The Ballad of Frankie Lee and Judas Priest
Bob Dylan
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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 ten 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 Which of those bills you want Before they all disappear I'm gonna start my pickin' right now Just tell me where you'll be Judas pointed down the road And said, eternity Eternity, said Frankie Lee With a voice as cold as ice That's right, said Judas Priest, eternity Though you might call it 'Paradise I don't call it anything Said Frankie Lee with a smile All right," said Judas Priest I'll see you after a while Well, Frankie Lee, he sat back down Feelin' low and mean When just then a passing stranger Burst upon the scene Saying, are you Frankie Lee, the gambler Whose father is deceased Well, if you are There's a fellow callin' you down the road And they say his name is Priest Oh, yes, he is my friend Said Frankie Lee in fright I do recall him very well In fact, he just left my sight Yes, that's the one,said the stranger As quiet as a mouse Well, my message is, he's down the road Stranded in a house Well, Frankie Lee, he panicked He dropped everything and ran Until he came up to the spot Where Judas Priest did stand What kind of house is this,he said Where I have come to roam It's not a house,said Judas Priest It's not a house it's a home Well, Frankie Lee, he trembled He soon lost all control Over everything which he had made While the mission bells did toll He just stood there staring At that big house as bright as any sun With four and twenty windows And a woman's face in every one Well, up the stairs ran Frankie Lee With a soulful, bounding leap And, foaming at the mouth He began to make his midnight creep For sixteen nights and days he raved But on the seventeenth he burst Into the arms of Judas Priest Which is where he died of thirst No one tried to say a thing When they took him out in jest Except, of course, the little neighbor boy Who carried him to rest And he just walked along, alone With his guilt so well concealed And muttered underneath his breath Nothing is revealed Well, the moral of the story The moral of this song, Is simply that one should never be Where one does not belong. So when you see your neighbor carryin' somethin' Help him with his load And don't go mistaking Paradise For that home across the road
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Written by: BOB DYLAN
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
13 facts about this song
Album Material"The Ballad of Frankie Lee and Judas Priest" is one of the songs on Bob Dylan’s 1967 album titled "John Wesley Harding".
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Time LengthWith a length of 7 minutes and 28 seconds, it is the longest track on the John Wesley Harding album.
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GenreThis track is marked by Dylan’s signature folk style but with biblical, allegorical undertones, aligning it with the country-folk genre.
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Name ConfusionDespite its title, the song is not related to the heavy metal band "Judas Priest." The band took their name from this Bob Dylan's song, honoring it in their moniker.
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Importance of LyricsThe song’s lyrics narrate a story of morality and temptation, often interpreted as a biblical parable with Frankie Lee representing naive innocence and Judas Priest embodying worldly sophistication.
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Folk Music TraditionIn line with the folk music tradition of story-telling, Bob Dylan delivers a narrative about the adventures and eventual demise of the character Frankie Lee.
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Historic InfluenceThe song, like a majority of the songs on "John Wesley Harding", was written shortly after Dylan's motorcycle accident in 1966, marking a shift in his songwriting style to more mythic, complex narratives.
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Cover VersionsThe song has been covered by numerous artists, including Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead and Robyn Hitchcock, proving its enduring influence in the music industry.
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Dylan's InspirationWhile not confirmed by Dylan, it is speculated that this track, like many on the album, was inspired by the Bible, and particularly the Book of Deuteronomy.
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Vinyl RarityOriginal vinyl copies of the "John Wesley Harding" album that contain "The Ballad of Frankie Lee and Judas Priest" are now considered collector's items.
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AwardsAlthough it did not win any individual awards, the song contributed to the overall success of the John Wesley Harding album, which was nominated for a Grammy in 1968 for Best Folk Performance.
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Unique Writing StyleThis song is a perfect example of Dylan’s unique storytelling approach in songwriting, giving its listeners an experience of a narrative through music.
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Release Context"The Ballad of Frankie Lee and Judas Priest" was the first song on the second side of the vinyl edition of the album, implying Dylan's intent for it to be a key feature of the album.
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Citation
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