Among those featured in the Revue were Joan Baez, Roger McGuinn, Rambling Jack Elliott, Kinky Friedman, Joni Mitchell and Bob Neuwirth. Neuwirth assembled the backing musicians, including T-Bone Burnett, Mick Ronson, and David Mansfield, and, from the Desire sessions, violinist Scarlet Rivera, bassist Rob Stoner, and drummer Howie Wyeth.
URL: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rolling_Thunder_Revue
A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall
Bob Dylan & The Rolling Thunder Revue Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh, where have you been, my darling young one?
I've stumbled on the side of twelve misty mountains
I've walked and I've crawled on six crooked highways
I've stepped in the middle of seven sad forests
I've been out in front of a dozen dead oceans
I've been ten thousand miles in the mouth of a graveyard
And it's a hard, and it's a hard, it's a hard, and it's a hard
Oh, what did you see, my blue-eyed son?
Oh, what did you see, my darling young one?
I saw a newborn baby with wild wolves all around it
I saw a highway of diamonds with nobody on it
I saw a black branch with blood that kept drippin'
I saw a room full of men with their hammers a-bleedin'
I saw a white ladder all covered with water
I saw ten thousand talkers whose tongues were all broken
I saw guns and sharp swords in the hands of young children
And it's a hard, and it's a hard, it's a hard, it's a hard
And it's a hard rain's a-gonna fall
And what did you hear, my blue-eyed son?
And what did you hear, my darling young one?
I heard the sound of a thunder, it roared out a warnin'
Heard the roar of a wave that could drown the whole world
Heard one person starve, I heard many people laughin'
Heard the song of a poet who died in the gutter
Heard the sound of a clown who cried in the alley
And it's a hard, and it's a hard, it's a hard, it's a hard
And it's a hard rain's a-gonna fall
Oh, who did you meet, my blue-eyed son?
Who did you meet, my darling young one?
I met a young child beside a dead pony
I met a white man who walked a black dog
I met a young woman whose body was burning
I met a young girl, she gave me a rainbow
I met one man who was wounded in love
I met another man who was wounded with hatred
And it's a hard, it's a hard, it's a hard, it's a hard
It's a hard rain's a-gonna fall
Oh, what'll you do now, my blue-eyed son?
Oh, what'll you do now, my darling young one?
I'm a-goin' back out 'fore the rain starts a-fallin'
I'll walk to the depths of the deepest black forest
Where the people are many and their hands are all empty
Where the pellets of poison are flooding their waters
Where the home in the valley meets the damp dirty prison
Where the executioner's face is always well-hidden
Where hunger is ugly, where souls are forgotten
Where black is the color, where none is the number
And I'll tell it and think it and speak it and breathe it
And reflect it from the mountain so all souls can see it
Then I'll stand on the ocean until I start sinkin'
But I'll know my song well before I start singin'
And it's a hard, it's a hard, it's a hard, it's a hard
It's a hard rain's a-gonna fall
"A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall" is a protest song written by Bob Dylan during the Cuban Missile Crisis in the early 1960s. The song expresses concern about the political situation in America at the time and the threat of global annihilation. Dylan frequently performed the song during his live concerts.
The song opens with a question asked by a father to his son - “Oh, where have you been, my blue-eyed son? / Oh, where have you been, my darling young one?” The son responds with a series of verses describing his travels across the world. These journeys are metaphors for the singer's experiences of various kinds of suffering and injustice.
In the second verse, the son describes various surreal and apocalyptic visions he has seen, including a newborn baby being surrounded by wild wolves, and guns and sharp swords in the hands of young children. These images emphasize the theme of destruction and loss of innocence.
The third verse sees the father asking the son what he had heard and the son replying with a series of sounds that suggest chaos and catastrophe, including the sound of thunder, laughter, and the crying of a clown in an alley.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, where have you been, my blue-eyed son?
Asking where the person has been.
Oh, what did you see, my blue-eyed son?
Asking what the person saw during their travels.
And what did you hear, my blue-eyed son?
Asking what the person heard during their travels.
Oh, who did you meet, my blue-eyed son?
Asking who the person met during their travels.
Oh, what'll you do now, my blue-eyed son?
Asking what the person will do next.
I've stumbled on the side of twelve misty mountains
Suggesting that the person has encountered various obstacles.
I've walked and I've crawled on six crooked highways
Indicating that the person has gone through great challenges and difficulties.
I've stepped in the middle of seven sad forests
Illustrating that the person has been through dark and difficult situations.
I've been out in front of a dozen dead oceans
Recounting experiences that felt overwhelming and without end.
I've been ten thousand miles in the mouth of a graveyard
Implying that the person has experienced death, danger, and/or fear.
I saw a newborn baby with wild wolves all around it
Describing a tense and frightening situation.
I saw a highway of diamonds with nobody on it
Describing beauty that is also empty and lonely.
I saw a black branch with blood that kept drippin'
Describing imagery that suggests pain, death, and/or suffering.
I saw a room full of men with their hammers a-bleedin'
Suggesting images of violence or exploitation.
I saw a white ladder all covered with water
Suggesting a symbol of futility or failure.
I saw ten thousand talkers whose tongues were all broken
Indicating the presence of people who cannot communicate or express themselves.
I saw guns and sharp swords in the hands of young children
A disturbing image of violence and danger.
I heard the sound of a thunder, it roared out a warnin'
A warning sound that suggests something bad is about to happen.
Heard the roar of a wave that could drown the whole world
An image that suggests danger, destruction, and chaos.
Heard one person starve, I heard many people laughin'
Suggesting the presence of those in great need or distress alongside those who are blissfully unaware or indifferent.
Heard the song of a poet who died in the gutter
Describing someone who suffered and/or was not appreciated until after they had passed.
Heard the sound of a clown who cried in the alley
An image of someone who is meant to be happy, but is instead sad and alone.
I met a young child beside a dead pony
Describing a painful scene, perhaps in which the innocence of a child is overcome by a harsh reality.
I met a white man who walked a black dog
Describing a situation where things are not as they appear, where a figure of authority or privilege may have their own struggles or vulnerabilities.
I met a young woman whose body was burning
A disturbing image that suggests violence, sacrifice, and/or pain.
I met a young girl, she gave me a rainbow
Describing a moment of hope and beauty amidst a challenging and difficult environment.
I met one man who was wounded in love
Describing someone who has experienced pain and suffering in their personal relationships.
I met another man who was wounded with hatred
Describing someone who is filled with anger, resentment, and bitterness.
I'm a-goin' back out 'fore the rain starts a-fallin'
Describing a sense of urgency or necessity to keep moving forward.
I'll walk to the depths of the deepest black forest
Suggesting a willingness to go deeper and further than before, into the unknown and perhaps dangerous.
Where the people are many and their hands are all empty
Describing a place of great need, poverty, or despair.
Where the pellets of poison are flooding their waters
An image of damage and destruction caused by human actions.
Where the home in the valley meets the damp dirty prison
A contrast between a place of happiness and a place of suffering and confinement.
Where the executioner's face is always well-hidden
An image of powerlessness and injustice, where those who cause harm are never held accountable.
Where hunger is ugly, where souls are forgotten
Describing a place of suffering and deprivation, where basic human needs are not being met.
Where black is the color, where none is the number
Describing a place of darkness, despair, and emptiness.
And I'll tell it and think it and speak it and breathe it
A sense of urgency and importance to speak the truth and share experiences.
And reflect it from the mountain so all souls can see it
Sharing experiences in a way that can be seen, heard, and understood by others.
Then I'll stand on the ocean until I start sinkin'
A willingness to take bold and daring actions, even if they may lead to failure or danger.
But I'll know my song well before I start singin'
A confidence in one's own message and ability to communicate it effectively.
And it's a hard, and it's a hard, it's a hard, it's a hard
Repeated use of the word 'hard' emphasizes the difficulties and challenges described throughout the song.
And it's a hard rain's a-gonna fall
Concluding with a repeated focus on the inevitability of hardship, challenge, and difficulty.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, AUDIAM, INC
Written by: BOB DYLAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@triquerageorges9843
There is such an urgence and energy on this version of hard rain
And on this all tour in fact , rolling thunder
Dylan seems so aware and awake
Like if he could absorb the all word and energy
A little too speed of course with probably a little chemical help
But that was then …
So creative and his voice so powerful
He is a extra terrestrial to me
There specially
All his senses seemed to be 200/100 alert
And so beautifully strange with this painted face and his blue eyes
It is one of the great images of rock/ roll
Like jimmy Hendrix or Jim Morrison sometimes too
@seektruth8662
Dylan does covers of his own songs. Fantastic! Love ya Bob.
@RaxOldies
Yep...always !!!
@jonnymoka
He rather play it differently every time if I recall
@conorkennedy3304
He pretty much does. There is a buch of testomony that he did that in the studio all of the time. Think about classics like 4th-street and Rolling stone and remember that they were live in the studio with dubious preperation. That stuff was all one-off by large accounts.
@ricwheatley
“You wouldn’t ask an artist to paint the same picture twice” - Bob Dylan
@jarrettfinney4882
Its impossible to do a cover of your own song lol i do like this version a lot more tho. Just personally.
@kadebarry
The best version of one of Dylan's top tier songs. His voice is crystal clear and the words are daggers. I love that it is literally Rockin.
@bradhardisty1652
Mick Ronson was on that tour and he is weaving those guitar lines.
@littlewing6231
Love when Mick was asked how Bob was he quipped “ beats me he never talked to me.” I can see Bob “ so your a Spider from Mars huh”
🤭😎😆
@dominey
Dylan was on another planet during this time. He attacked songs from his repertoire (like this one) with a vocal intensity that was unusual and would never to be repeated.