The members of The Band first worked together as The Hawks, the backing band of rockabilly singer Ronnie Hawkins from 1959 until 1963. Shortly afterwards, Bob Dylan came to Toronto and recruited the quintet for his history-making 1965/1966 world tour. The Band also worked with Dylan on the initial Blonde on Blonde sessions which, bar two tracks, were ultimately abandoned in favour of versions recorded with Nashville session musicians.
After a motorcycle accident in mid-1966, Dylan retreated from the public eye to his country house near Woodstock, New York. He was joined by the Band for some informal jam sessions starting in the autumn of 1967, nearly all of which were recorded. After being heavily bootleged, Columbia Records finally released The Basement Tapes in 1975, a selection of the better tracks recorded during the sessions along with new recordings by The Band.
Bob Dylan and The Band were reunited in 1974, recording Planet Waves for Asylum Records, Dylan's first album recorded for a record label other than Columbia. Although the album was released under Dylan's name alone, The Band joined Dylan for his first tour in eight years in support of Planet Waves, with some of the material recorded and released on the 1975 concert record Before the Flood.
Columbia Records finally released The Bootleg Series Vol. 11: The Basement Tapes Complete in November 2014, featuring every surving recording from the original sessions in Woodstock.
Don't Ya Tell Henry
Bob Dylan and The Band Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I was lookin' around just to see who's born
I spied a little chicken down on his knees
I went up and yelled to him
"Please, please, please!"
He said, "Don't ya tell Henry
Don't ya tell Henry
Don't ya tell Henry
Yes, I went down to the beanery at half past twelve
I was lookin' around just to see myself
I looked down low, I looked above
Well who did I see but the one I love
She said, "Don't ya tell Henry
Don't ya tell Henry
Don't ya tell Henry
Apple's got your fly"
Yeah, I went down to the whorehouse the other night
I was lookin' around, I was outta sight
I looked at a horse and I saw a mule
I looked for a cow and I saw me a few
They said, "Don't ya tell Henry
Don't ya tell Henry
Don't ya tell Henry
Apple's got your fly"
Yeah, I went down to the river on a Saturday morn
A-lookin' around just to see who was born
I saw a little chicken down on his knees
I went up and yelled to him
"Please, please, please!"
He said, "Don't ya tell Henry
Don't ya tell Henry
Don't ya tell Henry
Apple's got your fly"
The lyrics of "Don't Ya Tell Henry" by Bob Dylan and The Band are somewhat peculiar and may be difficult to interpret at first glance. However, there seems to be a recurring theme throughout the song of hiding something scandalous from a man named Henry. The song is divided into three stanzas, each describing a different encounter with something illicit.
In the first stanza, the singer goes to the river and sees a chicken on its knees. The singer yells at the chicken, pleading with it not to tell Henry that "Apple's got your fly." It is unclear what this phrase means in the context of the song, but it is likely a euphemism for something inappropriate.
The second stanza takes place at a "beanery," which was a type of cafeteria popular in the early 20th century. The singer sees someone they love and once again begs them not to tell Henry that "Apple's got your fly." The third stanza takes place at a whorehouse, where the singer sees a mix of animals and warns them not to tell Henry that "Apple's got your fly."
Overall, the lyrics of "Don't Ya Tell Henry" seem to be a series of bizarre and cryptic instructions to keep a scandalous secret. It is unclear who Henry is or what the "Apple's got your fly" euphemism represents, but the song's overall tone is lighthearted and playful.
Line by Line Meaning
Yes, I went down to the river on a Saturday morn
I visited the river on a Saturday morning.
I was lookin' around just to see who's born
I was observing the surroundings to see what new has happened.
I spied a little chicken down on his knees
I noticed a young chicken kneeling.
I went up and yelled to him 'Please, please, please!'
I walked over to him, and begged him for something.
He said, 'Don't ya tell Henry'
He told me to keep a secret from a person named Henry.
Don't ya tell Henry
He repeated the instruction of secrecy.
Don't ya tell Henry
He repeated the instruction of secrecy once again.
Apple's got your fly'
The reason for secrecy is that someone took advantage of him, as his attention was diverted elsewhere.
Yes, I went down to the beanery at half past twelve
I went to the beanery at 12:30 pm.
I was lookin' around just to see myself
I was checking out myself in the surroundings.
I looked down low, I looked above
I looked in different directions.
Well who did I see but the one I love
I saw the person I love in the end despite looking for others.
She said, 'Don't ya tell Henry'
The person I love asked for my secrecy regarding something.
Don't ya tell Henry
The person I love repeated the instructions of secrecy.
Don't ya tell Henry
The person I love repeated the instructions of secrecy once more.
Apple's got your fly'
The reason for secrecy is that something embarrassing will be revealed.
Yeah, I went down to the whorehouse the other night
I visited a brothel one night.
I was lookin' around, I was outta sight
I was looking around while trying to stay hidden.
I looked at a horse and I saw a mule
I saw something that was not what it appeared to be.
I looked for a cow and I saw me a few
I saw something that resembled multiple things that I was looking for.
They said, 'Don't ya tell Henry'
The people there warned me not to tell a person named Henry about something.
Don't ya tell Henry
The people at the brothel repeated the instruction of secrecy.
Don't ya tell Henry
The people at the brothel repeated the instruction of secrecy once more.
Apple's got your fly'
The reason for secrecy is that the person might be embarrassed or in trouble.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Bob Dylan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@mikeholland8416
Don't tell Henry. Please 😅
@marc.apfelbutz
Eastbound Train.
@JorgeLMarquezsM
Incisivo y fluido
@HashishUno
RIP Robbie Robertson. Your lead made this song amazing
@danc2879
Bob😳
@mellodc
Levon
@NotoriousLightning
Don't ya tell me what to do. I'll tell Henry just because after hearing this little dittie!
@quentinlynch
And again I want to ask "Is this really Bob singing?" But I don't.
@michaelkemp608
ir's Levon Helm...
@camreese
Levon the legend!