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.
Lo and Behold!
Bob Dylan and The Band Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I never felt so good.
My woman said she'd meet me there
And of course, I knew she would.
The coachman, he hit me for my hook
And he asked me my name.
I give it to him right away,
Then I hung my head in shame.
Lookin' for my lo and behold,
Get me outa here, my dear man!
I come into Pittsburgh
At six-thirty flat.
I found myself a vacant seat
An' I put down my hat.
"What's the matter, Molly, dear,
What's the matter with your mound?"
"What's it to ya, Moby Dick?
This is chicken town!"
Lo and behold! Lo and behold!
Lookin' for my lo and behold,
Get me outa here, my dear man!
I bought my girl
A herd of moose,
One she could call her own.
Well, she came out the very next day
To see where they had flown.
I'm goin' down to Tennessee,
Get me a truck 'are somethin'.
Gonna save my money and rip it up!
Lo and behold! Lo and behold!
Lookin' for my lo and behold,
Get me outa here, my dear man!
Now, I come in on a ferris wheel
An' boys, I sure was slick.
I come in like a ton of bricks,
Laid a few tricks on 'em.
Goin' back to Pittsburgh,
Count up to thirty,
Round that horn and ride that herd,
Gonna thread up!
Lo and behold! Lo and behold!
Lookin' for my lo and behold,
Get me outa here, my dear man!
The lyrics to Bob Dylan and The Band's song "Lo and Behold!" are characterized by fragmented imagery and non-linear storytelling. The first verse describes a journey to San Antonio, where the singer's woman is waiting for him, but is immediately followed by a verse depicting the singer's arrival in Pittsburgh and his encounter with a woman named Molly. The final verse introduces the image of a herd of moose that the singer buys for his girl and then abandons for the promise of Tennessee. Throughout the song, the singer seems to be in a state of restlessness, moving from place to place and searching for something that he cannot quite name. The repeated refrain of "lo and behold" is almost sarcastic in its futility, somewhat of a verbal shrug in response to the singer's own confusion.
The song has been interpreted in a variety of ways, with some suggesting that it is a commentary on the emptiness of modern American culture, while others see it as a more personal exploration of Dylan's own feelings of dislocation and longing. Regardless of the specific meaning, however, it is clear that "Lo and Behold!" is a song that captures a sense of both excitement and unease, a feeling of being lost in a world that is constantly shifting and changing.
Line by Line Meaning
I pulled out for San Anton',
I left for San Antonio
I never felt so good.
I was feeling fine.
My woman said she'd meet me there
My lover agreed to meet me at San Antonio
And of course, I knew she would.
I knew my lover wouldn’t break her word.
The coachman, he hit me for my hook
The carriage driver asked for my fare.
And he asked me my name.
He wanted to know my name.
I give it to him right away,
I answered him immediately
Then I hung my head in shame.
I was embarrassed
Lo and behold! Lo and behold!
Oh look! Oh look!
Lookin' for my lo and behold,
I am searching for my thing.
Get me outa here, my dear man!
Please help me leave this place!
I come into Pittsburgh
I arrived at Pittsburgh.
At six-thirty flat.
It was exactly six-thirty.
I found myself a vacant seat
I got a free seat.
An' I put down my hat.
I put my hat down.
"What's the matter, Molly, dear,
"What is troubling you, dear Molly?
What's the matter with your mound?"
What is happening in your life?
"What's it to ya, Moby Dick?
"Why do you care, Moby Dick?
This is chicken town!"
This place is like a chicken town.
I bought my girl
I bought my girlfriend
A herd of moose,
Lots of stuff
One she could call her own.
Something she could own.
Well, she came out the very next day
She went there the next day.
To see where they had flown.
To check where they are in.
I'm goin' down to Tennessee,
I am going to Tennessee.
Get me a truck 'are somethin'.
To buy a truck or something.
Gonna save my money and rip it up!
I’ll save money and enjoy.
Now, I come in on a ferris wheel
Now I came in on a Ferris wheel.
An' boys, I sure was slick.
And, boy, I was cool.
I come in like a ton of bricks,
I came in without an invitation.
Laid a few tricks on 'em.
Played some tricks on them.
Goin' back to Pittsburgh,
Going back to Pittsburgh
Count up to thirty,
Count 1 to 30
Round that horn and ride that herd,
Ride that herd and round the horn.
Gonna thread up!
I am going to string it up!
Lo and behold! Lo and behold!
Oh look! Oh look!
Lookin' for my lo and behold,
I am searching for my thing.
Get me outa here, my dear man!
Please help me leave this place!
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, AUDIAM, INC
Written by: BOB DYLAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Richard Hebb
Love this album!!!!!!
Maggie Bryan
Me too
Monica Tolipan
This album is absolutely fantastic!
JorgeLMarquez
Mítico sonido
JJQue
Oh man the harmony!
Geoff Baxter
Just joyous! Fun!
lyle anderson
Just a funny jam session
Jake Jones
“Lone B-hole”
Jeb Huzyak
(Play Mr Jones!!!!)
KhaliBalMutzo
My bholedude