or back to jail
So I hocked my sailor suit and I got a coin to flip
It came up tails, it rhymed with sails, so I made it back to the ship
Well, I got back and took the parkin' ticket off the mast
I was ripping it to shreds when this Coast Guard boat went past
They asked me my name and I said, "Captain Kidd"
They believed me but they wanted to know what exactly that I did
I said, for the Pope of Eruke I was employed
They let me go right away, they were very paranoid
Well, the last I heard of Arab, he was stuck on a whale
That was married to the deputy sheriff of the jail
But the funniest thing was, when I was leavin' the bay
I saw three ships a-sailin', they were all heading my way
I asked the captain what his name was
And how come he didn't drive a truck
He said his name was Columbus, I just said, "Good luck"
@iamd.j.7590
False starts in songs are the best, they add so much to the atmosphere of the song and make you feel like you're hearing exactly what was happening in the studio at the time
@SwinginPig
Agreed. It's a good ice breaker. This is the only one of those he did though, unfortunately.
@truckerkevthepaidtourist
one of my favorite ones is when Todd rundgren is laying down with most people think is a beautiful sensitive ballad called hello it's me. and you hear the BS in the studio with a couple of false starts I'm the long version
@MD-wm7go
That is your reality.
@slouhend
Well yeah, but this is a studio cut. The first part with laugh is from acoustic version take 1 (13 January '65), the rest of the song comes from band version take 2 (14 January '65).
@dixonpinfold2582
It is said of women's good looks that it's a sort of a bloom on a woman, and if she doesn't have it it doesn't matter what else she has, and if she has it it doesn't matter what she doesn't have.
It is in art as it is with women. Only have a certain beauty, a felicity, and that's everything. Dylan had the touch, the beautiful touch, and that's all that mattered for his fate. This explains very little if anything at all, but it does move the matter with I hope some aptness over to the category of 'inexplicable'.
(Here and there it's the producer, possibly, who pulls the string and passes us some biscuit we delight in.)
@cartman9675
One of the funniest songs ever written, just pure perfection. The rhymes he creates are terrific.
@truckerkevthepaidtourist
Bob wrote you for advise not advice?
@cartman9675
@@truckerkevthepaidtourist Maybe a play on words? I don't see it myself...
@mompleasepickmeuptheystart8330
how is this funny