Tangled Up In Blue
Bob Dylan＀ Lyrics

Early one mornin' the sun was shinin'
It was a bright morning when he woke up

I was layin' in bed
He was still in bed, wondering about his ex-girlfriend

Wondrin' if she'd changed at all
He was curious if his ex-girlfriend had changed

If her hair was still red
He wondered if his ex-girlfriend still had red hair

Her folks they said our lives together
Her parents did not approve of their relationship

Sure was gonna be rough
They said it would be a difficult relationship

They never did like Mama's homemade dress
Her parents disapproved of her mother's dressmaking skills

Papa's bank book wasn't big enough
Her father did not have enough money to provide for them

And I was standin' on the side of the road
He was stranded on the road

Rain fallin' on my shoes
It was raining and his shoes were wet

Heading out for the east coast
He was leaving to go to the East Coast

Lord knows I've paid some dues
He had a lot of life experiences

Gettin' through
Trying to overcome challenges

Tangled up in blue
Feeling lost and confused

She was married when we first met
He met her when she was still married

Soon to be divorced
She was soon getting a divorce

I helped her out of a jam I guess
He helped her with a problem

But I used a little too much force
He may have been too aggressive in helping her

We drove that car as far as we could
They used a car to travel long distance

Abandoned it out west
They left the car in the western part of the country

Split up on a dark sad night
They separated on an emotional night

Both agreeing it was best
They both agreed that it was the best decision

She turned around to look at me
His ex-girlfriend looked back at him

As I was walkin' away
He was leaving while his ex-girlfriend was looking at him

I heard her say over my shoulder
She said something to him before he left

We'll meet again some day
They may see each other again in the future

On the avenue
They may meet again in a specific location

Tangled up in blue
Their relationship was complicated and unresolved

I had a job in the great north woods
He worked in a forest in the northern part of the country

Working as a cook for a spell
He worked temporarily as a cook

But I never did like it all that much
He did not enjoy the job

And one day the axe just fell
He lost his job suddenly

So I drifted down to New Orleans
He went to New Orleans without a plan

Where I was looking for to be employed
He was searching for a job

Workin' for a while on a fishin' boat
He worked on a fishing boat for some time

Right outside of Delacroix
The boat was near a location called Delacroix

But all the while I was alone
He was lonely during this time

The past was close behind
He was haunted by his past

I seen a lot of women
He had met many women

But she never escaped my mind
He couldn't forget about his ex-girlfriend

And I just grew
He became more and more overwhelmed

Tangled up in blue
The complications of his life were growing

She was workin' in a topless place
His ex-girlfriend was working at a strip club

And I stopped in for a beer
He went to the strip club

I just kept lookin' at the side of her face
He was staring at her without her noticing

In the spotlight so clear
She was in the spotlight of her job

And later on as the crowd thinned out
As the night went on, fewer people were at the club

I's just about to do the same
He was about to leave as well

She was standing there in back of my chair
His ex-girlfriend was standing behind him

Said to me, Don't I know your name?
She recognized him

I muttered somethin' under my breath
He said something quietly to himself

She studied the lines on my face
She looked at his face more closely

I must admit I felt a little uneasy
He was uncomfortable in this situation

When she bent down to tie the laces
She bent down in front of him to tie his shoe

Of my shoe
She tied the laces of his shoe

Tangled up in blue
He was caught up in the complicated nature of his life

She lit a burner on the stove
She started the stove

And offered me a pipe
She offered him some drugs

I thought you'd never say hello, she said
She was surprised that he spoke to her

You look like the silent type
She thought he was quiet

Then she opened up a book of poems
She showed him a book of poems

And handed it to me
She gave him the book to read

Written by an Italian poet
The book was written by an Italian poet

From the thirteenth century
It was an old book

And everyone of them words rang true
He felt a connection to the poems

And glowed like burnin' coal
The words were powerful and memorable

Pourin' off of every page
The poems seemed to come alive

Like it was written in my soul
The poems resonated deeply with him

From me to you
The poem expressed his feelings

Tangled up in blue
He was still struggling with his complicated life

I lived with them on Montague Street
He lived with someone on Montague Street

In a basement down the stairs
He lived in the basement

There was music in the cafés at night
There was live music in the cafes at night

And revolution in the air
There was a sense of change and rebellion

Then he started into dealing with slaves
Someone he knew became involved in slave trading

And something inside of him died
This event had a significant impact on him

She had to sell everything she owned
His ex-girlfriend had to sell all her possessions

And froze up inside
She was emotionally impacted by this event

And when finally the bottom fell out
A significant event occurred

I became withdrawn
He withdrew from society

The only thing I knew how to do
He only had one way of coping

Was to keep on keepin' on
He had to push through his difficult circumstances

Like a bird that flew
He felt like a bird flying through life

Tangled up in blue
He was still struggling to unravel his complicated life

So now I'm goin' back again
He is returning to a previous location

I got to get to her somehow
He needs to find a way to see his ex-girlfriend

All the people we used to know
He reminisces about old acquaintances

They're an illusion to me now
He feels disconnected from his past

Some are mathematicians
Some of his old friends are mathematicians

Some are carpenters' wives
Some of his old friends are married to carpenters

Don't know how it all got started
He doesn't understand how things got to this point

I don't know what they're doin' with their lives
He is unsure what his old friends are currently doing

But me, I'm still on the road
He is still traveling and searching for something

Headin' for another joint
He is going to another location

We always did feel the same
He and his ex-girlfriend have a connection

We just saw it from a different point of view
They had different perspectives on their relationship

Tangled up in blue
His past and complicated life are still affecting him