The Ballad Of Frankie Lee And Judas Priest
by Bob Dylan
Well, Frankie Lee and Judas Priest,
They were the best of friends.
So when Frankie Lee needed money one day,
Judas quickly pulled out a roll of tens
And placed them on a footstool
Just above the plotted plain,
Sayin', "Take your pick, Frankie Boy,
My loss will be your gain."
Well, Frankie Lee, he sat right down
And put his fingers to his chin,
But with the cold eyes of Judas on him,
His head began to spin.
"Would ya please not stare at me like that," he said,
"It's just my foolish pride,
But sometimes a man must be alone
And this is no place to hide."
Well, Judas, he just winked and said,
"All right, I'll leave you here,
But you'd better hurry up and choose
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song performed by Bob Dylan
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No Time To Think
In death, you face life with a child and a wife
Who sleep-walks through your dreams into walls.
Youre a soldier of mercy, youre cold and you curse,
He who cannot be trusted must fall.
Loneliness, tenderness, high society, notoriety.
You fight for the throne and you travel alone
Unknown as you slowly sink
And theres no time to think.
In the federal city you been blown and shown pity,
In secret, for pieces of change.
The empress attracts you but oppression distracts you
And it makes you feel violent and strange.
Memory, ecstasy, tyranny, hypocrisy
Betrayed by a kiss on a cool night of bliss
In the valley of the missing link
And you have no time to think.
Judges will haunt you, the country priestess will want you
Her worst is better than best.
Ive seen all these decoys through a set of deep turquoise eyes
And I feel so depressed.
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song performed by Bob Dylan
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Foot Of Pride
Like the lion tears the flesh off of a man
So can a woman who passes herself off as a male
They sang danny boy at his funeral and the lords prayer
Preacher talking bout christ betrayed
Its like the earth just opened and swallowed him up
He reached too high, was thrown back to the ground
You know what they say about bein nice to the right people on the way up
Sooner or later you gonna meet them comin down
Well, there aint no goin back when your foot of pride come down
Aint no goin back
Hear ya got a brother named james, dont forget faces or names
Sunken cheeks and his blood is mixed
He looked straight into the sun and said revenge is mine
But he drinks, and drinks can be fixed
Sing me one more song, about ya love me to the moon and the stranger
And your fall by the sword love affair with erroll flynn
In these times of compassion when conformitys in fashion
Say one more stupid thing to me before the final nail is driven in.
Well, there aint no goin back when your foot of pride come down
Aint no goin back
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song performed by Bob Dylan
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Stuck Inside Of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again
Oh, the ragman draws circles
Up and down the block.
Id ask him what the matter was
But I know that he dont talk.
And the ladies treat me kindly
And furnish me with tape,
But deep inside my heart
I know I cant escape.
Oh, mama, can this really be the end,
To be stuck inside of mobile
With the memphis blues again.
Well, shakespeare, hes in the alley
With his pointed shoes and his bells,
Speaking to some french girl,
Who says she knows me well.
And I would send a message
To find out if shes talked,
But the post office has been stolen
And the mailbox is locked.
Oh, mama, can this really be the end,
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song performed by Bob Dylan
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Up To Me
Everything went from bad to worse, money never changed a thing,
Death kept followin, trackin us down, at least I heard your bluebird sing.
Now somebodys got to show their hand, time is an enemy,
I know youre long gone,
I guess it must be up to me.
If Id thought about it I never wouldve done it, I guess I wouldve let it slide,
If Id lived my life by what others were thinkin, the heart inside me wouldve died.
I was just too stubborn to ever be governed by enforced insanity,
Someone had to reach for the risin star,
I guess it was up to me.
Oh, the union central is pullin out and the orchids are in bloom,
Ive only got me one good shirt left and it smells of stale perfume.
In fourteen months Ive only smiled once and I didnt do it consciously,
Somebodys got to find your trail,
I guess it must be up to me.
It was like a revelation when you betrayed me with your touch,
Id just about convinced myself that nothin had changed that much.
The old rounder in the iron mask slipped me the master key,
Somebody had to unlock your heart,
He said it was up to me.
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song performed by Bob Dylan
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Froggie Went A Courtin
1. frog went a-courtin, and he did ride, uh-huh,
Frog went a-courtin, and he did ride, uh-huh,
Frog went a-courtin, and he did ride.
With a sword and a pistol by his side, uh-huh.
2. well he rode up to miss mouseys door, uh-huh,
Well he rode up to miss mouseys door, uh-huh,
Well he rode up to miss mouseys door.
Gave three loud raps and a very big roar, uh-huh.
3. said, miss mouse, are you within? uh-huh,
Said he, miss mouse, are you within? uh-huh,
Said, miss mouse, are you within?
Yes, kind sir, I sit and spin, uh-huh.
4. he took miss mousey on his knee, uh-huh,
Took miss mousey on his knee, uh-huh,
Took miss mousey on his knee.
Said, miss mousey, will you marry me? uh-huh.
5. without my uncle rats consent, uh-huh
Without my uncle rats consent, uh-huh
Without my uncle rats consent.
I wouldnt marry the president, uh-huh
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song performed by Bob Dylan
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Idiot Wind
Someones got it in for me, theyre planting stories in the press
Whoever it is I wish theyd cut it out but when they will I can only guess.
They say I shot a man named gray and took his wife to italy,
She inherited a million bucks and when she died it came to me.
I cant help it if Im lucky.
People see me all the time and they just cant remember how to act
Their minds are filled with big ideas, images and distorted facts.
Even you, yesterday you had to ask me where it was at,
I couldnt believe after all these years, you didnt know me better than that
Sweet lady.
Idiot wind, blowing every time you move your mouth,
Blowing down the backroads headin south.
Idiot wind, blowing every time you move your teeth,
Youre an idiot, babe.
Its a wonder that you still know how to breathe.
I ran into the fortune-teller, who said beware of lightning that might strike
I havent known peace and quiet for so long I cant remember what its like.
Theres a lone soldier on the cross, smoke pourin out of a boxcar door,
You didnt know it, you didnt think it could be done, in the final end he won the wars
After losin every battle.
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song performed by Bob Dylan
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Joey
Born in red hook, brooklyn, in the year of who knows when
Opened up his eyes to the tune of an accordion
Always on the outside of whatever side there was
When they asked him why it had to be that way, well, he answered, just
Because.
Larry was the oldest, joey was next to last.
They called joe crazy, the baby they called kid blast.
Some say they lived off gambling and runnin numbers too.
It always seemed they got caught between the mob and the men in blue.
Joey, joey,
King of the streets, child of clay.
Joey, joey,
What made them want to come and blow you away?
There was talk they killed their rivals, but the truth was far from that
No one ever knew for sure where they were really at.
When they tried to strangle larry, joey almost hit the roof.
He went out that night to seek revenge, thinkin he was bulletproof.
The war broke out at the break of dawn, it emptied out the streets
Joey and his brothers suffered terrible defeats
Till they ventured out behind the lines and took five prisoners.
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song performed by Bob Dylan
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Desolation Row
Theyre selling postcards of the hanging
Theyre painting the passports brown
The beauty parlor is filled with sailors
The circus is in town
Here comes the blind commissioner
Theyve got him in a trance
One hand is tied to the tight-rope walker
The other is in his pants
And the riot squad theyre restless
They need somewhere to go
As lady and I look out tonight
From desolation row
Cinderella, she seems so easy
It takes one to know one, she smiles
And puts her hands in her back pockets
Bette davis style
And in comes romeo, hes moaning
You belong to me I believe
And someone says, youre in the wrong place, my friend
You better leave
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song performed by Bob Dylan
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It's Alright, Ma
Darkness at the break of noon
Shadows even the silver spoon
The handmade blade, the child's balloon
Eclipses both the sun and moon
To understand you know too soon
There is no sense in trying.
Pointed threats, they bluff with scorn
Suicide remarks are torn
From the fool's gold mouthpiece
The hollow horn plays wasted words
Proves to warn
That he not busy being born
Is busy dying.
Temptation's page flies out the door
You follow, find yourself at war
Watch waterfalls of pity roar
You feel to moan but unlike before
You discover
That you'd just be
One more person crying.
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song performed by Bob Dylan
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