When I Paint My Masterpiece
The Band
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Oh, the streets of Rome are filled with rubble, Ancient footprints are everywhere. You can almost think that you're seein' double On a cold, dark night on the Spanish Stairs. Got to hurry on back to my hotel room, Where I've got me a date with pretty little girl from Greece She promised she'd be there with me When I paint my masterpiece. Oh, the hours we've spent inside the Coliseum, Dodging lions and wastin' time. Oh, those mighty kings of the jungle, I could hardly stand to see 'em, Yes, it sure has been a long, hard climb. Train wheels runnin' through the back of my memory, When I ran on the hilltop following a pack of wild geese. Someday, everything is gonna be smooth like a rhapsody When I paint my masterpiece. Sailin' 'round the world in a dirty gondola. Oh, to be back in the land of Coca-Cola! Well I left Rome and landed in Brussels, On a plane ride so bumpy that I almost cried. Clergymen in uniform and young girls pullin' muscles, Everyone was there to greet me when I stepped inside. Newspapermen eating candy Had to be held down by big police. But someday, everything is gonna be different When I paint that masterpiece.
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Written by: Bob Dylan
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
6 facts about this song
I. Songwriting & Release1. "When I Paint My Masterpiece" was written by the iconic American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan in 1971.
2. The song was first released by the Canadian-American rock group The Band on their album "Cahoots" in the same year, even before Dylan's own version came out.
3. Dylan himself released his version officially in 1972, on the compilation album "Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits Vol. II."
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II. Song Interpretation4. The song has been interpreted as representing Dylan's struggles with adjusting to fame and stardom.
5. It's also believed the "masterpiece" Dylan refers to is not a painting, but a perfect song or performance that he is longing to create.
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III. Lyrics & Composition6. The song's evocative lyrics describe a journey through Europe, with references to Rome’s fabled Coliseum, the city of Brussels, and the gondolas in Venice.
7. "When I Paint My Masterpiece" is relatively compact and melodic for a Dylan song, featuring piano, acoustic guitar, and soft drumming.
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IV. Covers & Performances8. The song has been covered by multiple artists including The Grateful Dead, George Harrison, The Allman Brothers, and Emmylou Harris.
9. Dylan performed this song during The Concert for Bangladesh in 1971, a benefit concert organised by George Harrison and Ravi Shankar.
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V. Reception & Legacy10. "When I Paint My Masterpiece" is recognized as one of Dylan's classics though not a commercial hit.
11. American musicologist Tim Riley praised the song's "grace under pressure" and its portrayal of a "rich, traveling allegory" in his book "Hard Rain."
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VI. Film Appearances12. A live version of this song, performed by The Band, features in Martin Scorsese's 1978 documentary "The Last Waltz," which documented The Band's farewell concert in 1976.
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