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Bob Dylan - Tell Ol' Bill Lyrics

Artist: Bob Dylan

Album: Tell Tale Signs

Genre: Rock

  • Songwriters: Bob Dylan

The river whispers in my ear
I've hardly a penny to my name
The heavens have never seemed so near
All of my body glows with flame

The tempest struggles in the air
And to myself alone I sing
It could sink me then and there
I can hear the echoes ring

I tried to find one smiling face
To drive the shadow from my head
I'm stranded in this nameless place
Lying restless in a heavy bed

Tell me straight out if you will
Why must you torture me within?
Why must you come down off of your high hill?
Throw my fate to the clouds and wind

Far away in a silent land
Secret thoughts are hard to bear
Remember me, you'll understand
Emotions we can never share

You trampled on me as you passed
Left the coldest kiss upon my brow
All of my doubts and fears have gone at last
I've nothing more to tell you now

I walk by tranquil lakes and streams
As each new season's dawn awaits
I lay awake at night with troubled dreams
The enemy is at the gate

Beneath the thunder blasted trees
The words are ringin' off your tongue
The ground is hard in times like these
Stars are cold, the night is young

The rocks are bleak, the trees are bare
Iron clouds go floating by
Snowflakes fallin' in my hair
Beneath the gray and stormy sky

The evenin' sun is sinkin' low
The woods are dark, the town isn't new
They''ll drag you down, they'll run the show
Ain't no telling what they'll do

Tell ol' Bill when he comes home
Anything is worth a try
Tell him that I'm not alone
That the hour has come to do or die

All the world I would defy
Let me make it plain as day
I look at you now and I sigh
How could it be any other way?


Add Song Meaning

  • Anonymous

    I haven&#039t listened to this version but a few times but I think that one scenario
    might be that he is speaking of our (the common citizen) position in society and
    the roll the government has come to play in our society. He may be expressing
    what effect the "new world order" and "FEMA" are creating for us and how few
    people actually see it for what it really is. How our society is getting sicker
    and rights are being taken and no one is doing much of any thing about it.
    Bob uaually writes in metaphores so it&#039s hard to tell without serious thought and
    if your a fan of his you already know how deep he can get. On the other hand it
    may have nothing to do with all that and be about a love lost or something to
    that effect.

    Think about it.. Listen to it and think about it.

    Also in the tenth verse second line (in the version that I have) it says "The
    woods are dark, the town is too". At least that&#039s what i&#039m hearing.

    DC

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