Ballad In Plain D

Bob Dylan

About Ballad In Plain D

"Ballad in Plain D" is the tenth track of Bob Dylan's fourth album, Another Side of Bob Dylan, and—at 8 minutes, 18 seconds—the longest song on the album. The song recounts the circumstances surrounding the disintegration of Dylan's relationship with Suze Rotolo.


Year:
1964
8:21
62 

 Watch: New Singing Lesson Videos Can Make Anyone A Great Singer

I once loved a girl, her skin it was bronze
With the innocence of a lamb, she was gentle like a fawn
I courted her proudly but now she is gone
Gone as the season she's taken

In a young summer's youth, I stole her away
From her mother and sister, though close did they stay
Each one of them suffering from the failures of their day
With strings of guilt they tried hard to guide us

Of the two sisters, I loved the young
With sensitive instincts, she was the creative one
The constant scrapegoat, she was easily undone
By the jealousy of others around her

For her parasite sister, I had no respect
Bound by her boredom, her pride to protect
Countless visions of the other she'd reflect
As a crutch for her scenes and her society

Myself, for what I did, I cannot be excused
The changes I was going through can't even be used
For the lies that I told her in hopes not to lose
The could-be dream-lover of my lifetime

With unseen consciousness, I possessed in my grip
A magnificent mantelpiece, though its heart being chipped
Noticing not that I'd already slipped
To the sin of love's false security

From silhouetted anger to manufactured peace
Answers of emptiness, voice vacancies
'Till the tombstones of damage read me no questions but, "Please
What's wrong and what's exactly the matter?"

And so it did happen like it could have been foreseen
The timeless explosion of fantasy's dream
At the peak of the night, the king and the queen
Tumbled all down into pieces

"The tragic figure!" her sister did shout
"Leave her alone, god damn you, get out!"
And I in my armor, turning about
And nailing her in the ruins of her pettiness

Beneath a bare light bulb the plaster did pound
Her sister and I in a screaming battleground
And she in between, the victim of sound
Soon shattered as a child to the shadows

All is gone, all is gone, admit it, take flight
I gagged in contradiction, tears blinding my sight
My mind it was mangled, I ran into the night
Leaving all of love's ashes behind me

The wind knocks my window, the room it is wet
The words to say I'm sorry, I haven't found yet
I think of her often and hope whoever she's met
Will be fully aware of how precious she is

Ah, my friends from the prison, they ask unto me
"How good, how good does it feel to be free?"
And I answer them most mysteriously
"Are birds free from the chains of the skyway?"

 The easy, fast & fun way to learn how to sing: 30DaySinger.com


Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan ( /ˈdɪlən/; born Robert Allen Zimmerman; May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter, musician, author, poet and artist. He has been an influential figure in popular music and culture for more than five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly reluctant figurehead of social unrest. A number of Dylan's early songs, such as "Blowin' in the Wind" and "The Times They Are a-Changin'", became anthems for the US civil rights and anti-war movements. Leaving his initial base in the culture of folk music behind, Dylan's six-minute single "Like a Rolling Stone" has been described as radically altering the parameters of popular music in … more »

32 fans

Written by: BOB DYLAN

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind


11 facts about this song

Song Title
"Ballad in Plain D" is the final track on the fourth studio album, "Another Side of Bob Dylan".
Year of Release
The song was released in 1964 by Columbia Records.
Written By
This introspective and deeply personal piece of music was written solely by Bob Dylan.
Album Critique
Despite the critical success of Bob Dylan's album, "Ballad in Plain D" wasn’t considered a fan favourite, chiefly due to its drawn-out length and intense focus on personal matters.
Song Theme
The song discusses Dylan's strong feelings about the ending of his relationship with Suze Rotolo. The breakdown of the relationship notably affected Dylan's music during this era.
Song Style
In true Dylan fashion, the track unfolds as a folk ballad. Time-wise, it's one of Dylan's longest songs.
Song Length
The song stretches over eight minutes, one of his longest in terms of runtime.
Introspective Nature
Dylan himself was reportedly unsatisfied with the song's deeply introspective nature, labeling it as an "artistic mistake" in his memoir, "Chronicles".
Rare Live Performances
Dylan never performed "Ballad in Plain D" live, indicating his personal discomfort with the track, given its autobiographical significance and revealing nature.
Lyrics Dissection
Many of the song's lyrics reflect Dylan's bitterness towards Rotolo's family, whom he blamed for their break-up.
Lasting Influence
Despite its controversy and the singer's later feelings of regret, "Ballad in Plain D" remains a significant part of Dylan's discography, demonstrating his early willingness to bare his soul through his music.

Discuss the Ballad In Plain D Lyrics with the community:

0 Comments

    Citation

    Use the citation below to add these lyrics to your bibliography:

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "Ballad In Plain D Lyrics." Lyrics.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 19 Mar. 2024. <https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/28264601/Bob+Dylan/Ballad+In+Plain+D>.

    Missing lyrics by Bob Dylan?

    Know any other songs by Bob Dylan? Don't keep it to yourself!

    Watch the song video

    Ballad In Plain D

    1,213
    23     0

    Browse Lyrics.com

    Quiz

    Are you a music master?

    »
    Which famous rapper is going ‘sicko-mode’?
    A Travis scott
    B Quavo
    C Kanye west
    D Drake

    Free, no signup required:

    Add to Chrome

    Get instant explanation for any lyrics that hits you anywhere on the web!

    Free, no signup required:

    Add to Firefox

    Get instant explanation for any acronym or abbreviation that hits you anywhere on the web!

    Bob Dylan tracks

    On Radio Right Now

    Loading...

    Powered by OnRad.io


    Think you know music? Test your MusicIQ here!