Favorite Song Lyrics

Dylan's stuff is as poignant now as it was then

Well, John the Baptist, after torturing a thief
Looks up at his hero, the Commander-in-Chief
Saying, "Tell me, great hero, but please make it brief
Is there a hole for me to get sick in?"

The Commander-in-Chief answers him while chasing a fly
Saying, "Death to all those who would whimper and cry"
And, dropping a barbell, he points to the sky
Saying, "The sun's not yellow, it's chicken"

Mama's in the factory, she ain't got no shoes
Daddy's in the alley, he's lookin' for food
I'm in the kitchen with the tombstone blues

Dylan 2000 - Tombstone Blues
https://youtu.be/gjB9ESps4GA

What are those lyrics about?

While preachers preach of evil fates
Teachers teach that knowledge waits
Can lead to hundred-dollar plates
Goodness hides behind its gates
But even the president of the United States
Sometimes must have to stand naked

An' though the rules of the road have been lodged
It's only people's games that you got to dodge
And it's alright, Ma, I can make it

Dylan - It's alright, ma(i'm only bleeding) 30th anniversary concert -
https://youtu.be/bLPajj7I2BE

She wore scarlet begonias tucked into her shoe

Lyrics are all the same. Maybe three or four themes. 

this like asking what my favorite flavor ice cream is, can't do it, changes everyday. this one is pretty great

These mist covered mountains
Are a home now for me
But my home is the lowlands
And always will be
Someday you'll return to
Your valleys and your farms
And you'll no longer burn to be
Brothers in arms

Through these fields of destruction
Baptisms of fire
I've witnessed your suffering
As the battle raged higher
And though they did hurt me so bad
In the fear and alarm
You did not desert me
My brothers in arms

There's so many different worlds
So many different suns
And we have just one world
But we…

Wish I was a headlight

On a northbound train

I'd shine my light

through the cool Colorado rain

I don't know what they have to say
it makes no difference anyway
whatever it is, I'm against it
no matter what it is or who commenced it
I'm against it

Your proposition may be good
but let's have one thing understood
whatever it is, I'm against it
and even when you've changed it or condensed it
I'm against it
 

It is what it is

'Til it ain't anymore.

 I am just an advertisement

For a version of myself 

David Byrne 

Do you have the time to listen to me whine?

Sometimes, I give myself the creeps.

Sometimes, my mind plays tricks on me.

You've torn your dress, your face is a mess
You can't get enough, but enough ain't the test
You've got your transmission and your live wire
You got your cue line and a handful of ludes
You wanna be there when they count up the dudes
And I love your dress
You're a juvenile success
Because your face is a mess
So how could they know?
I said, how could they know?

rock and roll baby

Headshake (kid-shaped?)
Torture Chamber
The midget head calls you in
The man with the xylocaine lung points to a door
Inside that chamber she reveals her blue-green flesh
Her lurid nylon wig, burning in the corner

Ah, you're just a spurting bottle raincoat on a boxcar going nowhere

MacArthur's Park is melting in the dark
All the sweet, green icing flowing down
Someone left the cake out in the rain
I don't think that I can take it
'Cause it took so long to bake it
And I'll never have that recipe again
Oh no!

I got turned on to this Gordon Lightfoot tune via Tony Rice:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=sPiOAK08-a4

"Cold On The Shoulder"

All you need is time
All you need is time, time, time to make me bend 
Give it a try, don't be rude
Put it to the test and I'll give it right back to you 

It's cold on the shoulder
And you know that we get a little older every day 

Kick it around, take it to town
Try to defy what you feel inside
You better be strong
Your love belongs to us 

It's cold on the shoulder
And you know that we get a little older every day 

All I need is trust
All I need is trust, trust, trust to make it show
I don't want to know everything you done
If you get a tip then tell it to the eskimos 

It's cold on the shoulder
And you know that we get a little older every day
It's cold on the shoulder
And you know that we get a little older every day 

All we need is faith
All we need is faith, faith, faith to make it nice
Kick it around, don't be rude
If you're gonna make a mistake don't you make it twice 

It's cold on the shoulder
And you know that we get a little older every day
It's cold on the shoulder
And you know that we get a little older every day
It's cold on the shoulder
And you know that we get a little older every day
It's cold on the shoulder
And you know that we get a little older every day

Cosmik Debris

Frank Zappa

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wtx4ZJ1cwI0

The Mystery Man came over
An' he said: "I'm outa-site!"
He said, for a nominal service charge,
I could reach nervonna t'nite
If I was ready, willing 'n able
To pay him his regular fee
He would drop all the rest of his pressing affairs
And devote His Attention to me
But I said...
Look here brother,
Who you jivin' with that Cosmik Debris?
(Now who you jivin' with that Cosmik Debris?)
Look here brother,
Don't you waste your time on me

The Mystery Man got nervous
An' he fidget around a bit
He reached in the pocket of his Mystery Robe
An' he whipped out a shaving kit
Now, I thought it was a razor
An' a can of foamin' goo
But he told me right then when the top popped open
There was nothin' his box won't do
With the oil of Afro-dytee
An' the dust of the Grand Wazoo
He said:
"You might not believe this, little fella, but it'll cure your Asthma too!"
An' I said...
Look here brother,
Who you jivin' with that Cosmik Debris?
(Now what kind of a geroo are you anyway?)
Look here brother,
Don't you waste your time on me
Don't waste yer time...

I've got troubles of my own, I said
An' you can't help me out
So take your meditations an' your preparations
An' ram it up yer snout
"BUT I GOT A KRISTL BOL!," he said
An' held it to the light
So I snatched it
All away from him
An' I showed him how to do it right
I wrapped a newspaper 'round my head
So I'd look like I was Deep
I said some Mumbo Jumbos then
An' told him he was goin' to sleep
I robbed his rings
An' pocket watch
An' everything else I found
I had that sucker hypnotized
He couldn't even make a sound
I proceeded to tell him his future then
As long as he was hanging around,
I said
"The price of meat has just gone up
An' yer ol' lady has just gone down..."
Look here brother,
Who you jivin' with that Cosmik Debris?
(Now is that a real poncho or is that a Sears poncho?)
Don't you know,
You could make more money as a butcher,
So don't you waste your time on me
(Don't waste it, don't waste your time on me...)
Ohm shonty, ohm shonty, ohm shonty-ohm
SSHONTAY

Bob Dylan 

Isis

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=INilAY6aJTc

I married Isis on the fifth day of May
But I could not hold on to her very long
So I cut off my hair and I rode straight away
For the wild unknown country where I could not go wrong.

I came to a high place of darkness and light
The dividing line ran through the center of town
I hitched up my pony to a post on the right
Went in to a laundry to wash my clothes down.

A man in the corner approached me for a match
I knew right away he was not ordinary
He said "Are you looking for something easy to catch ?"
I said "I got no money". He said "That ain't necessary".

We set out that night for the cold in the North
I gave him my blanket he gave me his word
I said "Where are we going ?" He said "We'd be back by the fourth"
I said "That's the best new that I've ever heard".

I was thinking about turquoise I was thinking about gold
I was thinking about diamonds and the world's biggest necklace
As we rode through the canyons through the devilish cold
I was thinking about Isis how she thought I was so reckless.

How she told me that one day we meet up again
And things would be different the next time we wed
If I only could hang on and just be her friend
I still can't remember all the best things she said.

We came to the pyramids all embedded in ice
He said "There's a body I'm trying to find
If I carry it out it'll bring a good prize"
It was then that I knew what he had on his mind.

The wind it was howling and the snow was outrageous
We chopped through the night and we chopped through the dawn
When he died I was hoping that it wasn't contagious
But I made up my mind that I had to go on.
I broke into the tomb but the casket was empty
There was no jewels no nothing I felt I'd been had
When I saw that my partner was just being friendly
When I took up his offer I must-a been mad.

I picked up his body and I dragged him inside
Threw him down in the hole and I put back the cover
I said a quick prayer and I felt satisfied
Then I rode back to find Isis just to tell her I love her.

She was there in the meadow where the creek used to rise
Blinded by sleep and in need of a bed
I came in from the East with the sun in my eyes
I cursed her one time then I rode on ahead.

She said "Where ya been ?" I said "No place special ?"
She said "You look different" I said "Well I guess"
She said "You been gone" I said "That's only natural"
She said "You gonna stay ?" I said "If you want me to, Yeah ".

Isis oh Isis you mystical child
What drives me to you is what drives me insane
I still can remember the way that you smiled
On the fifth day of May in the drizzling rain.

Let them leave you up in the air
Let them brush your rock and roll hair
Let the good times roll

RIP Ric Ocasek

Such a long, long time to be gone

And a short time to be there

Help me if you can, I'm feeling down
And I do appreciate you being 'round
Help me get my feet back on the ground
Won't you please, please help me?