Highway 61 Revisited

Oh God said to Abraham 'kill me a son'
Abe said 'man you must be puttin me on'
God said 'no', Abe said 'what'
God say 'you can do what you wanna but
the next time you see me comin you better run'
Well Abe said 'where d'you want this killin done'
God said 'out on Highway 61'
Well Georgia Sam he had a bloody nose
welfare department wouldn't give him no clothes
They asked poor Howard where can I go
Howard said 'there's only one place I know'
Sam said 'tell me quick man I got to run'
Oh Howard just pointed with his gun
and said 'that way down Highway 61'
Well Mack the finger said to Louie the king
'I got 40 red white and blue shoestrings
and a thousand telephone that don't ring.
Do you know where I can get rid of these things?'
and Louie the king said 'let me think for a minute son'
Then he said 'yes I think it can be easily done
Just take everything down to Highway 61'
Now the 5th daughter on the 12th night
told the first father that things weren't right
'my complexion', she says, 'is much too white'
He said 'come here and step into the light'
He said 'hmm you're right let me tell the 2nd mother this has been done'
But the 2nd mother was with the 7th son
and they were both out on Highway 61
Now the roving gambler he was very bored
trying to create a next world war
He found a promoter who nearly fell off the floor
He said 'I never engaged in this kind of thing before
But yes, I think it can be very easily done
We'll just put some bleachers out in the sun
and have it on Highway 61'

The sweet pretty things are in bed now of course
The city fathers they're trying to endorse
the reincarnation of Paul Revere's horse
But the town has no need to be nervous
The ghost of Belle Starr she hands down her wits
To Jezebel the nun she violently knits
a bald wig for Jack the Ripper who sits
at the head of the chamber of commerce
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
The hysterical bride in the penny arcade
Screaming she moans 'I've just been made'
then sends out for the doctor who pulls down the shade
and says 'My advice is to not let the boys in'
Now the medicine man comes and he shuffles inside
He walks with a swagger and he says to the bride
'Stop all this weeping, swallow your pride
You will not die, it's not poison'
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
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
The king of the Philistines his soldiers to save
put jawbones on their tombstones and flatters their gravs
Puts the pied pipers in prison and fattens the slaves
then sends them out to the jungle
Gypsy Davey with a blowtorch he burns out their camps
With his faithful slave Pedro behind him he tramps
with a fantastic collection of stamps
to win friends and influence his uncle
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
The geometry of innocent flesh on the bone
causes Galileo's math book to get thrown
at Delilah who's sitting worthlessly alone
But the tears on her cheeks are from laughter
Now I wish I could give Brother Bill his great thrill
I would set him in chains at the top of the hill
then send out for some pillars and Cecil B. DeMille
He could die happily ever after
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

You walk into the room 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 will say when you get home
because something is happening here but you don't know what it is
do you, Mr. Jones?
You raise up your head and you ask 'Is this where it is?'
and somebody points to you and says 'It's his'
and you say 'what's mine?' and somebody else says 'well what is?'
and you say 'Oh my god am I here all alone?'
but something is happening and you don't know what it is
do you, Mr. Jones?
You hand in your ticket and you go watch the geek
who immediatly walks up to you when he hears you speak
and says 'How does it feel to be such a freak?'
and you say 'impossible' as he hands you a bone
and something is happening here but you don't know what it is
do you, Mr. Jones?
You have many contacts among the lumberjacks
to get you facts when someone attacks your imagination
but nobody has any respect, anyway they already expect
you to all give a check to tax-deductible charity organizations
Ah you've been with the professors and they've all liked your looks
With great lawyers you have discussed lepers and crooks
You've been through all of F. Scott Fitzgerald's books
You're very well read, it's well known
But something is happening here and you don't know what it is
do you, Mr. Jones?
Well the sword-swallower he comes up to you and then he kneels
He crosses himself and then he clicks his high heels
and without further notice he asks you how it feels
and he says 'Here is your throat back, thanks for the loan'
And you know something is happening but you don't know what it is
do you, Mr. 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'
And you know something's happening but you don't know what it is
do you, Mr. Jones?
Well 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 ought to be a law against you coming around
You should be made to wear earphones
Cause something is happening and you don't know what it is
do you, Mr. Jones?
Whoooaaaooooh

Once upon a time you dressed so fine
threw the bums a dime in your prime, didn't you?
People'd call, say 'Beware doll, you're bound to fall'
You thought they were all kiddin you
You used to laugh about
Everybody that was hangin out
Now you don't talk so loud
Now you don't seem so proud
About having to be scrounging for your next meal
How does it feel, How does it feel
To be without a home, like a complete unknown
Like a rolling stone?
You've gone to the finest school all right, Miss Lonely
But you know you only used to get juiced in it
And nobody has ever taught you how to live on the street
And now you find out you're gonna have to get used to it
You said you'd never compromise
With the mystery tramp, but now you realize
He's not selling any alibis
As you stare into the vacuum of his eyes
And ask him do you want to make a deal?
How does it feel, How does it feel
To be on your own, with no direction home
Like a complete unknown
Like a rolling stone?
You never turned around to see the frowns on the jugglers and the clowns
When they all come down and did tricks for you
You never understood that it ain't no good
You shouldn't let other people get your kicks for you
You used to ride on the chrome horse with your diplomat
Who carried on his shoulder a Siamese cat
Ain't it hard when you discover that
He really wasn't where it's at
After he took from you everything he could steal
How does it feel, How does it feel
To be on your own, with no direction home
Like a complete unknown
Like a rolling stone?
Princess on the steeple and all the pretty people
They're drinkin' thinkin that they got it made
Exchanging all kinds of precious gifts and things
But you'd better lift your diamond ring, you better pawn it babe
You used to be so amused
At Napoleon in rags and the language that he used
Go to him now, he calls you, you can't refuse
When you ain't got nothin you got nothing to lose
You're invisible now, you got no secrets to conceal
How does it feel, How does it feel
To be on your own, with no direction home
Like a complete unknown
Like a rolling stone?

When your mother sends back all your invitations
and your father to your sister he explains
that you're tired of yourself and all of your creations
Won't you come see me Queen Jane, won't you come see me Queen Jane
Now when all of the flower ladies want back what they have leant you
and the smell of their roses does not remain
and all of your children start to resent you
Won't you come see me Queen Jane, won't you come see me Queen Jane
Now when all the clowns that you have commissioned
have died in battle or in vain
and you're sick of all this repetition
Won't you come see me Queen Jane, won't you come see me Queen Jane
When all of your advisers heave their plastic
at your feet to convince you of your pain
trying to prove that your conclusions should be more drastic
Won't you come see me Queen Jane, won't you come see me Queen Jane
Now when all of the bandits you turn your other cheek to
all lay down their bandanas and complain
and you want somebody you don't have to speak to
Won't you come see me Queen Jane, won't you come see me Queen Jane