Ballad Of A Thin Man
Kula Shaker Lyrics
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With your pencil in your hand
You see somebody naked
And you say, "Who is that man?"
You try so hard
But you don't understand
Just what you'll say
When you get home
Cause you know something is happening
But you don't know what it is
Do you, Mister Jones?
You raise up your head
You ask, "Is this where it is?"
Somebody points to you and says
"It's his"
You say, "What's mine?"
Somebody else says, "Where what is?"
And you say, "Oh my God
Am I here all alone?"
Cause you know something is happening
But you don't know what it is
Do you, Mister Jones?
You have many contacts
Among the lumberjacks
To get you facts
When someone attacks your imagination
Nobody has any respect
Anyhow they already expect you
To just give a check to you
To tax-deductible charity organizations
Cause you know something is happening
But you don't know what it is
Do you, Mister Jones?
Now you see this one-eyed midget
Shouting the word "NOW"
And you say, "For what reason?"
And he says, "How?"
And you say, "What does this mean?"
And he screams back, "You're a cow
Give me some milk
Or else go home"
Cause you know something is happening
But you don't know what it is
Do you, Mister Jones?
When you walk into the room
Like a camel and then you frown
You put your eyes in your pocket
And your nose on the ground
There should be a law
Against you comin' around
You should be made
To wear earphones
Cause you know something is happening
But you don't know what it is
Do you, Mister Jones?
“Ballad of a Thin Man” by Kula Shaker is a version of the classic Bob Dylan song from his 1965 album “Highway 61 Revisited”. The song is a multi-layered, surrealistic piece of literature that attacks the apathy and ignorance of society. The lyrics are peppered with cryptic images which are used to cleverly critique humanity. When Dylan says “You see somebody naked and you say, ‘Who is that man?’” he means that the characters in the song are hypocritical and haughty, lacking any depth of understanding. The singer “Mister Jones” is ignorant and constantly confused, as demonstrated in the lines “Somebody points to you and says / It's his / You say, ‘What's mine?’ / Somebody else says, ‘Where what is?’ / And you say, ‘Oh my God / Am I here all alone?’”
“Ballad of a Thin Man” is clearly critical of certain aspects of society. Dylan’s lyrics are nuanced and complex, but they never lose sight of the underlying message of the song, which is that the world is in a state of confusion and ignorance. The song condemns and ridicules those who cannot understand, who are unable to see the bigger picture or to identify with the deeper meaning behind everyday events. Finally, the bizarre and surreal images of the “one-eyed midget shouting the word ‘NOW’” and the singer “put[ting] his eyes in his pocket and his nose on the ground” serve to reinforce this message of societal disorientation.
Line by Line Meaning
You walk into the room
You enter the room
With your pencil in your hand
With your writing tool held tight in your palm
You see somebody naked
You catch a glimpse of someone without their clothes
And you say, "Who is that man?"
And you ask, "Who is this person?"
You try so hard
You make a valiant attempt
But you don't understand
But you fail to grasp
Just what you'll say
Exactly what you will state
When you get home
Upon your return
Cause you know something is happening
Because you sense something is unfolding
But you don't know what it is
But you are unsure of what it might be
Do you, Mister Jones?
Do you have any idea, Mister Jones?
You raise up your head
You lift your face up
You ask, "Is this where it is?"
You inquire, "Is this the right location?"
Somebody points to you and says
Someone gestures toward you and exclaims
"It's his"
"It belongs to him"
You say, "What's mine?"
You ask, "What belongs to me?"
Somebody else says, "Where what is?"
Another person asks, "Where is what?"
And you say, "Oh my God
And you gasp, "Oh dear
Am I here all alone?"
Am I standing here by myself?"
You have many contacts
You have numerous acquaintances
Among the lumberjacks
Including those who work in the timber industry
To get you facts
To provide you with information
When someone attacks your imagination
When someone challenges your creativity
Nobody has any respect
No one has any reverence
Anyhow they already expect you
In any event, they already assume you
To just give a check to you
To simply write you a check
To tax-deductible charity organizations
To nonprofit groups that qualify for tax exemptions
Now you see this one-eyed midget
Now you spot this small person with only one functioning eye
Shouting the word "NOW"
Yelling out the term "Now"
And you say, "For what reason?"
And you ask, "Why?"
And he says, "How?"
And he answers, "What do you mean?"
And you say, "What does this mean?"
And you inquire, "What does this signify?"
And he screams back, "You're a cow
And he yells in response, "You're a coward
Give me some milk
Provide me with what I require
Or else go home"
Or else leave this place."
When you walk into the room
When you enter the area
Like a camel and then you frown
Like a hump-backed animal and then you scowl
You put your eyes in your pocket
You conceal your eyes in your clothing
And your nose on the ground
And you lower your nose toward the floor
There should be a law
There ought to be a regulation
Against you comin' around
Preventing you from visiting
You should be made
You deserve to be obligated
To wear earphones
To have headphones covering your ears
Cause you know something is happening
Because you are convinced that something is transpiring
But you don't know what it is
But you have no idea what it could be
Do you, Mister Jones?
Do you comprehend it, Mister Jones?
Contributed by Nathaniel I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.