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.
Open The Door Homer
Bob Dylan and The Band Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That I learned from Jim
That he'd always make sure I'd understand
And that is that there's a certain way
We all must swim
If we expect to live off of the fat of the land
Open the door, Richard
Open the door, Richard
Heard his name before
But I ain't gonna hear it said no more
Now, there's a certain thing
That I learned from my friend, Mouse
That fella who never blushes
And that is that one must always
Flush out his house
If he don't expect to be housing flushes
Open the door, Richard
I've heard it said before
Open the door, Richard
I've heard it said before
But I ain't gonna hear it said no more
Take care of all of your memories, said Nick
For you cannot relive them
And remember when you're out there
Trying to heal the sick
That you must always first forgive them
Open the door, Richard
I've heard it said before
Open the door, Richard
I've heard it said before
And I ain't gonna hear it said no more
In "Open the Door, Homer," Bob Dylan and The Band explore the idea of learning from others and the importance of taking action. The lyrics reference specific individuals, Jim and Mouse, from whom Dylan has learned important life lessons. Jim taught him that there is a certain way people must swim in order to be successful and live off of the land. Mouse, on the other hand, taught him the importance of regularly flushing out one's house or cleaning up one's life. Both of these lessons tie into the recurring theme of taking action and working hard in order to achieve success.
The repetition of the phrase "Open the door, Richard" serves as the chorus for the song and seems to represent the idea of taking action and not waiting around for opportunities to come to you. The phrase is also used repeatedly in the second verse, indicating that the idea of taking action is a theme that runs throughout the entirety of the song. The final verse offers advice from Nick to "take care of all of your memories" and to forgive those who have wronged you, emphasizing the importance of personal growth and emotional maturity.
Overall, "Open the Door, Homer" is a song that encourages listeners to be proactive in their lives and to learn from the experiences of others. It combines themes of hard work, personal growth, and forgiveness to create a message that is both introspective and inspiring.
Line by Line Meaning
Now, there's a certain thing
That I learned from Jim
That he'd always make sure I'd understand
And that is that there's a certain way
We all must swim
If we expect to live off of the fat of the land
Jim taught me that there's a right way to do things if we want to succeed
Open the door, Richard
I've heard it said before
Open the door, Richard
Heard his name before
But I ain't gonna hear it said no more
We need to move on and not dwell on the past
Now, there's a certain thing
That I learned from my friend, Mouse
That fella who never blushes
And that is that one must always
Flush out his house
If he don't expect to be housing flushes
My friend Mouse taught me that we have to clean up our lives if we don't want to be stuck in a messy situation
Take care of all of your memories, said Nick
For you cannot relive them
And remember when you're out there
Trying to heal the sick
That you must always first forgive them
Nick advised me to cherish my memories and let go of grudges if I want to help others
Open the door, Richard
I've heard it said before
Open the door, Richard
I've heard it said before
And I ain't gonna hear it said no more
We need to move forward and not keep repeating the same mistakes
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Bob Dylan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@bryankeisling132
Lyrics:
Now, there's a certain thing
That I learned from Jim
That he'd always make sure I'd understand
And that is that there's a certain way
We all must swim
If we expect to live off of the fat of the land
Open the door, Richard
I've heard it said before
Open the door, Richard
Heard his name before
But I ain't gonna hear it said no more
Now, there's a certain thing
That I learned from my friend, Mouse
That fella who never blushes
And that is that one must always
Flush out his house
If he don't expect to be housing flushes
Open the door, Richard
I've heard it said before
Open the door, Richard
I've heard it said before
But I ain't gonna hear it said no more
Take care of all of your memories, said Nick
For you cannot relive them
And remember when you're out there
Trying to heal the sick
That you must always first forgive them
Open the door, Richard
I've heard it said before
Open the door, Richard
I've heard it said before
And I ain't gonna hear it said no more
@monicatolipan3238
Every time I think I knew almost all Bob Dylan"s work, he surpises me again with great and fantastic new songs. It's a long, long road til I get there, isn't it? This one is absolutely gorgeous! Thanks so much.
@blueschewy2558
Life lessons from Jim, Mouse, and Nick. I never tire of this album.
@nealpomea2836
You must always first forgive them
@kanjiwooowooo3202
Play this live one day, Bobby
@user-ps3fe3ms2v
pin?
@bryankeisling132
Lyrics:
Now, there's a certain thing
That I learned from Jim
That he'd always make sure I'd understand
And that is that there's a certain way
We all must swim
If we expect to live off of the fat of the land
Open the door, Richard
I've heard it said before
Open the door, Richard
Heard his name before
But I ain't gonna hear it said no more
Now, there's a certain thing
That I learned from my friend, Mouse
That fella who never blushes
And that is that one must always
Flush out his house
If he don't expect to be housing flushes
Open the door, Richard
I've heard it said before
Open the door, Richard
I've heard it said before
But I ain't gonna hear it said no more
Take care of all of your memories, said Nick
For you cannot relive them
And remember when you're out there
Trying to heal the sick
That you must always first forgive them
Open the door, Richard
I've heard it said before
Open the door, Richard
I've heard it said before
And I ain't gonna hear it said no more
@eutoober
on Dylan's official website, the lyric reads that Mouse "always blushes". How do you hear it in the recording? I hear Mouse "never blushes".
@user-ps3fe3ms2v
mexico in june?
@jakedulln
learnt this one
@JoseGarcia-tu9qb
Bob!!!!!!