By the time of Dylan’s 1965 tour of the United Kingdom, their relationship had slowly begun to fizzle out after their having been romantically involved off and on for nearly two years. The tour and simultaneous disintegration of Baez’s and Dylan’s relationship was documented in the rock-doc Dont Look Back .
Chimes of Freedom
Bob Dylan & Joan Baez Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We ducked inside the doorway, thunder crashing
As majestic bells of bolts struck shadows in the sounds
Seeming to be the chimes of freedom flashing
Flashing for the warriors whose strength is not to fight
Flashing for the refugees on the unarmed road of flight
An' for each an' ev'ry underdog soldier in the night
An' we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing
Through the city's melted furnace, unexpectedly we watched
With faces hidden as the walls were tightening
As the echo of the wedding bells before the blowin' rain
Dissolved into the bells of the lightning
Tolling for the rebel, tolling for the rake
Tolling for the luckless, the abandoned an' forsaked
Tolling for the outcast, burnin' constantly at stake
An' we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing
Through the mad mystic hammering of the wild ripping hail
The sky cracked its poems in naked wonder
That the clinging of the church bells blew far into the breeze
Leaving only bells of lightning and its thunder
Striking for the gentle, striking for the kind
Striking for the guardians and protectors of the mind
An' the poet and the painter far behind his rightful time
An' we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing
In the wild cathedral evening the rain unraveled tales
For the disrobed faceless forms of no position
Tolling for the tongues with no place to bring their thoughts
All down in taken-for-granted situations
Tolling for the deaf an' blind, tolling for the mute
For the mistreated, mateless mother, the mistitled prostitute
For the misdemeanor outlaw, chaineded an' cheated by pursuit
An' we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing
Even though a cloud's white curtain in a far-off corner flared
An' the hypnotic splattered mist was slowly lifting
Electric light still struck like arrows, fired but for the ones
Condemned to drift or else be kept from drifting
Tolling for the searching ones, on their speechless, seeking trail
For the lonesome-hearted lovers with too personal a tale
An' for each unharmful, gentle soul misplaced inside a jail
An' we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing
Starry-eyed an' laughing as I recall when we were caught
Trapped by no track of hours for they hanged suspended
As we listened one last time an' we watched with one last look
Spellbound an' swallowed 'til the tolling ended
Tolling for the aching whose wounds cannot be nursed
For the countless confused, accused, misused, strung-out ones an' worse
An' for every hung-up person in the whole wide universe
An' we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing
Bob Dylan and Joan Baez's song "Chimes of Freedom" is a protest and freedom song that highlights the struggles of people who have been oppressed and marginalized. The song talks about the chimes of freedom, which are ringing to symbolize the freedom of the oppressed, the helpless and the downtrodden. The song is divided into four stanzas, each focusing on a different aspect of oppression and each ending with the line "And we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing."
The first verse describes a moment when the singer and his/her friends take shelter from a storm. As the thunder clashes and echoes through the streets, they see flashing chimes of freedom in the distance, representing the hope of those unable to fight for themselves. The second verse highlights the struggles of rebels, outcasts, and those who have been abandoned in society. The third verse describes the chaos of a storm and the unity of those speaking for the gentle and kind, the poets and artists, and those seeking inner freedom. Finally, the fourth verse talks about people who have been imprisoned either physically or mentally and those who are struggling with addiction or other issues.
Line by Line Meaning
Far between sundown's finish an' midnight's broken toll
After sunset but before midnight, we took shelter from a thunderstorm.
We ducked inside the doorway, thunder crashing
We sought refuge from the storm, which was accompanied by thunder and lightning.
As majestic bells of bolts struck shadows in the sounds
The thunder sounded like cathedral bells, filling the shadows with light and sound.
Seeming to be the chimes of freedom flashing
The thunder was evocative of freedom, perhaps even a call to action.
Flashing for the warriors whose strength is not to fight
The storm is a symbol of hope for those who wage peace instead of war.
Flashing for the refugees on the unarmed road of flight
The storm represents a beacon of hope for those who cannot fight back, such as refugees fleeing from conflict.
An' for each an' ev'ry underdog soldier in the night
The storm is a symbol of hope for every soldier who fights better from the shadows, rather than on the front lines.
An' we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing
We watched the storm, which symbolizes hope and the struggle for freedom.
Through the city's melted furnace, unexpectedly we watched
In the chaos of the city, we witnessed the storm as a moment of unexpected clarity.
With faces hidden as the walls were tightening
We huddled in fear as the storm intensified, feeling trapped and helpless like the walls that surrounded us.
As the echo of the wedding bells before the blowin' rain
The sound of the storm resembles the fading echo of wedding bells, as if freedom and hope are slowly slipping away.
Dissolved into the bells of the lightning
The storm becomes a powerful force of nature, represented by the lightning strikes and their deafening sound.
Tolling for the rebel, tolling for the rake
The lightning represents a call to arms for those who rebel against societal norms and for those who revel in living on the fringes of society.
Tolling for the luckless, the abandoned an' forsaked
The lightning calls out to those who have been abandoned and left behind by a system that doesn't care about them.
Tolling for the outcast, burnin' constantly at stake
The storm represents a beacon of hope for those who have been cast out of society and must live on the margins, constantly struggling to survive.
An' we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing
We watched the storm, which represents hope and freedom, with a sense of awe and reverence.
Through the mad mystic hammering of the wild ripping hail
The hail is a symbol of chaos, striking erratically and with great force.
The sky cracked its poems in naked wonder
The storm is a revelation, a moment in which the heavens open and reveal something awe-inspiring and holy.
That the clinging of the church bells blew far into the breeze
The sound of the storm carries far, like the bells of a church pealing into the wind.
Leaving only bells of lightning and its thunder
The storm's thunder and lightning become the only sound in the midst of all this chaos.
Striking for the gentle, striking for the kind
The lightning represents the power of nature to strike down those who are not gentle or kind, a warning to be mindful of one's actions.
Striking for the guardians and protectors of the mind
The storm is a reminder that we need to protect our minds from the dangers of the world, and that sometimes we need to be shaken out of our complacency to do so.
An' the poet and the painter far behind his rightful time
The lightning represents the struggle of artists who are misunderstood or who must wait for their time to come, a reminder that creativity is often born out of adversity.
An' we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing
We looked upon the storm as a representation of hope and the struggle for freedom.
In the wild cathedral evening the rain unraveled tales
The storm transforms the world into a wild, otherworldly place, where anything seems possible.
For the disrobed faceless forms of no position
The lightning illuminates those who are powerless and marginalized, giving them a moment in which they are seen and recognized.
Tolling for the tongues with no place to bring their thoughts
The thunder represents the struggle of those who have no voice or platform to make their thoughts and ideas heard.
All down in taken-for-granted situations
The storm reminds us of the people who are often forgotten, those who are stuck in situations where they are taken for granted and ignored by society at large.
Tolling for the deaf an' blind, tolling for the mute
The storm represents a call to action for those who are deaf, blind, or unable to speak for themselves.
For the mistreated, mateless mother, the mistitled prostitute
The lightning represents hope and freedom for those who are mistreated by society, such as single mothers or sex workers.
For the misdemeanor outlaw, chaineded an' cheated by pursuit
The storm represents the unfairness and oppression faced by those who break minor laws and are then punished disproportionately.
An' we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing
We looked upon the storm as a symbol of hope and freedom.
Even though a cloud's white curtain in a far-off corner flared
The storm represented hope, even though it might have seemed small and insignificant, like a cloud flaring up in the distance.
An' the hypnotic splattered mist was slowly lifting
The storm lifted the mist that had blinded us, allowing us to see the world with new eyes.
Electric light still struck like arrows, fired but for the ones
The electricity in the storm represents the power of nature, which can be a force for good or evil, depending on how it is used.
Condemned to drift or else be kept from drifting
The storm represents the struggle of those who are destined to drift through life, floating aimlessly without a purpose or goal.
Tolling for the searching ones, on their speechless, seeking trail
The lightning represents hope for those who are searching for something, even if they don't know what it is or how to find it.
For the lonesome-hearted lovers with too personal a tale
The storm represents the personal struggles of those who are in love, but whose love is forbidden or misunderstood by society.
An' for each unharmful, gentle soul misplaced inside a jail
The storm represents freedom for those who have been wrongly imprisoned or whose gentle spirits are confined by a harsh world.
An' we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing
We looked upon the storm as a symbol of hope and freedom.
Starry-eyed an' laughing as I recall when we were caught
Looking back, we remembered the storm with fondness and perhaps even a sense of nostalgia.
Trapped by no track of hours for they hanged suspended
In the midst of the storm, time seemed to stand still, as if hours had become meaningless.
As we listened one last time an' we watched with one last look
As the storm began to dissipate, we savored its last moments, listening and watching with a sense of awe and wonder.
Spellbound an' swallowed 'til the tolling ended
We were captivated and entranced by the storm, lost in its power and beauty until it finally ended.
Tolling for the aching whose wounds cannot be nursed
The thunder represents hope for those whose pain and suffering cannot be healed or forgotten.
For the countless confused, accused, misused, strung-out ones an' worse
The storm represents hope and freedom for those who are lost, confused, or struggling with addiction or other problems.
An' for every hung-up person in the whole wide universe
The storm represents freedom and hope for everyone who feels trapped and isolated in a vast, uncaring universe.
An' we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing
We looked upon the storm as a symbol of hope and freedom.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Bob Dylan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@martienevers
Chimes of Freedom
WRITTEN BY: BOB DYLAN
Far between sundown’s finish an’ midnight’s broken toll
We ducked inside the doorway, thunder crashing
As majestic bells of bolts struck shadows in the sounds
Seeming to be the chimes of freedom flashing
Flashing for the warriors whose strength is not to fight
Flashing for the refugees on the unarmed road of flight
An’ for each an’ ev’ry underdog soldier in the night
An’ we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing
In the city’s melted furnace, unexpectedly we watched
With faces hidden while the walls were tightening
As the echo of the wedding bells before the blowin’ rain
Dissolved into the bells of the lightning
Tolling for the rebel, tolling for the rake
Tolling for the luckless, the abandoned an’ forsaked
Tolling for the outcast, burnin’ constantly at stake
An’ we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing
Through the mad mystic hammering of the wild ripping hail
The sky cracked its poems in naked wonder
That the clinging of the church bells blew far into the breeze
Leaving only bells of lightning and its thunder
Striking for the gentle, striking for the kind
Striking for the guardians and protectors of the mind
An’ the unpawned painter behind beyond his rightful time
An’ we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing
Through the wild cathedral evening the rain unraveled tales
For the disrobed faceless forms of no position
Tolling for the tongues with no place to bring their thoughts
All down in taken-for-granted situations
Tolling for the deaf an’ blind, tolling for the mute
Tolling for the mistreated, mateless mother, the mistitled prostitute
For the misdemeanor outlaw, chased an’ cheated by pursuit
An’ we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing
Even though a cloud’s white curtain in a far-off corner flashed
An’ the hypnotic splattered mist was slowly lifting
Electric light still struck like arrows, fired but for the ones
Condemned to drift or else be kept from drifting
Tolling for the searching ones, on their speechless, seeking trail
For the lonesome-hearted lovers with too personal a tale
An’ for each unharmful, gentle soul misplaced inside a jail
An’ we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing
Starry-eyed an’ laughing as I recall when we were caught
Trapped by no track of hours for they hanged suspended
As we listened one last time an’ we watched with one last look
Spellbound an’ swallowed ’til the tolling ended
Tolling for the aching ones whose wounds cannot be nursed
For the countless confused, accused, misused, strung-out ones an’ worse
An’ for every hung-up person in the whole wide universe
An’ we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing
@antoniocorrea3859
SINOS DA LIBERDADE
Bem depois do por do sol, antes do badalar pungente da meia noite
Nos atiramos pelo umbral da porta em meio a trovões que desabavam
Enquanto os sinos majestosos dos raios lançavam sombras nos sons
Como se fossem os sinos da liberdade cintilando
Cintilando pelos guerreiros cuja força está em não lutar
Cintilando pelos refugiados em seu caminho indefeso de fuga
E para cada soldado oprimido naquela noite
Olhamos, maravilhados, o cintilar dos sinos da liberdade.
Na fornalha derretida da cidade, olhamos inesperadamente
Rostos ocultos, as paredes como que querendo nos esmagar,
Enquanto o eco dos carrilhões confrontado com a chuva que assoviava
Dissolvia-se no som dos sinos dos relâmpagos
Os sinos dobravam para os rebeldes, dobravam para os torturados
Para os infelizes, abandonados e desamparados
Dobravam para os párias, sempre queimados na fogueira.
E olhamos, maravilhados, o cintilar dos sinos da liberdade.
Pelo martelar místico e louco da tempestade selvagem
O céu chicoteava seus poemas em maravilha pura
Que o som dos carrilhões das igrejas sumia longe na brisa
Deixando apenas os sinos dos trovões e relâmpagos
Os sinos dobravam para os gentis, dobravam para os bondosos
Para os guardiões e protetores das mentes
E para o pintor independente que sobrevive além de seu tempo
E olhamos, maravilhados, o cintilar dos sinos da liberdade.
Por toda a noite, qual igreja selvagem, a chuva descortinava histórias
Para os seres deslocados, sem rosto e sem agasalho
Os sinos dobravam para as bocas sem lugar para serem ouvidas,
Sempre inferiorizadas com essa situação assumida
Os sinos dobravam para os surdos e cegos, dobravam para os mudos,
Dobravam para os mal tratados, mães solitárias e prostitutas
Para os proscritos, caçados e derrotados pela captura.
E olhamos, maravilhados, o cintilar dos sinos da liberdade.
Apesar de uma cortina branca de nuvens brilhar ao longe
E do nevoeiro hipnótico ir subindo lentamente,
As luzes dos raios eram como flechas, disparadas para todos, menos para aqueles
Condenados a vagar ou então, até disso, impedidos.
Os sinos dobravam para os que procuram algo, em sua trilha silenciosa
Para os amantes de coração solitário com suas histórias muito pessoais
E para cada alma gentil e inofensiva, deslocada em uma cela.
E olhamos, maravilhados, o cintilar dos sinos da liberdade.
Olhos brilhando e sorrindo, lembro de como ficamos parados
Sem sentir o passar do tempo, que para nós ficou congelado
Ao escutarmos ainda uma vez mais, ao darmos uma última olhada
Tomados pela emoção, nó na garganta, até o fim do soar dos sinos
Que dobravam para os feridos sem quem cuide de suas chagas
Para os incontáveis acusados,
E para cada pessoa impedida em todo este vasto mundo
E olhamos, maravilhados, o cintilar dos sinos da liberdade.
@DrMitchMedina
A PRAYER OF ST. MITCH BUNNY-RABBIT, by Dr. Mitch Medina
Adapted from “The Chimes of Freedom”, by Bob Dylan
Far between sundown’s finish an’ midnight’s broken toll
We ducked inside the doorway, thunder crashing
As majestic bells of bolts struck shadows in the sounds
Seeming to be the chimes of freedom flashing
Praying for the warriors whose strength is not to fight
Praying for the refugees on the unarmed road of flight
An’ for each an’ ev’ry underdog soldier in the night
An’ we gazed upon the face of Jesus caring
In the city’s melted furnace, unexpectedly we watched
With faces hidden while the walls were tightening
As the echo of the wedding bells before the blowin’ rain
Dissolved into the bells of the lightning
Praying for the rebel, praying for the rake
Praying for the luckless, the abandoned an’ forsaked
Praying for the outcast, burnin’ constantly at stake
An’ we gazed upon the face of Jesus caring.
Through the mad mystic hammering of the wild ripping hail
The sky cracked its poems in naked wonder
That the clinging of the church bells blew far into the breeze
Leaving only bells of lightning and its thunder
Praying for the gentle, praying for the kind
Praying for the guardians and protectors of the mind
An’ the unpawned painter behind beyond his rightful time
An’ we gazed upon the face of Jesus caring.
Through the wild cathedral evening the rain unraveled tales
For the disrobed faceless forms of no position
Praying for the tongues with no place to bring their thoughts
All persons down in taken-for-granted situations
Praying for the deaf an’ blind, praying for the mute
Praying for the mistreated, mateless mother, the mistitled prostitute
For the misdemeanor outlaw, chased an’ cheated by pursuit
An’ we gaze upon the face of Jesus caring.
Even though a cloud’s white curtain in a far-off corner flashed
An’ the hypnotic splattered mist was slowly lifting
Electric light still struck like arrows, fired but for the ones
Condemned to drift or else be kept from drifting
Praying for the searching ones, on their speechless, seeking trail
For the lonesome-hearted lovers with too personal a tale
An’ for each unharmful, gentle soul misplaced inside a jail
An’we gazed upon the face of Jesus caring
Starry-eyed an’ laughing as I recall when we were caught
Trapped by no track of hours for they hanged suspended
As we listened one last time an’ we watched with one last look
Spellbound an’ swallowed ’til the praying ended
Praying for the aching ones whose wounds cannot be nursed
For the countless confused, accused, misused, strung-out ones an’ worse
An’ for every hung-up person in the whole wide universe
An’ we gazed upon the face of Jesus caring
@jillschoenfeldwhite5534
Thanks so much for posting. Every duet of Joan and Bob is one of a kind and so special to listen to. Bob's early voice and style was a great new young American folksinger, as was Joan.
@lindagarland5223
Thanks alastairl for this gem!!!!
@toomuchrose
It's not Joan Baez it's Joan Osbourne
@martienevers
Chimes of Freedom
WRITTEN BY: BOB DYLAN
Far between sundown’s finish an’ midnight’s broken toll
We ducked inside the doorway, thunder crashing
As majestic bells of bolts struck shadows in the sounds
Seeming to be the chimes of freedom flashing
Flashing for the warriors whose strength is not to fight
Flashing for the refugees on the unarmed road of flight
An’ for each an’ ev’ry underdog soldier in the night
An’ we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing
In the city’s melted furnace, unexpectedly we watched
With faces hidden while the walls were tightening
As the echo of the wedding bells before the blowin’ rain
Dissolved into the bells of the lightning
Tolling for the rebel, tolling for the rake
Tolling for the luckless, the abandoned an’ forsaked
Tolling for the outcast, burnin’ constantly at stake
An’ we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing
Through the mad mystic hammering of the wild ripping hail
The sky cracked its poems in naked wonder
That the clinging of the church bells blew far into the breeze
Leaving only bells of lightning and its thunder
Striking for the gentle, striking for the kind
Striking for the guardians and protectors of the mind
An’ the unpawned painter behind beyond his rightful time
An’ we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing
Through the wild cathedral evening the rain unraveled tales
For the disrobed faceless forms of no position
Tolling for the tongues with no place to bring their thoughts
All down in taken-for-granted situations
Tolling for the deaf an’ blind, tolling for the mute
Tolling for the mistreated, mateless mother, the mistitled prostitute
For the misdemeanor outlaw, chased an’ cheated by pursuit
An’ we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing
Even though a cloud’s white curtain in a far-off corner flashed
An’ the hypnotic splattered mist was slowly lifting
Electric light still struck like arrows, fired but for the ones
Condemned to drift or else be kept from drifting
Tolling for the searching ones, on their speechless, seeking trail
For the lonesome-hearted lovers with too personal a tale
An’ for each unharmful, gentle soul misplaced inside a jail
An’ we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing
Starry-eyed an’ laughing as I recall when we were caught
Trapped by no track of hours for they hanged suspended
As we listened one last time an’ we watched with one last look
Spellbound an’ swallowed ’til the tolling ended
Tolling for the aching ones whose wounds cannot be nursed
For the countless confused, accused, misused, strung-out ones an’ worse
An’ for every hung-up person in the whole wide universe
An’ we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing
@curaeus007
Thought I'd heard every known version of this including Bruce, Byrds and Bob himself but this is wonderful. Every word still sadly rings true!
@RogerHolmroos0655
this is a great version of this classic song, i am a great BOB DYLAN fan and I never heard this version before, I love this one,,, many thanks to you for sharing this great tune,,,thank you,,,
@rafa-vx6ut
Una canción cuya letra es de plena actualidad. Magnífico Dylan!
@cuthbertsara
Was searching for this song this very morning to brighten my path after a long conversation with a co-worker. What a treat to see it was just added this morning! This song brings me back to my roots and really helps me focus on the good ol' day's values of mine. Thank you for posting this song.
@davidlalremruata
This is beautiful.
Why haven't I heard of it!
@jacquismith3277
Ditto!