Ballad In Plain D
Bob Dylan
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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?"
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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".
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Year of ReleaseThe song was released in 1964 by Columbia Records.
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Written ByThis introspective and deeply personal piece of music was written solely by Bob Dylan.
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Album CritiqueDespite 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.
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Song ThemeThe 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.
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Song StyleIn true Dylan fashion, the track unfolds as a folk ballad. Time-wise, it's one of Dylan's longest songs.
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Song LengthThe song stretches over eight minutes, one of his longest in terms of runtime.
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Introspective NatureDylan himself was reportedly unsatisfied with the song's deeply introspective nature, labeling it as an "artistic mistake" in his memoir, "Chronicles".
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Rare Live PerformancesDylan never performed "Ballad in Plain D" live, indicating his personal discomfort with the track, given its autobiographical significance and revealing nature.
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Lyrics DissectionMany of the song's lyrics reflect Dylan's bitterness towards Rotolo's family, whom he blamed for their break-up.
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Lasting InfluenceDespite 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.
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"Ballad In Plain D Lyrics." Lyrics.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 26 Apr. 2024. <https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/28264601/Bob+Dylan/Ballad+In+Plain+D>.
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