Bob Dylan and The Band was a long-lived collaboration with few official rel… Read Full Bio ↴Bob Dylan and The Band was a long-lived collaboration with few official releases, their recordings together often released under Dylan's name alone.

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.

Mary Lou I Love You Too
Bob Dylan and The Band Lyrics

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I'm not alone
You're sitting right there
How come I get the feeling
You could vanish into the air
And I love you more than anybody else, baby
Can't you tell I'm an easy touch?
Oh, baby, baby
I think I love you too much

If I picked you up
You know you'd slip right away
And if I locked you up
You'd find a way to make me pay
You're gonna hurt me more than anybody else
'Cause you know I'm an easy touch
Oh, baby, baby
I think I love you too much

I guess I'm gonna get you what you want
'Cause I'm so into you
You don't even give an inch to me, baby
Though I've been giving you a mile or two

Oh, give it to 'em, yeah, hey

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm not alone, no
You're sitting right there
How come I get the feeling
That you can vanish into the air?
And I love you more than anybody else, baby
Can't you tell I'm an easy touch?
Oh, baby, baby
I think I love you too much

Mm, baby, baby
I think I love you too much
I said, baby, baby
I think I love you too much, yeah

Oh, truck on down

Yeah

Overall Meaning

In “Mary Lou I Love You Too,” Bob Dylan and The Band capture the emotional complexity of loving someone who could leave at any moment. The songwriter describes a sense of insecurity and vulnerability when he’s around the object of his affection – the feeling that at any moment, she could disappear from his life. Despite the potential heartbreak, he can’t help but love her more than anyone else. The lyrics are a testament to the conflict of loving someone who you know is bad for you, yet you can’t help but want to be with them.

The song features a rockabilly-inspired sound with a lively rhythm and energetic guitar riff. The use of call and response between Dylan and The Band adds a playful and flirtatious element to the song. It’s a fun and upbeat tune that captures the excitement and frustration of young love.

Overall, “Mary Lou, I Love You Too” is a catchy and relatable song. It’s about the ups and downs of love, and the conflicting emotions that come with falling for someone who could hurt you at any moment. With its upbeat sound and clever lyrics, it’s a classic tune that’s still just as enjoyable today as it was back when it was first released.

Mary Lou I Love You TooBob Dylan and The Band Lyrics

Mary Lou I Love You Too
Bob Dylan and The Band Lyrics