A dark and menacing-sounding song, "Ballad of a Thin Man" addresses a certain "Mr. Jones", telling him repeatedly that he simply doesn't "know what's happening". The song's lyrics have Mr. Jones facing a wild, nonsensical, hallucinatory, carnival-like world, and the character is portrayed as a clueless poser who cannot deal with it all.
The "identity" of Mr. Jones has long been in dispute. When asked about it in an interview in 1965, Dylan responded:
"He's a pinboy. He also wears suspenders. He's a real person. You know him, but not by that name... I saw him come into the room one night and he looked like a camel. He proceeded to put his eyes in his pocket. I asked this guy who he was and he said, "That's Mr. Jones." Then I asked this cat, "Doesn't he do anything but put his eyes in his pocket?" And he told me, "He puts his nose on the ground." It's all there, it's a true story."
The opening lines of the song, "You walk into the room, with your pencil in your hand," appear to lend credence to the notion that "Mr. Jones" may have been a journalist. In a mid-1980s interview with Q magazine, Dylan appeared to identify Mr. Jones as Max Jones, a former Melody Maker critic, supporting the theory that "Mr. Jones" was simply one of the many music critics who didn't "get" Dylan's songs, especially the more allegorical ones he wrote in the mid-1960s.Another theory is that the Jones in question was Jeffrey Owen Jones (later a film professor at Rochester Institute of Technology). As an intern for Time Magazine, Jones had inteviewed Dylan just a day before the musician's legendary performance at the 1965 Newport Jazz Festival.
In Todd Haynes' 2007 surrealist Dylan biopic, I'm Not There, actor Bruce Greenwood plays "Keenan Jones", a journalist who doesn't understand the meaning behind the Dylan-esque character Jude Quinn's songwriting. In the film, Jones is sent through a hallucinatory nightmare sequence while Stephen Malkmus' cover of "Ballad of a Thin Man" plays in the background. Greenwood also plays Pat Garrett in the Richard Gere segment of the film.
It has also been speculated[citation needed] that the song is about Brian Jones, co-founder and guitarist of The Rolling Stones. Dylan was a friend of Jones and watched his lengthy downfall.
Apart from all of these possible Dylan-specific references, the term "Mr. Jones" is in general broadly understood as an allusion to the phrase "Keeping up with the Joneses" — a reference to the prototypical materialistic American family, so at odds with the outlook on life espoused by Dylan and the counterculture of the 1960s.
Another possible interpretation of the song is that it is about a man coming to grips with his own homosexuality. Several lyrics appear to reference phallic symbols ("He hands you a bone", "With your pencil in your hand", "A one-eyed midget", "Sword Swallower", "He hands you back your throat") and there are possible allusions to fellatio ("Well, the sword swallower, he comes up to you / And then he kneels", "Here's your throat back, thanks for the loan" "Give me some milk or else go home") and transvestism ("He clicks his high heels") as well. In this interpretation of the song, some of the lyrics ("How does it feel to be such a freak"; "There ought to be a law / Against you comin' around") could allude to society's intolerance of homosexuality.
Lyrics
You walk into the room
With your pencil in your hand
You see somebody naked
And you say, "Who is that man?"
You try so hard
But you don't understand
Just what you'll say
When you get home
Because something is happening here
But you don't know what it is
Do you, Mister Jones?
You raise up your head
And you ask, "Is this where it is?"
And somebody points to you and says
"It's his"
And you say, "What's mine?"
And somebody else says, "Where what is?"
And you say, "Oh my God
Am I here all alone?"
Because something is happening here
But you don't know what it is
Do you, Mister Jones?
You hand in your ticket
And you go watch the geek
Who immediately walks up to you
When he hears you speak
And says, "How does it feel
To be such a freak?"
And you say, "Impossible"
As he hands you a bone
Because something is happening here
But you don't know what it is
Do you, Mister Jones?
You have many contacts
Among the lumberjacks
To get you facts
When someone attacks your imagination
But nobody has any respect
Anyway they already expect you
To just give a check
To tax-deductible charity organizations
You've been with the professors
And they've all liked your looks
With great lawyers you have
Discussed lepers and crooks
You've been through all of
F. Scott Fitzgerald's books
You're very well read
It's well known
Because something is happening here
But you don't know what it is
Do you, Mister Jones?
Well, the sword swallower, he comes up to you
And then he kneels
He crosses himself
And then he clicks his high heels
And without further notice
He asks you how it feels
And he says, "Here is your throat back
Thanks for the loan"
Because something is happening here
But you don't know what it is
Do you, Mister Jones?
Now you see this one-eyed midget
Shouting the word "NOW"
And you say, "For what reason?"
And he says, "How?"
And you say, "What does this mean?"
And he screams back, "You're a cow
Give me some milk
Or else go home"
Because something is happening here
But you don't know what it is
Do you, Mister Jones?
Well, you walk into the room
Like a camel and then you frown
You put your eyes in your pocket
And your nose on the ground
There ought to be a law
Against you comin' around
You should be made
To wear earphones
Because something is happening here
But you don't know what it is
Do you, Mister Jones?
Ballad of a Thin Man
Bob Dylan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You see somebody naked and you say, "Who is that man?"
You try so hard but you don't understand
Just what you will say when you get home
Because something is happening here but you don't know what it is
Do you, Mr. Jones?
You raise up your head and you ask, "Is this where it is?"
And you say, "What's mine?" and somebody else says, "Well, what is?"
And you say, "Oh my God, am I here all alone?"
But something is happening and you don't know what it is
Do you, Mr. Jones?
You hand in your ticket and you go watch the geek
Who immediately walks up to you when he hears you speak
And says, "How does it feel to be such a freak?"
And you say, "Impossible!" as he hands you a bone
And something is happening here but you don't know what it is
Do you, Mr. Jones?
You have many contacts among the lumberjacks
To get you facts when someone attacks your imagination
But nobody has any respect, anyway they already expect you to all give a check
To tax-deductible charity organizations
Ah, you've been with the professors and they've all liked your looks
With great lawyers you have discussed lepers and crooks
You've been through all of F. Scott Fitzgerald's books
You're very well-read, it's well-known
But something is happening here and you don't know what it is
Do you, Mr. Jones?
Well, the sword swallower, he comes up to you and then he kneels
He crosses himself and then he clicks his high heels
And without further notice, he asks you how it feels
And he says, "Here is your throat back, thanks for the loan"
And you know something is happening but you don't know what it is
Do you, Mr. Jones?
Now, you see this one-eyed midget shouting the word "Now"
And you say, "For what reason?" and he says, "How"
And you say, "What does this mean?" and he screams back, "You're a cow!
Give me some milk or else go home"
And you know something's happening but you don't know what it is
Do you, Mr. Jones?
Well, you walk into the room like a camel, and then you frown
You put your eyes in your pocket and your nose on the ground
There ought to be a law against you comin' around
You should be made to wear earphones
'Cause something is happening and you don't know what it is
Do you, Mr. Jones?
"Ballad of a Thin Man" is a song by Bob Dylan that is known for its cryptic and sarcastic lyrics. The song paints a picture of a man, Mr. Jones, who is out of touch with the world around him and is unable to understand what's happening. The first verse sets the tone for the entire song, with Mr. Jones trying to make sense of a situation that he doesn't understand. The imagery of the man walking into a room with a pencil highlights his desire to record and document things, but his inability to comprehend what's happening makes his efforts in vain. The chorus, "Something is happening, but you don't know what it is," serves as a recurring theme throughout the song, emphasizing Mr. Jones's disconnect from reality.
As the song progresses, Mr. Jones's frustration grows, and he becomes increasingly defensive. He asks what's his, but nobody seems to have an answer, and he finds himself feeling isolated and alone. Even his contacts among "the lumberjacks" and the "great lawyers" can't help him make sense of what's happening. The sword swallower and one-eyed midget represent the odd and unusual characters Mr. Jones encounters, but he's unable to understand their strange behaviors and requests. The song ends with a disdainful remark directed towards Mr. Jones, suggesting that he should be made to wear earphones and keep to himself.
The song is a commentary on the counterculture movement of the 1960s and the changing social atmosphere in the United States at the time. Dylan was known for his critical and often satirical lyrics, and "Ballad of a Thin Man" is no exception. It's a biting critique of those who refuse to adapt to new ideas and ways of thinking, and who instead cling to their old-fashioned views and traditions. The song's cryptic nature and metaphorical language have made it a favorite among Dylan fans, who continue to debate its meaning and significance today.
Line by Line Meaning
You walk into the room with your pencil in your hand
You enter the place with your tools, but you're not one of them.
You see somebody naked and you say, "Who is that man?"
You're not a brave voyeur witnessing the world's reality.
You try so hard but you don't understand
Just what you will say when you get home
You never learn from the uncomfortable experiences you had.
Because something is happening here but you don't know what it is
Do you, Mr. Jones?
There's a cultural revolution emerging out of your sphere of perception.
You raise up your head and you ask, "Is this where it is?"
And somebody points to you and says, "It's his"
And you say, "What's mine?" and somebody else says, "Well, what is?"
And you say, "Oh my God, am I here all alone?"
You want to know what belongs to you, but no one can tell you your place in the world.
You hand in your ticket and you go watch the geek
Who immediately walks up to you when he hears you speak
And says, "How does it feel to be such a freak?"
And you say, "Impossible!" as he hands you a bone
The outsider you've been observing suddenly pushes your identity in your face.
And something is happening here but you don't know what it is
Do you, Mr. Jones?
You're witnessing a cultural phenomenon beyond your comprehension.
You have many contacts among the lumberjacks
To get you facts when someone attacks your imagination
But nobody has any respect, anyway they already expect you to all give a check
To tax-deductible charity organizations
Your privilege insulates you from witnessing reality, but you can write a check to feel better.
Ah, you've been with the professors and they've all liked your looks
With great lawyers you have discussed lepers and crooks
You've been through all of F. Scott Fitzgerald's books
You're very well-read, it's well-known
You're educated but blinded by your privilege.
But something is happening here and you don't know what it is
Do you, Mr. Jones?
A cultural revolution is happening right in front of your face.
Well, the sword swallower, he comes up to you and then he kneels
He crosses himself and then he clicks his high heels
And without further notice, he asks you how it feels
And he says, "Here is your throat back, thanks for the loan"
An exotic character forces you to confront your relationship with violence.
And you know something is happening but you don't know what it is
Do you, Mr. Jones?
You're a bystander to a cultural reformation beyond your understanding.
Now, you see this one-eyed midget shouting the word "Now"
And you say, "For what reason?" and he says, "How"
And you say, "What does this mean?" and he screams back, "You're a cow!
Give me some milk or else go home"
A strange character distracts you from making sense of the cultural shift.
And you know something's happening but you don't know what it is
Do you, Mr. Jones?
You're grappling with a cultural movement that's beyond your comprehension.
Well, you walk into the room like a camel, and then you frown
You put your eyes in your pocket and your nose on the ground
There ought to be a law against you comin' around
You should be made to wear earphones
You're oblivious to the cultural and social changes happening in the world.
'Cause something is happening and you don't know what it is
Do you, Mr. Jones?
You're too out-of-touch to understand the cultural transformation happening around you.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Bob Dylan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@tulayamalavenapi4028
🎸🎹
Oct 1966 The Black Panther Party was formulated. Bobby Seale writes about this song in his book "Seize the Time".
There's a couple pages about it... I'll just give an excerpt:
Bobby Seale wrote"
".... in the background we could hear a record, and the song was named "Ballad of a Thin Man" by Bob Dylan. Now that melody was in my mind. I actually heard it. I could hear the melody of this record. I could hear the sound and the beat to it. But I really didn't hear the words. This record played after we stayed up late laying out the paper. And it played the next night after we stayed up late laying out the paper. I think it was around the third afternoon that the record was playing. We played that record over and over and over. Lots of brothers stayed right over there with lots of shotguns for security. Huey P Newton made me realize the lyrics. Not only the lyrics of the record but what the lyrics meant in the record.
This song is hell. You've got to understand that this song is saying a hell of alot about society."
Bobby Seale of BPP... Breakfast Program Power... (really Black Panther Party)
@nrich5127
Cryptic lyrics - a haunting melody - a lilting blues rythym - a vocal dissertation that only Bob could give ... a classic that never gets old.
@mikemestas9835
man all his songs are still goin on resonating
@billroaofficial
I like the quirkiness in this song... I've listened to it many time and hear something different every single time.. really clever... and mostly I just delete the closet homo sentiment throughout
@flamencoprof
Not that cryptic, Mr. Jones. 🙂
@subsist99
Pretty much an attack on the media and reporters writing nonsense, Mr Jones being the media.
@moeburn
I don't think the lyrics are cryptic. I thought they describe a yuppie trying to explore the hip counter-culture world, feeling uncomfortable at their weirdness, and them feeling uncomfortable at his discomfort.
@davidrees570
You’d have to be Bob Dylan to have the words describe how great Bob Dylan is
@brbowen3
indeed!
@OnerousEthic
Seems to me that he has already taken care of that little detail, IYKWIM!
@kai_johnsonn
Or Muhammad Ali