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.

You Win Again
Bob Dylan and The Band Lyrics

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The news is out, all over town
That you've been seen, a-runnin' round
I know that I should leave but then
I just can't go, you win again

This heart of mine could never see
What everybody knew but me
Just trusting you was my great sin

What can I do, you win again

I'm sorry for your victim now
'Cause soon his head like mine will bow
You'll use his heart, but all in vain
And someday say, you win again

You have no heart, you have no shame
You take true love and give the blame

I guess that I should not complain
I love you still, you win again

Overall Meaning

In You Win Again by Bob Dylan and The Band, the singer seems to be addressing a lover who has been cheating on him. The news of the lover's infidelity has spread around town and despite being aware of it, the singer has difficulty leaving them. The singer's heart was blinded by love for the lover and now realizes that the trust was misplaced. The lover is accused of being heartless, disgraceful, and taking true love for granted.

The lyrics suggest a classic scenario in love, where one partner cheats and the other knowing the situation, still finds it hard to leave. The theme of betrayal and heartbreak is a familiar one for Bob Dylan and can be seen in many of his songs. Dylan's ability to articulate the emotional complexities of relationships is unrivaled, and the way he sings about them is both relatable and universal. You Win Again showcases this talent and highlights Dylan's ability to turn everyday situations into poetic art.

You Win AgainBob Dylan and The Band Lyrics

You Win Again
Bob Dylan and The Band Lyrics