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.
Get Your Rocks Off
Bob Dylan and The Band Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
One picked herself up an' the other one, she said:
"Get your rocks off!
Get your rocks off! (Get 'em off!)
Get your rocks off! (Get 'em off!)
Get your rocks off-a me! (Get 'em off!)"
Well, you know, there late one night up on Blueberry Hill,
"Get your rocks off! (Get 'em off!)
Get your rocks off! (Get 'em off!)
Get your rocks off! (Get 'em off!)
Get your rocks off-a me! (Get 'em off!)"
Well, you know, we was layin' down around Mink Muscle Creek,
One man said to the other man, he began to speak, he said:
"Get your rocks off! (Get 'em off!)
Get your rocks off! (Get 'em off!)
Get your rocks off! (Get 'em off!)
Get your rocks off-a me! (Get 'em off!)"
Well, you know, we was cruisin' down the highway in a Greyhound bus.
All kinds-a children in the side road, they was hollerin' at us, sayin':
"Get your rocks off! (Get 'em off!)
Get your rocks off! (Get 'em off!)
Get your rocks off! (Get 'em off!)
Get your rocks off-a me!"
"Get Your Rocks Off" is a quirky and suggestive song originally released on Bob Dylan's album Self Portrait in 1970. The song features a repetitive and simple chorus that appears between each verse, with variations of "Get your rocks off/a me" being repeated as if they were a chant. The lyrics themselves offer a series of comical and absurd anecdotes, where the phrase "get your rocks off" is used as an exclamation of either defiance or encouragement.
The song starts with the description of two old maids in bed, one picking herself up and the other one telling her to "get your rocks off", meaning to get out of bed and stop pestering her. The song then proceeds to describe other scenarios where the phrase is used, like a man on Blueberry Hill telling another man to get his rocks off him, or a conversation by Mink Muscle Creek where one man wants the other to get his rocks off. The last example given in the song is while cruising down the highway on a Greyhound bus and hearing children yell "Get your rocks off!" at them.
While the song doesn't seem to have any particular hidden meaning or message, it's easy to see why it caused controversy at the time of its release because of the suggestive language and Bob Dylan's previous status as a protest singer. This may have been a deliberate attempt to deflate his public image or to make fun of himself in a tongue-and-cheek manner. Either way, "Get Your Rocks Off" remains an oddity in his discography that highlights his playful side.
Line by Line Meaning
You know, there's two ol' maids layin' in the bed,
There were two women in bed.
One picked herself up an' the other one, she said:
One of the women got out of bed and the other spoke.
"Get your rocks off!
She said 'Get your rocks off'
Get your rocks off! (Get 'em off!)
Repeat of the previous line, with emphasis.
Get your rocks off! (Get 'em off!)
Repeat of the previous line, with emphasis.
Get your rocks off-a me! (Get 'em off!)"
She didn't want them to do it to her.
Well, you know, there late one night up on Blueberry Hill,
One night on Blueberry Hill,
One man turned to the other man and said, with a blood-curdlin' chill, he said:
A man turned to another man and spoke in a chilling manner.
"Get your rocks off! (Get 'em off!)
He said 'Get your rocks off'.
Get your rocks off! (Get 'em off!)
Repeat of the previous line, with emphasis.
Get your rocks off! (Get 'em off!)
Repeat of the previous line, with emphasis.
Get your rocks off-a me! (Get 'em off!)"
He didn't want them to do it to him.
Well, you know, we was layin' down around Mink Muscle Creek,
They were lying down around Mink Muscle Creek.
One man said to the other man, he began to speak, he said:
One man started to speak to another.
"Get your rocks off! (Get 'em off!)
He said 'Get your rocks off'.
Get your rocks off! (Get 'em off!)
Repeat of the previous line, with emphasis.
Get your rocks off! (Get 'em off!)
Repeat of the previous line, with emphasis.
Get your rocks off-a me! (Get 'em off!)"
He didn't want them to do it to him.
Well, you know, we was cruisin' down the highway in a Greyhound bus.
They were traveling on a Greyhound bus.
All kinds-a children in the side road, they was hollerin' at us, sayin':
Children on the side of the road were shouting at them.
"Get your rocks off! (Get 'em off!)
They were saying 'Get your rocks off'.
Get your rocks off! (Get 'em off!)
Repeat of the previous line, with emphasis.
Get your rocks off! (Get 'em off!)
Repeat of the previous line, with emphasis.
Get your rocks off-a me!"
They didn't want them to do it to them.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Bob Dylan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind