Bob Dylan's music files
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Bob Dylan's lyrics
1960s
1970s
1980s
1990s Lyrics Courtesy of Bob Dylan's official site
Man gave names to all the animals.
Man gave names to all the animals
In the beginning, in the beginning.
Man gave names to all the animals
In the beginning, long time ago
He saw an animal that liked to growl
Big furry paws and he liked to howl,
Great big furry back and furry hair.
"Ah, think I'll call it a bear."
Man gave names to all the animals
In the beginning, in the beginning.
Man gave names to all the animals
In the beginning, long time ago
He saw an animal up on a hill
Chewing up so much grass until she was filled.
he saw milk comin' out but he did'nt know how
"Ah, think I'll call it a cow."
Man gave names to all the animals
In the beginning, in the beginning.
Man gave names to all the animals
In the beginning, long time ago.
He saw an animal that liked to snort,
Horns on his head and they weren't too short.
It looked like there wasn't nothin' that he couldn't pull.
"Ah, think I'll call it a bull."
Man gave names to all the animals
In the beginning, in the beginning.
Man gave names to all the animals
In the beginning, long time ago.
He saw an animal leavin' a muddy trail,
Real dirty face and a curly tail.
He wasn't too small and he wasn't too big.
"Ah, think I'll call it a pig."
Man gave names to all the animals
Man gave names to all the animals
In the beginning, long time ago.
Next animal that he did meet
Had wool on his back and hooves on his feet,
Eating grass on a mountainside so steep.
"Ah, think I'll call it a sheep."
Man gave names to all the animals
In the beginning, in the beginning.
Man gave names to all the animals
In the beginning, long time ago.
He saw an animal as smooth as glass
Slithering his way through the grass.
Saw him disappear by a tree near a lake
They show me to the door,
They say don't come back no more
'Cause I don't be like they'd like me to,
And I walk out on my own
A thousand miles from home
But I don't feel alone
'Cause I believe in you.
I believe in you even through the tears
and the laughter,
I believe in you even though we be apart.
I believe in you even on the morning after.
Oh, when the dawn is nearing
Oh, when the night is disappearing
Oh, this feeling is still here in my heart.
Don't let me drift too far,
Keep me where you are
Where I will always be renewed.
And that which you've given me today
Is worth more than I could pay
And no matter what they say
I believe in you.
I believe in you when winter turn to summer
I believe in you when white turn to black,
I believe in you even though I be outnumbered.
Oh, though the earth may shake me
Oh, though my friends forsake me
Oh, even that couldn't make me go back.
Don't let me change my heart,
Keep me set apart
From all the plans they do pursue.
And I, I don't mind the pain
Don't mind the driving rain
I know I will sustain
'Cause I believe in you.
First Release
Slow Train Coming 1979
Gonna change my way of thinking,
Make myself a different set of rules.
Gonna change my way of thinking
Make myself a different set of rules
Gonna put my good foot forward
And stop being influenced by fools
So much oppression, Can't keep track of it no more.
So much oppression, Can't keep track of it no more.
Sons becoming husbands to their mothers,
And old men turning young daughters into whores
Stripes on your shoulders
Stripes on your back and on your hands
Stripes on your shoulders,
Stripes on your back and on your hands
Swords piercing your side
Blood and water flowing through the land
Well don't know which one is worse
Doing your own thing or just being cool.
Well don't know which one is worse
Doing your own thing or just being cool.
You remember only about the brass ring,
You forget all about the golden rule.
You can mislead a man
You can take ahold of his heart with your eyes.
You can mislead a man,
You can take ahold of his heart with your eyes
But there's only one authority
And that's the authority on high.
I got a God-fearing woman,
One I can easily afford.
I got a God-fearing woman,
One I can easily afford.
She can do the Georgia crawl,
She can walk in the spirit of the Lord
Jesus said, "Be ready, For you know not
the hour in which I come. " Jesus said, "Be ready,
For you know not the hour in which I come." He said,
"He who is not for Me is against Me," Just so you know
where He's coming from
There's a kingdom called Heaven, A place
where there is no pain of birth.
There's a kingdom called Heaven,
place where there is no pain of birth.
Well the Lord created it, mister,
About the same time He made the earth.
Covenant woman got a contract with the Lord
Way up yonder, great will be her reward.
Covenant woman, shining like a morning star,
I know I can trust you to stay where you are.
And I just got to tell you I do intend
To stay closer than any friend
I just got to thank you Once again
For making your prayers known
Unto heaven for me
And to you, always,
so grateful I will forever be
I've been broken, shattered like an
empty cup. I'm just waiting on the Lord
to rebuild and fill me up
And I know He will do it
'cause He's faithful and He's true,
He must have loved me so much
to send me someone as fine as you
And I just got to tell you I do intend
To stay closer than any friend
I just got to thank you Once again
For making your prayers known
Unto heaven for me And to you, always,
so grateful I will forever
Covenant woman, intimate little girl
Who knows those most secret things of me
that are hidden from the world.
You know we are strangers in a land we're passing
through. I'll always be right by your side,
I've got a covenant too.
And I just got to tell you I do intend
To stay closer than any friend
I just got to thank you Once again
For making your prayers known
Unto heaven for me
And to you, always,
so grateful I will forever be.
You have given everything to me.
What can I do for You?
You have given me eyes to see.
What can I do for You?
Pulled me out of bondage
and You made me renewed inside,
Filled up a hunger
that had always been denied,
Opened up a door no man can shut
and You opened it up so wide
And You've chosen me to be among the few.
What can I do for You?
You have laid down Your life for me.
What can I do for You?
You have explained every mystery.
What can I do for You?
Soon as a man is born,
you know the sparks begin to fly,
He gets wise in his own eyes
and he's made to believe a lie.
Who would deliver him
from the death he's bound to die?
Well, You've done it all
and there's no more anyone can pretend to do.
What can I do for You?
You have given all there is to give.
What can I do for You?
You have given me life to live.
How can I live for You?
I know all about poison,
I know all about fiery darts,
I don't care how rough the road is,
show me where it starts,
Whatever pleases You,
tell it to my heart.
Well, I don't deserve it
but I sure did make it through.
What can I do for You?
Don't wanna judge nobody,
don't wanna be judged,
Don't wanna touch nobody,
don't wanna be touched.
Don't wanna hurt nobody,
don't wanna be hurt,
Don't wanna treat nobody
like they was dirt.
But if you do right to me, baby,
I'll do right to you, too.
Ya got to do unto others
Like you'd have them, like you'd have them,
do unto you
Don't wanna shoot nobody,
don't wanna be shot,
Don't wanna buy nobody,
don't wanna be bought.
Don't wanna bury nobody,
don't wanna be buried,
Don't wanna marry nobody
if they're already married
But if you do right to me, baby,
I'll do right to you, too.
Ya got to do unto others
Like you'd have them,
like you'd have them,
do unto you.
Don't wanna burn nobody,
don't wanna be burned,
Don't wanna learn from nobody
what I gotta unlearn.
Don't wanna cheat nobody,
don't wanna be cheated,
Don't wanna defeat nobody
if they already been defeated
But if you do right to me, baby,
I'll do right to you, too.
Ya got to do unto others
Like you'd have them,
like you'd have them,
do unto you
Don't wanna wink at nobody,
don't wanna be winked at,
Don't wanna be used by nobody for a doormat.
Don't wanna confuse nobody, don't wanna be confused,
Don't wanna amuse nobody
don't wanna be amused
But if you do right to me, baby,
I'll do right to you, too.
Ya got to do unto others
Like you'd have them,
like you'd have them,
do unto you
Don't wanna betray nobody,
don't wanna be betrayed,
Don't wanna play with nobody,
don't wanna be waylaid.
Don't wanna miss nobody, don't wanna be missed,
Don't put my faith in nobody, not even a scientist.
But if you do right to me, baby,
I'll do right to you, too.
Ya got to do unto others
Like you'd have them,
like you'd have them,
do unto you
When they came for Him in the garden,
did they know?
When they came for Him in the garden, did they
know? Did they know He was the Son of God,
did they know that He was Lord?
Did they hear when He told Peter,
"Peter, put up your sword"?
When they came for Him in the garden, did they
know? When they came for Him in the garden,
did they know?
When He spoke to them in the city, did
they hear? When He spoke
to them in the city, did they hear?
Nicodemus came at night
so he wouldn't be seen by men
Saying, "Master, tell me why a man
must be born again."
When He spoke to them in
the city, did they hear?
When He spoke to them in the city,
did they hear?
When He healed the blind and crippled,
did they see? When He healed the blind and crippled,
did they see? When He said, "Pick up your bed and walk,
why must you criticize? Same thing My Father do,
I can do likewise."
When He healed
the blind and crippled, did they see? When He healed the blind and
crippled, did they see?
Did they speak out against Him, did they
dare? Did they speak out against Him, did they dare?
The multitude wanted to make Him king, put a crown upon His head
Why did He slip away to a quiet place instead?
Did they speak out against Him, did they dare?
Did they speak out against Him, did they dare?
When He rose from the dead, did they believe?
When He rose from the dead, did they believe?
He said, "All power is given to Me
in heaven and on earth." Did they know
right then and there what that power was worth?
When He rose from the dead, did they believe?
When He rose from the dead, did they believe?
He said, "All power is given to Me
in heaven and on earth." Did they know
right then and there what that power was worth?
When He rose from the dead, did they believe?
When He rose from the dead, did they
believe?
people starving and thirsting,
grain elevators are bursting Oh, you
know it costs more to store the food
than it do to give it. They say
lose your inhibitions, follow your own
ambitions, They talk about a
life of brotherly love, show me someone
who knows how to live it
There's a slow, slow train comin'
up around the bend."
.........
Talk, talk, talk --- nobody's living up
to the talk. Dylan wants to see just one (Echoes of Sodom and Gomorrah
--- "If I can find just one ....." And still, the train comes
on. Picking up speed.
...........
"Well, my baby went to Illinois with
some bad-talkin' boy she could destroy
A real suicide case, but there
was nothin' I could do to stop it, I don't care about economy, I
don't care about astronomy But it sure do bother me to see my loved
ones turning into puppets, There's a slow, slow train comin' up
around the bend."
..............
Why "Illinois?" Rhymes with destroy, of
course. Is there a reference here? Where did Sara go when
she moved out? Doesn't care about economy --- recall the
references above to foreign oil controlling American soil. Dylan doesn't
care --- he now tells us. That's not the real problem. The problem
is that we're puppets. Of whom? Perhaps Handy Dandy...
What a way to kick of an album! I
understand how Jann Wenner would want to defend this album (see the
quote at the beginning). But how did he come up with the argument
that Dylan had experienced no major changes? I am awestruck by this song. And hope to
hear it live in person only on tape) some day. I'm inclined to
close this commentary with the lyrics from George Jackson
(1971): "Sometimes I think this whole world Is
one big prison-yard Some
of us are prisoners The rest of us are
guards." Dylan travelled a long way between 1971 and 1978.
........
First Release Slow Train
Coming 1979
Precious angel, under the sun, How was I
to know you'd be the one
To show me I was blinded, to show me I
was gone How weak was the foundation I was standing
upon? Now there's spiritual warfare and flesh
and blood breaking down. Ya either got faith or ya got unbelief
and there ain't no neutral ground. The enemy is subtle, how be it
we are so deceived When the truth's in our hearts and we still
don't believe?
Shine your light, shine your light on me
Shine your light, shine your light on me Shine your light, shine your
light on me Ya know I just couldn't make it by myself. I'm a little
too blind to see.
My so-called friends have fallen under a
spell. They look me squarely in the eye and they say, "All
is well." Can they imagine the darkness that will fall from on high
When men will beg God to kill them and they won't be able to
die?
Sister, lemme tell you about a vision I saw. You were drawing
water for your husband, you were
suffering under the law. You were telling him about Buddha, you were
telling him about Mohammed in the same breath. You never mentioned one time
the Man who came and died a criminal's death.
Shine your light, shine your light on me
Shine your light, shine your light on me Shine your light, shine your
light on me Ya know I just couldn't make it by myself. I'm a little
too blind to see.
Precious angel, you believe me when I
say What God has given to us no man can take away. We are covered
in blood, girl, you know our forefathers were slaves. Let us hope
they've found mercy in their bone-filled graves.
You're the queen of my flesh, girl,
you're my woman, you're my delight, You're the lamp of my soul,
girl, and you touch up the night. But there's violence in the eyes,
girl, so let us not be enticed On the way out of Egypt, through
Ethiopia, to the judgment hall of Christ.
Shine your light, shine your light on me
Shine your light, shine your light on me Shine your light, shine your
light on me Ya know I just couldn't make it by myself. I'm a little
too blind to see.
Well I'm pressing on Yes, I'm pressing
on Well I'm pressing on To the higher calling of my Lord.
Many try to stop me, shake me up in my
mind, Say, "Prove to me that He is Lord, show me a sign." What
kind of sign they need when it all come from within, When
what's lost has been found, what's to come has already been?
Well I'm pressing on Yes, I'm pressing
on Well I'm pressing on To the higher calling of my Lord.
Shake the dust off of your feet, don't
look back. Nothing now can hold you down, nothing that you lack.
Temptation's not an easy thing, Adam given the devil reign
Because he sinned I got no choice, it run in my vein.
Well I'm pressing on Yes, I'm pressing
on Well I'm pressing on To the higher calling of my Lord.
I was blinded by the devil, Born already
ruined, Stone-cold dead As I stepped out of the womb.
By His grace I have been touched, By His word I have been healed,
By His hand I've been delivered, By His spirit I've been sealed.
I've been saved By the blood of the
lamb, Saved By the blood of the lamb,
Saved, Saved, And I'm so glad.
Yes, I'm so glad, I'm so glad, So glad, I want to thank You,
Lord, I just want to thank You, Lord, Thank You, Lord.
By His truth I can be upright, By His
strength I do endure, By His power I've been lifted,
In His love I am secure. He bought me with a price,
Freed me from the pit, Full of emptiness and wrath
And the fire that burns in it.
I've been saved By the blood of the
lamb, Saved By the blood of the lamb, Saved, Saved,
And I'm so glad. Yes, I'm so glad, I'm so glad, So glad,
I want to thank You, Lord, I just want to thank You,Lord,
Thank You, Lord.
Nobody to rescue me, Nobody would dare,
I was going down for the last time, But by His mercy I've
been spared. Not by works, But by faith in Him who called, For so
long I've been hindered, For so long I've been stalled.
I've been saved By the blood of the
lamb, Saved By the blood of the lamb, Saved, Saved, And I'm so glad.
Yes, I'm so glad, I'm so glad, So glad, I want to thank You,
Lord, I just want to thank You, Lord, Thank You, Lord.
If You find it in Your heart, can I be
forgiven? Guess I owe You some kind of apology. I've escaped death
so many times, I know I'm only living By the saving grace
that's over me.
By this time I'd-a thought I would be
sleeping In a pine box for all eternity. My faith keeps me alive, but I
still be weeping For the saving grace that's over me.
Well, the death of life, then come the
resurrection, Wherever I am welcome is where I'll be.
I put all my confidence in Him, my sole protection Is the saving grace that's
over me.
Well, the devil's shining light, it can
be most blinding, But to search for love, that ain't no more than
vanity. As I look around this world
all that I'm finding Is the saving grace
that's over me.
The wicked know no peace and you just
can't fake it, There's only one road and it leads to Calvary. It
gets discouraging at times, but I know I'll make it By the saving grace
that's over me.
You might be a rock 'n' roll addict prancing on the stage,
You might have drugs at your command,
women in a cage, You may be a business man or some
high degree thief, They may call you Doctor or they may
call you Chief But you're gonna have to serve
somebody, yes indeed You're gonna have to serve
somebody, Well, it may be the devil or it may
be the Lord But you're gonna have to serve
somebody.
You may be a state trooper, you might
be a young Turk, You may be the head of some big TV
network, You may be rich or poor, you may be
blind or lame, You may be living in another country
under another name But you're gonna have to serve
somebody, yes indeed You're gonna have to serve
somebody, Well, it may be the devil or it may
be the Lord But you're gonna have to serve
somebody. You may be a construction worker
working on a home, You may be living in a mansion or you
might live in a dome, You might own guns and you might even
own tanks, You might be somebody's landlord, you
might even own banks But you're gonna have to serve
somebody, yes indeed You're gonna have to serve
somebody, Well, it may be the devil or it may
be the Lord But you're gonna have to serve
somebody.
You may be a preacher with your
spiritual pride, You may be a city councilman taking
bribes on the side, you may be workin' in a barbershop,
you may know how to cut hair, You may be somebody's mistress, may
be somebody's heir But you're gonna have to serve
somebody, yes indeed You're gonna have to serve
somebody, Well, it may be the devil or it may
be the Lord But you're gonna have to serve
somebody.
Might like to wear cotton, might like
to wear silk, Might like to drink whiskey, might
like to drink milk, You might like to eat caviar, you
might like to eat bread, You may be sleeping on the floor,
sleeping in a king-sized bed But you're gonna have to serve
somebody, yes indeed You're gonna have to serve
somebody, Well, it may be the devil or it may
be the Lord But you're gonna have to serve
somebody.
You may call me Terry, you may call
me Timmy, You may call me Bobby, you may call
me Zimmy, You may call me R.J., you may call me
Ray, You may call me anything but no
matter what you say You're gonna have to serve somebody,
yes indeed You're gonna have to serve
somebody. Well, it may be the devil or it may
be the Lord But you're gonna have to serve
somebody.
First Release Slow Train Coming 1979
Sometimes I feel so low-down and
disgusted Can't help but wonder what's
happenin' to my companions, Are they lost or are they found,
have they counted the cost it'll take to bring down
All their earthly principles they're
gonna have to abandon?
There's a slow, slow train comin' up
around the bend.
I had a woman down in Alabama,
She was a backwoods girl, but she sure was realistic,
She said, "Boy, without a doubt, have
to quit your mess and straighten out, You could die down here, be just
another accident statistic. " There's a slow, slow train comin'
up around the bend.
All that foreign oil controlling
American soil, Look around you, it's just bound to
make you embarrassed. Sheiks walkin' around like kings,
wearing fancy jewels and nose rings, Deciding America's future from
Amsterdam and to Paris
And there's a slow, slow train comin'
up around the bend.
Man's ego is inflated, his laws are
outdated, they don't apply no more,
You can't rely no more to be standin'
around waitin' In the home of the brave, Jefferson
turnin' over in his grave, Fools glorifying themselves, trying
to manipulate Satan
And there's a slow, slow train comin'
up around the bend.
Big-time negotiators, false healers
and woman haters, Masters of the bluff and masters of
the proposition But the enemy I see wears a cloak of
decency, All non-believers and men stealers
talkin' in the name of religion
And there's a slow, slow train comin'
up around the bend.
People starving and thirsting, grain
elevators are bursting Oh, you know it costs more to store
the food than it do to give it. They say lose your inhibitions,
follow your own ambitions, They talk about a life of brotherly
love, show me someone who knows how to live it.
There's a slow,
slow train comin' up around the bend.
Well, my baby went to Illinois with
some bad-talkin' boy she could destroy A real suicide case, but there was
nothin' I could do to stop it, I don't care about economy, I don't
care about astronomy But it sure do bother me to see my
loved ones turning into puppets,
There's a slow, slow train comin' up
around the bend.
Well, I'm hangin' on to a solid rock
Made before the foundation of the world
And I won't let go, and I can't let
go, won't let go And I can't let go, won't let go, and
I can't let go no more.
For me He was chastised, for me He
was hated, For me he was rejected by a world
that He created. Nations are angry, cursed are some,
People are expecting a false peace to come.
Well, I'm hangin' on to a solid rock
Made before the foundation of the
world
And I won't let go, and I can't let
go, won't let go And I can't let go, won't let go, and
I can't let go no more.
It's the ways of the flesh to war
against the spirit Twenty-four hours a day you can feel
it and you can hear it Using all the devices under the sun.
And He never give up 'til the
battle's lost or won. Well, I'm hangin' on to a solid rock
Made before the foundation of the
world And I won't let go, and I can't let
go, won't let go And I can't let go, won't let go, and
I can't let go no more.
God don't make no promises that He
don't keep. You got some big dreams, baby, but in
order to dream you gotta still be asleep.
When you gonna wake up, when you
gonna wake up When you gonna wake up and strengthen
the things that remain?
Counterfeit philosophies have
polluted all of your thoughts. Karl Marx has got ya by the throat,
Henry Kissinger's got you tied up in knots.
When you gonna wake up, when you
gonna wake up When you gonna wake up and strengthen
the things that remain?
You got innocent men in jail, your
insane asylums are filled, You got unrighteous doctors dealing
drugs that'll never cure your ills.
When you gonna wake up, when you
gonna wake up When you gonna wake up and strengthen
the things that remain?
You got men who can't hold their
peace and women who can't control their tongues,
The rich seduce the poor and the old
are seduced by the young.
When you gonna wake up, when you
gonna wake up When you gonna wake up and strengthen
the things that remain? Adulterers in churches and
pornography in the schools, You got gangsters in power and
lawbreakers making rules.
When you gonna wake up, when you
gonna wake up When you gonna wake up and strengthen
the things that remain?
Spiritual advisors and gurus to guide
your every move, Instant inner peace and every step
you take has got to be approved.
When you gonna wake up, when you
gonna wake up When you gonna wake up and strengthen
the things that remain?
Do you ever wonder just what God
requires? You think He's just an errand boy to satisfy your wandering desires.
When you gonna wake up, when you gonna wake up
When you gonna wake up and strengthen
the things that remain?
You can't take it with you and you
know that it's too worthless to be sold, They tell you, "Time is money" as if
your life was worth its weight in gold.
When you gonna wake up, when you
gonna wake up When you gonna wake up and strengthen
the things that remain?
There's a Man up on a cross and He's
been crucified. Do you have any idea why or for who
He died?
When you gonna wake up, when you
gonna wake up When you gonna wake up and strengthen
the things that remain?
The iron hand it ain't no match for
the iron rod, The strongest wall will crumble and
fall to a mighty God. For all those who have eyes and all
those who have ears It is only He who can reduce me to
tears. Don't you cry and don't you die and
don't you burn For like a thief in the night,
He'll replace wrong with right When
He returns.
Truth is an arrow and the gate is
narrow that it passes through, He unleashed His power at an unknown
hour that no one knew. How long can I listen to the lies of
prejudice? How long can I stay drunk on fear out
in the wilderness? Can I cast it aside, all this loyalty
and this pride? Will I ever learn that there'll be no
peace, that the war won't cease Until He returns?
Surrender your crown on this
blood-stained ground, take off your mask,
He sees your deeds,
He knows your needs even before you ask. How long can you falsify and deny
what is real? How long can you hate yourself for
the weakness you conceal? Of every earthly plan that be known
to man, He is unconcerned, He's got plans of His own to set up
His throne When He returns.
