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.
Ruben Remus
Bob Dylan and The Band Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Put it in your hat
'Cause there's no one to read it
And I know you knew that
I bought a joke, a trick or two
Just to bring and show you
Caught ya with the trickster too
Sometimes I wonder how ya knew
Ruben Remus ain't no doctor
I knew the man and tried to remember
Just where it was that I'd seen his face
Long ago, in a movie show
He was like that man singin' bass
Knew him by his nursery rhyme
The 'Story Of The Rabbit Man'
Fell right in and said to him
"I'd like to help you if I can"
I know the film would only shock ya
Ruben Remus ain't no doctor
He only needed what you had
Asked for nothing more
Said he'd like to take you on
But it's been done before
You couldn't see he's a travelin' man
And he cannot take your hand
It's very hard to understand
Why his songs were never banned
Guess the man would never knock ya
Ruben Remus ain't no doctor
No one seen ya since he's been gone
It's been a day, maybe more
I took a walk in your yard
And knocked on your back door
Why don't you let me in?
I'm not the one who did ya in
Is Mr. Remus still your friend?
You say you don't remember him
Turn me down, would ya?
Well, I've got news for you
Turn me down would ya?
Can't ya tell?
I'm gonna change your mind before I'm
Through
In "Ruben Remus," Bob Dylan tells the story of a conman, Ruben Remus, who tricks a man into giving him everything he has. The singer is writing a letter to the victim, who is not present, describing how Remus fooled him. He also bought some jokes and tricks to show him, but it seems like it was Remus who tricked him with his fancy talk.
Dylan then reminisces about remembering where he saw Ruben's face before. He said he saw him in a movie show a long time ago and heard his nursery rhyme, "The Story Of The Rabbit Man." Dylan tells the victim that Remus only needed what he had, and nothing more. He warned him that Remus cannot take his hand, and his songs were never banned, meaning he was a fraud all along. In the end, the song turns to focus on the victim himself. Dylan questions his whereabouts and recalls how he took a walk on his yard and knocked on his back door. He tries to enter and convince him that he's not the one who did him in, but the victim turns him down.
Overall, the song is about deception and manipulation. Ruben Remus is a conman who preys on innocent people, and the singer's attempt to warn the victim shows the consequences of trusting too much too fast.
Line by Line Meaning
Wrote a letter this mornin'
I wrote a letter this morning
Put it in your hat
I put it in your hat
'Cause there's no one to read it
Because there's no one to read it
And I know you knew that
And I know you knew that
I bought a joke, a trick or two
I bought a joke or two, to make you laugh
Just to bring and show you
Just to bring and show you
Caught ya with the trickster too
Caught you with the trickster too
Sometimes I wonder how ya knew
Sometimes I wonder how you knew
A hypnotist, fancy talker
A hypnotist, fancy talker
Ruben Remus ain't no doctor
Ruben Remus is not a doctor
I knew the man and tried to remember
I knew the man and tried to remember
Just where it was that I'd seen his face
Just where it was that I'd seen his face
Long ago, in a movie show
Long ago, in a movie show
He was like that man singin' bass
He was like that man singing bass
Knew him by his nursery rhyme
I knew him by his nursery rhyme
The 'Story Of The Rabbit Man'
The story of the rabbit man
Fell right in and said to him
I fell right in and said to him
"I'd like to help you if I can"
"I'd like to help you if I can"
I know the film would only shock ya
I know the film would only shock you
Ruben Remus ain't no doctor
Ruben Remus is not a doctor
He only needed what you had
He only needed what you had
Asked for nothing more
Asked for nothing more
Said he'd like to take you on
Said he'd like to take you on
But it's been done before
But it's been done before
You couldn't see he's a travelin' man
You couldn't see he's a traveling man
And he cannot take your hand
And he cannot take your hand
It's very hard to understand
It's very hard to understand
Why his songs were never banned
Why his songs were never banned
Guess the man would never knock ya
Guess the man would never knock you
Ruben Remus ain't no doctor
Ruben Remus is not a doctor
No one seen ya since he's been gone
No one has seen you since he's been gone
It's been a day, maybe more
It's been a day, maybe more
I took a walk in your yard
I took a walk in your yard
And knocked on your back door
And knocked on your back door
Why don't you let me in?
Why don't you let me in?
I'm not the one who did ya in
I'm not the one who did you in
Is Mr. Remus still your friend?
Is Mr. Remus still your friend?
You say you don't remember him
You say you don't remember him
Turn me down, would ya?
Turn me down, would you?
Well, I've got news for you
I've got news for you
Can't ya tell?
Can't you tell?
I'm gonna change your mind before I'm Through
I'm going to change your mind before I'm through
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: RICHARD MANUEL, RICHARD G. MANUEL, ROBBIE ROBERTSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@blueschewy2558
Perfection.
@justincase4812
So glad these on here now. My LP is wearing smooth.
@wongnaichungrd
Brilliant. I can’t remember Richard writing a bad song.
@JorgeLMarquezsM
Inigualables
@tvwatching4427
I wish someone would comment on their interpretation of this song. It always struck me as having these dark and obsessive undertones with the singer really building up most of the song's narrative in his head the way a stalker may imagine a relationship with someone, especially the end seems to signal this to me "No one's seen you since he's been gone/It's been a day maybe more" (only a day?) and "Why won't you let me in/I'm not the one who did you in?" and of course the last verses "Turn me down would you?/Well I've got news for you". Anyway I think it's about time people discussed the meaning of this song lol at least among fans of the Band and Richard.
@johnmacdonald7372
Love richard, RIP. Sad how few have heard this.
@marcyfan-tz4wj
i love the other guys but especially at this point richard was the kingpin and yes, it is sad how few people have singled this tune out...
@RoyFive
Rick!