Subterranean Homesick Blues
Bob Dylan
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Johnny's in the basement Mixing up the medicine I'm on the pavement Thinking about the government The man in the trench coat Badge out, laid off Says he's got a bad cough Wants to get it paid off Look out kid It's somethin' you did God knows when But you're doing it again You better duck down the alley way Lookin' for a new friend A man in the coonskin cap, in the pig pen Wants eleven dollar bills, you only got ten Maggie comes fleet foot Face full of black soot Talkin' that the heat put Plants in the bed but The phone's tapped anyway Maggie says that many say They must bust in early May Orders from the D.A. Look out kid Don't matter what you did Walk on your tip toes Don't tie no bows Better stay away from those That carry around a fire hose Keep a clean nose Watch the plain clothes You don't need a weather man To know which way the wind blows Oh, get sick, get well Hang around a ink well Hang bail, hard to tell If anything is goin' to sell Try hard, get barred Get back, write braille Get jailed, jump bail Join the army, if you fail Look out kid You're gonna get hit But losers, cheaters Six-time users Hang around the theaters Girl by the whirlpool Lookin' for a new fool Don't follow leaders, watch the parkin' meters Oh, get born, keep warm Short pants, romance Learn to dance, get dressed, get blessed Try to be a success Please her, please him, buy gifts Don't steal, don't lift Twenty years of schoolin' And they put you on the day shift Look out kid They keep it all hid Better jump down a manhole Light yourself a candle Don't wear sandals Try to avoid the scandals Don't want to be a bum You better chew gum The pump don't work 'Cause the vandals took the handles
The easy, fast & fun way to learn how to sing: 30DaySinger.com
Written by: BOB DYLAN
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
11 facts about this song
Song Creation"Subterranean Homesick Blues" was penned by Bob Dylan in 1965. It became one of his earliest entries into electric rock music, breaking away from his folksy, acoustic roots.
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InfluenceThe song was heavily influenced by the beat poets of the 1950s, particularly by Jack Kerouac's novel "The Subterraneans."
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Popularity Ranking"Subterranean Homesick Blues" was Dylan’s first Top 40 hit in the United States, reaching number 39 on the Billboard charts.
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Music VideoThe promotional film for this track was one of the first 'music videos' ever created. It is iconic for showing Dylan holding up cue cards with the song's lyrics, as random passersby stroll behind him.
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Language InnovationsDylan’s use of the phrase “You don’t need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows” in the song is credited with the naming of the radical left group The Weathermen, a faction of the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS).
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Cultural Impact"Subterranean Homesick Blues" has been referenced in numerous forms of media, such as in films like "I'm Not There" and in songs like Radiohead's "Subterranean Homesick Alien".
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Cover VersionsThe band "Red Hot Chili Peppers" covered "Subterranean Homesick Blues" during their Mother's Milk Tour.
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Lyric InterpretationAlthough it has many interpretations, the song is often perceived as a snapshot of the chaotic and increasingly political society of the 1960s.
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Release DetailsThe song was the lead track of Dylan's album "Bringing It All Back Home", released by Columbia Records.
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Billboard AchievementAccording to Billboard, the song entered the Hot 100 at No. 80 on the week of April 3, 1965, and peaked at No. 39 eight weeks later, becoming his first top 40 hit.
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Notable VariationDylan often played a significantly different live version of the song during the Rolling Thunder Revue in 1975.
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Citation
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"Subterranean Homesick Blues Lyrics." Lyrics.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2023. Web. 11 Dec. 2023. <https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/2584363/Bob+Dylan/Subterranean+Homesick+Blues>.
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