Desolation Row Lyrics

Song	Desolation Row
Artist	Bob Dylan
Album	The Bootleg Series, Vol. 7: No Direction Home - The Soundtrack
Download	Image LRC TXT

[00:05.19]	They're selling postcards of the hanging
[00:10.57]	They're painting the passports brown
[00:15.56]	The beauty parlor is filled with sailors
[00:21.13]	The circus is in town
[00:26.00]	Here comes the blind commissioner
[00:32.95]	They've got him in a trance
[00:38.00]	One hand is tied to the tight-rope walker
[00:40.64]
[00:43.51]	The other is in his pants
[00:50.01]	And the riot squad they're restless
[00:55.33]	They need somewhere to go
[01:00.32]	As Lady and I look out tonight
[01:04.88]	From Desolation Row
[01:17.26]	Cinderella, she seems so easy
[01:22.64]	"It takes one to know one," she smiles
[01:27.20]	And puts her hands in her back pockets
[01:33.51]	Bette Davis style
[01:37.76]	And in comes Romeo, he's moaning
[01:41.76]	"You Belong to Me I Believe"
[01:47.72]	And someone says," You're in the wrong place, my friend
[01:52.90]	You better leave"
[01:57.40]	And the only sound that's left
[02:02.53]	After the ambulances go
[02:07.59]	Is Cinderella sweeping up
[02:10.15]
[02:13.02]	On Desolation Row
[02:24.21]	Now the moon is almost hidden
[02:29.33]	The stars are beginning to hide
[02:34.71]	The fortunetelling lady
[02:39.02]	Has even taken all her things inside
[02:44.21]	All except for Cain and Abel
[02:49.14]	And the hunchback of Notre Dame
[02:54.40]	Everybody is making love
[02:59.08]	Or else expecting rain
[03:04.08]	And the Good Samaritan, he's dressing
[03:08.57]	He's getting ready for the show
[03:14.13]	He's going to the carnival tonight
[03:20.12]	On Desolation Row
[03:31.06]	Now Ophelia, she's 'neath the window
[03:36.18]	For her I feel so afraid
[03:41.12]	On her twenty-second birthday
[03:45.74]	She already is an old maid
[03:53.01]	To her, death is quite romantic
[03:58.45]	She wears an iron vest
[04:03.45]	Her profession's her religion
[04:08.26]	Her sin is her lifelessness
[04:13.07]	And though her eyes are fixed upon
[04:18.26]	Noah's great rainbow
[04:23.13]	She spends her time peeking
[04:26.76]	Into Desolation Row
[04:40.39]	Einstein, disguised as Robin Hood
[04:44.82]	With his memories in a trunk
[04:50.20]	Passed this way an hour ago
[04:54.64]	With his friend, a jealous monk
[05:02.14]	He looked so immaculately frightful
[05:07.14]	As he bummed a cigarette
[05:11.89]	Then he went off sniffing drainpipes
[05:16.39]	And reciting the alphabet
[05:21.51]	Now you would not think to look at him
[05:26.26]	But he was famous long ago
[05:31.51]	For playing the electric violin
[05:35.95]	On Desolation Row
[05:50.63]	Dr. Filth, he keeps his world
[05:55.76]	Inside of a leather cup
[06:00.32]	But all his sexless patients
[06:05.32]	They're trying to blow it up
[06:09.95]	Now his nurse, some local loser
[06:14.95]	She's in charge of the cyanide hose
[06:20.01]	And she also keeps the cards that read
[06:24.57]	"Have Mercy on His Soul"
[06:29.57]	They all play on penny whistles
[06:34.76]	You can hear them blow
[06:39.39]	If you lean your head out far enough
[06:43.88]	From Desolation Row
[06:58.64]	Across the street they've nailed the curtains
[07:03.00]	They're getting ready for the feast
[07:08.32]	The Phantom of the Opera
[07:12.57]	A perfect image of a priest
[07:19.07]	They're spoonfeeding Casanova
[07:24.07]	To get him to feel more assured
[07:28.57]	Then they'll kill him with self-confidence
[07:33.20]	After poisoning him with words
[07:40.63]	And the Phantom's shouting to skinny girls
[07:45.57]	"Get Outa Here If You Don't Know
[07:50.45]	Casanova is just being punished for going
[07:55.88]	To Desolation Row"
[08:11.70]	Now at midnight all the agents
[08:16.50]	And the superhuman crew
[08:21.69]	Come out and round up everyone
[08:26.01]	That knows more than they do
[08:35.44]	Then they bring them to the factory
[08:40.38]	Where the heart-attack machine
[08:45.19]	Is strapped across their shoulders
[08:49.63]	And then the kerosene
[08:52.44]	Is brought down from the castles
[08:59.01]	By insurance men who go
[09:04.00]	Check to see that nobody is escaping
[09:08.76]	To Desolation Row
[09:25.37]	Praise be to Nero's Neptune
[09:30.32]	The Titanic sails at dawn
[09:35.88]	And everybody's shouting
[09:40.31]	"Which Side Are You On?"
[09:46.57]	And Ezra Pound and T. S. Eliot
[09:51.75]	Fighting in the captain's tower
[09:56.07]	While calypso singers laugh at them
[10:00.82]	And fishermen hold flowers
[10:06.01]	Between the windows of the sea
[10:10.69]	Where lovely mermaids flow
[10:15.44]	And nobody has to think too much
[10:19.82]	About Desolation Row
[10:34.07]	Yes, I received your letter yesterday
[10:38.56]	（About the time the door knob broke）
[10:43.19]	When you asked how I was doing
[10:48.38]	Was that some kind of joke?
[10:54.38]	All these people that you mention
[11:00.94]	Yes, I know them, they're quite lame
[11:05.81]	I had to rearrange their faces
[11:10.50]	And give them all another name
[11:18.01]	Right now I can't read too good
[11:22.38]	Don't send me no more letters no
[11:25.63]	Not unless you mail them
[11:31.13]	From Desolation Row

[00:05.19]	They' re selling postcards of the hanging
[00:10.57]	They' re painting the passports brown
[00:15.56]	The beauty parlor is filled with sailors
[00:21.13]	The circus is in town
[00:26.00]	Here comes the blind commissioner
[00:32.95]	They' ve got him in a trance
[00:38.00]	One hand is tied to the tightrope walker
[00:40.64]
[00:43.51]	The other is in his pants
[00:50.01]	And the riot squad they' re restless
[00:55.33]	They need somewhere to go
[01:00.32]	As Lady and I look out tonight
[01:04.88]	From Desolation Row
[01:17.26]	Cinderella, she seems so easy
[01:22.64]	" It takes one to know one," she smiles
[01:27.20]	And puts her hands in her back pockets
[01:33.51]	Bette Davis style
[01:37.76]	And in comes Romeo, he' s moaning
[01:41.76]	" You Belong to Me I Believe"
[01:47.72]	And someone says," You' re in the wrong place, my friend
[01:52.90]	You better leave"
[01:57.40]	And the only sound that' s left
[02:02.53]	After the ambulances go
[02:07.59]	Is Cinderella sweeping up
[02:10.15]
[02:13.02]	On Desolation Row
[02:24.21]	Now the moon is almost hidden
[02:29.33]	The stars are beginning to hide
[02:34.71]	The fortunetelling lady
[02:39.02]	Has even taken all her things inside
[02:44.21]	All except for Cain and Abel
[02:49.14]	And the hunchback of Notre Dame
[02:54.40]	Everybody is making love
[02:59.08]	Or else expecting rain
[03:04.08]	And the Good Samaritan, he' s dressing
[03:08.57]	He' s getting ready for the show
[03:14.13]	He' s going to the carnival tonight
[03:20.12]	On Desolation Row
[03:31.06]	Now Ophelia, she' s ' neath the window
[03:36.18]	For her I feel so afraid
[03:41.12]	On her twentysecond birthday
[03:45.74]	She already is an old maid
[03:53.01]	To her, death is quite romantic
[03:58.45]	She wears an iron vest
[04:03.45]	Her profession' s her religion
[04:08.26]	Her sin is her lifelessness
[04:13.07]	And though her eyes are fixed upon
[04:18.26]	Noah' s great rainbow
[04:23.13]	She spends her time peeking
[04:26.76]	Into Desolation Row
[04:40.39]	Einstein, disguised as Robin Hood
[04:44.82]	With his memories in a trunk
[04:50.20]	Passed this way an hour ago
[04:54.64]	With his friend, a jealous monk
[05:02.14]	He looked so immaculately frightful
[05:07.14]	As he bummed a cigarette
[05:11.89]	Then he went off sniffing drainpipes
[05:16.39]	And reciting the alphabet
[05:21.51]	Now you would not think to look at him
[05:26.26]	But he was famous long ago
[05:31.51]	For playing the electric violin
[05:35.95]	On Desolation Row
[05:50.63]	Dr. Filth, he keeps his world
[05:55.76]	Inside of a leather cup
[06:00.32]	But all his sexless patients
[06:05.32]	They' re trying to blow it up
[06:09.95]	Now his nurse, some local loser
[06:14.95]	She' s in charge of the cyanide hose
[06:20.01]	And she also keeps the cards that read
[06:24.57]	" Have Mercy on His Soul"
[06:29.57]	They all play on penny whistles
[06:34.76]	You can hear them blow
[06:39.39]	If you lean your head out far enough
[06:43.88]	From Desolation Row
[06:58.64]	Across the street they' ve nailed the curtains
[07:03.00]	They' re getting ready for the feast
[07:08.32]	The Phantom of the Opera
[07:12.57]	A perfect image of a priest
[07:19.07]	They' re spoonfeeding Casanova
[07:24.07]	To get him to feel more assured
[07:28.57]	Then they' ll kill him with selfconfidence
[07:33.20]	After poisoning him with words
[07:40.63]	And the Phantom' s shouting to skinny girls
[07:45.57]	" Get Outa Here If You Don' t Know
[07:50.45]	Casanova is just being punished for going
[07:55.88]	To Desolation Row"
[08:11.70]	Now at midnight all the agents
[08:16.50]	And the superhuman crew
[08:21.69]	Come out and round up everyone
[08:26.01]	That knows more than they do
[08:35.44]	Then they bring them to the factory
[08:40.38]	Where the heartattack machine
[08:45.19]	Is strapped across their shoulders
[08:49.63]	And then the kerosene
[08:52.44]	Is brought down from the castles
[08:59.01]	By insurance men who go
[09:04.00]	Check to see that nobody is escaping
[09:08.76]	To Desolation Row
[09:25.37]	Praise be to Nero' s Neptune
[09:30.32]	The Titanic sails at dawn
[09:35.88]	And everybody' s shouting
[09:40.31]	" Which Side Are You On?"
[09:46.57]	And Ezra Pound and T. S. Eliot
[09:51.75]	Fighting in the captain' s tower
[09:56.07]	While calypso singers laugh at them
[10:00.82]	And fishermen hold flowers
[10:06.01]	Between the windows of the sea
[10:10.69]	Where lovely mermaids flow
[10:15.44]	And nobody has to think too much
[10:19.82]	About Desolation Row
[10:34.07]	Yes, I received your letter yesterday
[10:38.56]	About the time the door knob broke
[10:43.19]	When you asked how I was doing
[10:48.38]	Was that some kind of joke?
[10:54.38]	All these people that you mention
[11:00.94]	Yes, I know them, they' re quite lame
[11:05.81]	I had to rearrange their faces
[11:10.50]	And give them all another name
[11:18.01]	Right now I can' t read too good
[11:22.38]	Don' t send me no more letters no
[11:25.63]	Not unless you mail them
[11:31.13]	From Desolation Row

[00:05.19]	They' re selling postcards of the hanging
[00:10.57]	They' re painting the passports brown
[00:15.56]	The beauty parlor is filled with sailors
[00:21.13]	The circus is in town
[00:26.00]	Here comes the blind commissioner
[00:32.95]	They' ve got him in a trance
[00:38.00]	One hand is tied to the tightrope walker
[00:40.64]
[00:43.51]	The other is in his pants
[00:50.01]	And the riot squad they' re restless
[00:55.33]	They need somewhere to go
[01:00.32]	As Lady and I look out tonight
[01:04.88]	From Desolation Row
[01:17.26]	Cinderella, she seems so easy
[01:22.64]	" It takes one to know one," she smiles
[01:27.20]	And puts her hands in her back pockets
[01:33.51]	Bette Davis style
[01:37.76]	And in comes Romeo, he' s moaning
[01:41.76]	" You Belong to Me I Believe"
[01:47.72]	And someone says," You' re in the wrong place, my friend
[01:52.90]	You better leave"
[01:57.40]	And the only sound that' s left
[02:02.53]	After the ambulances go
[02:07.59]	Is Cinderella sweeping up
[02:10.15]
[02:13.02]	On Desolation Row
[02:24.21]	Now the moon is almost hidden
[02:29.33]	The stars are beginning to hide
[02:34.71]	The fortunetelling lady
[02:39.02]	Has even taken all her things inside
[02:44.21]	All except for Cain and Abel
[02:49.14]	And the hunchback of Notre Dame
[02:54.40]	Everybody is making love
[02:59.08]	Or else expecting rain
[03:04.08]	And the Good Samaritan, he' s dressing
[03:08.57]	He' s getting ready for the show
[03:14.13]	He' s going to the carnival tonight
[03:20.12]	On Desolation Row
[03:31.06]	Now Ophelia, she' s ' neath the window
[03:36.18]	For her I feel so afraid
[03:41.12]	On her twentysecond birthday
[03:45.74]	She already is an old maid
[03:53.01]	To her, death is quite romantic
[03:58.45]	She wears an iron vest
[04:03.45]	Her profession' s her religion
[04:08.26]	Her sin is her lifelessness
[04:13.07]	And though her eyes are fixed upon
[04:18.26]	Noah' s great rainbow
[04:23.13]	She spends her time peeking
[04:26.76]	Into Desolation Row
[04:40.39]	Einstein, disguised as Robin Hood
[04:44.82]	With his memories in a trunk
[04:50.20]	Passed this way an hour ago
[04:54.64]	With his friend, a jealous monk
[05:02.14]	He looked so immaculately frightful
[05:07.14]	As he bummed a cigarette
[05:11.89]	Then he went off sniffing drainpipes
[05:16.39]	And reciting the alphabet
[05:21.51]	Now you would not think to look at him
[05:26.26]	But he was famous long ago
[05:31.51]	For playing the electric violin
[05:35.95]	On Desolation Row
[05:50.63]	Dr. Filth, he keeps his world
[05:55.76]	Inside of a leather cup
[06:00.32]	But all his sexless patients
[06:05.32]	They' re trying to blow it up
[06:09.95]	Now his nurse, some local loser
[06:14.95]	She' s in charge of the cyanide hose
[06:20.01]	And she also keeps the cards that read
[06:24.57]	" Have Mercy on His Soul"
[06:29.57]	They all play on penny whistles
[06:34.76]	You can hear them blow
[06:39.39]	If you lean your head out far enough
[06:43.88]	From Desolation Row
[06:58.64]	Across the street they' ve nailed the curtains
[07:03.00]	They' re getting ready for the feast
[07:08.32]	The Phantom of the Opera
[07:12.57]	A perfect image of a priest
[07:19.07]	They' re spoonfeeding Casanova
[07:24.07]	To get him to feel more assured
[07:28.57]	Then they' ll kill him with selfconfidence
[07:33.20]	After poisoning him with words
[07:40.63]	And the Phantom' s shouting to skinny girls
[07:45.57]	" Get Outa Here If You Don' t Know
[07:50.45]	Casanova is just being punished for going
[07:55.88]	To Desolation Row"
[08:11.70]	Now at midnight all the agents
[08:16.50]	And the superhuman crew
[08:21.69]	Come out and round up everyone
[08:26.01]	That knows more than they do
[08:35.44]	Then they bring them to the factory
[08:40.38]	Where the heartattack machine
[08:45.19]	Is strapped across their shoulders
[08:49.63]	And then the kerosene
[08:52.44]	Is brought down from the castles
[08:59.01]	By insurance men who go
[09:04.00]	Check to see that nobody is escaping
[09:08.76]	To Desolation Row
[09:25.37]	Praise be to Nero' s Neptune
[09:30.32]	The Titanic sails at dawn
[09:35.88]	And everybody' s shouting
[09:40.31]	" Which Side Are You On?"
[09:46.57]	And Ezra Pound and T. S. Eliot
[09:51.75]	Fighting in the captain' s tower
[09:56.07]	While calypso singers laugh at them
[10:00.82]	And fishermen hold flowers
[10:06.01]	Between the windows of the sea
[10:10.69]	Where lovely mermaids flow
[10:15.44]	And nobody has to think too much
[10:19.82]	About Desolation Row
[10:34.07]	Yes, I received your letter yesterday
[10:38.56]	About the time the door knob broke
[10:43.19]	When you asked how I was doing
[10:48.38]	Was that some kind of joke?
[10:54.38]	All these people that you mention
[11:00.94]	Yes, I know them, they' re quite lame
[11:05.81]	I had to rearrange their faces
[11:10.50]	And give them all another name
[11:18.01]	Right now I can' t read too good
[11:22.38]	Don' t send me no more letters no
[11:25.63]	Not unless you mail them
[11:31.13]	From Desolation Row

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