The song also inspired the name of the Memphis Group, a 1980s design movement, with its title.
Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again
Bob Dylan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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 they furnish me with tape
But deep inside my heart
I know I can't escape
To be stuck inside of Mobile with the
Memphis blues again
Well, Shakespeare, he's in the alley
With his pointed shoes and his bells
Speaking to some French girl
Who says she knows me well
And I would send a message
To find out if she's talked
But the post office has been stolen
And the mailbox 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 away from the train line
She said that all the railroad men
Just drink up 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 rocks
But everybody still talks about how
Badly they were shocked
But me, I expected it to happen
I knew he'd lost control
When I speed 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 came down here
Showing ev'ryone 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, is this really be the end
To be stuck inside of Mobile
With the Memphis blues again
Now the tea preacher looked so baffled
When I asked him why he dressed
With twenty pounds of headlines
Stapled to his chest
But he cursed me when I proved it to him
Then I whispered and said, "Not even you can hide
You see, you're just like me
I hope you're satisfied"
Oh, Mama, can this really be the end
To be stuck inside of Mobile
With the Memphis blues again
Now the rainman gave me two cures
Then he said, "Jump right in"
The one was Texas medicine
The other was just 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
And when Ruthie says come see her
In her honky-tonk lagoon
Where I can watch her waltz for free
'neath her Panamanian moon
An' I say, "Aw come on now
You know you knew about my debutante"
An' she says, "Your debutante just knows 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
Bob Dylan's song "Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again" creates a vivid picture of a man struggling to find his place and feeling lost and confused in an unfamiliar town. The first verse describes the ragman circling around the block while the ladies try to comfort him. Despite their efforts, he knows he can't escape his predicament. The second verse mentions Shakespeare in the alley speaking to a French girl, but the post office and mailbox are locked, making it impossible for the singer to communicate with her. In the third verse, Mona warns him to stay away from the train line, but he brushes off her advice, resulting in an unpleasant encounter with a railroad worker. The fourth verse talks about the funeral of the singer’s grandfather, who died recently, and how the singer expected his death. The fifth verse describes the singer nearly getting busted for not having a ticket to the senator's son's wedding. The sixth verse describes how the preacher's message is just like his own, even though the preacher has twenty pounds of headlines stapled to his chest. The seventh and final verse tells us how the rainman offers the singer two cures, one being Texas medicine and the other being railroad gin, which results in him feeling disconnected from reality.
The song is poetic and abstract, but it gives us an idea of the singer's experiences, as he navigates through a series of surreal and confusing events. Dylan uses vivid imagery to paint a picture of a man who is struggling to fit in and is stuck in a place where he doesn't belong. The song's title is fitting, as it's an accurate reflection of the singer's feelings of being trapped and lost. Overall, "Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again" is a compelling and thought-provoking song that speaks to the human experience of feeling lost and disconnected.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, the ragman draws circles
The homeless man wanders around aimlessly
Up and down the block
Roaming around the neighbourhood
I'd ask him what the matter was
Curious to know what troubles him
But I know that he don't talk
Cannot communicate due to mental or emotional difficulties
And the ladies treat me kindly
Women are friendly towards me
And they furnish me with tape
They provide me with small gifts
But deep inside my heart
Despite their kindness
I know I can't escape
I feel trapped in this place
Well, Shakespeare, he's in the alley
A literary reference to someone seen in an alley
With his pointed shoes and his bells
Describing Shakespeare's attire
Speaking to some French girl
Shakespeare is in conversation with a French girl
Who says she knows me well
The French girl claims to know the singer well
And I would send a message
I want to communicate with her
To find out if she's talked
To confirm if the French girl has spoken about me
But the post office has been stolen
The post office has been robbed or closed
And the mailbox is locked
Unable to send a message
Mona tried to tell me
A woman named Mona warned me
To stay away from the train line
Avoid the railway tracks
She said that all the railroad men
Mona has a negative opinion of railway workers
Just drink up your blood like wine
The railway workers are ruthless and dangerous
An' I said, "Oh, I didn't know that
I am surprised to hear this
But then again, there's only one I've met
I have only met one railway worker
An' he just smoked my eyelids
He intimidated me
An' punched my cigarette"
He punched the cigarette hanging out of my mouth
Grandpa died last week
My grandfather recently passed away
And now he's buried in the rocks
He was buried in an unconventional location
But everybody still talks about how
People are still gossiping about him
Badly they were shocked
How shocked everyone was about his death
But me, I expected it to happen
I was not surprised
I knew he'd lost control
I knew about his decline in health
When I speed built a fire on Main Street
A vague description of something that happened
And shot it full of holes
I destroyed something
Now the senator came down here
A senator visited this place
Showing ev'ryone his gun
He showed off his firearm
Handing out free tickets
Giving away tickets for an event
To the wedding of his son
The tickets were for the senator's son's wedding
An' me, I nearly got busted
I was almost caught doing something illegal
An' wouldn't it be my luck
I was fortunate not to have been caught
To get caught without a ticket
If I were caught without a ticket
And be discovered beneath a truck
I would be caught hiding
Now the tea preacher looked so baffled
The preacher looked confused
When I asked him why he dressed
When I asked him about his attire
With twenty pounds of headlines
Wearing newspaper clippings as clothing
Stapled to his chest
The headlines were attached to his chest with staples
But he cursed me when I proved it to him
The preacher was upset when I questioned him
Then I whispered and said, "Not even you can hide
I pointed out that nobody can hide from the truth
You see, you're just like me
We are both flawed and vulnerable
I hope you're satisfied"
I hope you have learned something from our interaction
Now the rainman gave me two cures
A man who can predict the weather gave me two remedies
Then he said, "Jump right in"
The man advised me to try the remedies
The one was Texas medicine
One remedy is a type of cowboy medicine
The other was just railroad gin
The other remedy is a type of alcohol
An' like a fool I mixed them
I combined the remedies without thinking
An' it strangled up my mind
The mixture is affecting my thinking
An' now people just get uglier
People seem more unpleasant to me
An' I have no sense of time
My perception of time is distorted
And when Ruthie says come see her
A woman named Ruthie invited me to see her
In her honky-tonk lagoon
Ruthie works in a rowdy bar
Where I can watch her waltz for free
I can watch her dance without paying
'neath her Panamanian moon
Under the light of a moon from Panama
An' I say, "Aw come on now
I try to convince Ruthie that I cannot come
You know you knew about my debutante"
I have other obligations
An' she says, "Your debutante just knows what you need
Ruthie offers to fulfill my true desires
But I know what you want"
She understands my desires
Now the bricks lay on Grand Street
Debris is scattered on the street
Where the neon madmen climb
Crazy people are attracted to the bright lights
They all fall there so perfectly
The madmen fall with precision
It all seems so well timed
The chaos seems to follow a pattern
An' here I sit so patiently
I wait calmly
Waiting to find out what price
What is the cost of escaping this situation?
You have to pay to get out of
What must one do to leave this place?
Going through all these things twice
Repeating the same experiences
Oh, Mama, can this really be the end
A plea for help from the singer's mother
To be stuck inside of Mobile with the Memphis blues again
Feeling trapped in a difficult situation
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Bob Dylan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@gregoryberrycone6937
this is one of the greatest songs of all time without a doubt. all the wires just crossed perfectly, composition, improvisation, absolute lyrical genius, wry sarcastic wit, puns and metaphors most people could only dream of coming up with, the way it paints a tableau of entropy and chaos like something out of a picaresque novel
@user-tf4yy7qx4f
Right.
@tenzinsmith7991
And the music sounds great too
@MaxPower-if3yz
Inxs ?
@angieneal7070
You should be a writer!!!
@gregoryberrycone6937
@@angieneal7070 you're much too kind! That is my dream though
@joebanish7517
Blonde on Blonde is one of the best, if not the best, albums in popular music history. This song, along with “Visions of Johanna”, “Just like a Woman”, and “Absolutely Sweet Marie”, are cultural treasures that will be listened to for generations to come.
@anne-mariemeiffren7090
Oh tellement oui!
@giampaoloodinelli1785
Una canzone straordinaria.
@koko-pu5vn
Amen!!