Rolling Thunder
Tonight I'll Be Staying Here With You
Well, I've
just reached a place
Where the
willow don't bend
There's no
more to be said
It's the
top of the end
I'm going,
I'm going,
I'm gone.
I've been
walking lonely
Sleeping in
the dust
Now I've
just gotta go
And you
know that I must
I'm going,
I'm going,
I'm gone.
I've been
here too long
And I've
heard what you said
But I just
got the rope
Oh well, I
can't sleep in my bed
So I'm
going,
I'm going,
I'm gone.
Grandma
says "Son, go and follow your heart"
You'll be
fine at the end of the line
All that's
gold isn't meant to shine
Don't you
and that long long dream ever part."
Now I'm in
love with you baby
But you
gotta understand
That you
got to be free
So let go
of my hand
I'm going,
I'm going,
I'm gone.
Grandma
says "Son, go and follow your heart
You'll be
fine at the end of the line
All that's
gold isn't meant to shine
Don't you
and that long long dream ever part."
I believe
in you baby
For the
change of some truce
But I just
got to go
So please
turn me loose
I'm going,
I'm going,
I'm gone.
[Source: tape from San Antonio, Texas, 11 May 1976, with help from
Åke Jonsson]
[TOP]
Well, I've
just reached a place
Where the
willow don't bend
There's no
more to be said
It's the
beginning of the end
I'm going,
I'm going,
I'm gone.
I'm in love
with you baby
But I think
it might be too late
So we
better start again
And get it
straight
Oh, I'm
going,
I'm going,
I'm gone.
I've been
walking on the clouds
Sleeping in
the dust
Now I've
just gotta move
Before it's
all diamonds and rust
So I'm
going,
I'm going,
I'm gone.
Grandma
says "Son, go and follow your heart
You'll be
fine at the end of the line
All that's
gold isn't meant to shine
Don't you
and that life long dream ever part."
I'm in love
with you baby
I don't
mean any harm
But you
want to be free
So let go
of my arm
I'm going,
I'm going,
I'm gone.
Grandma
says "Son, go and follow your heart
You'll be
fine at the end of the line
All that's
gold isn't meant to shine
Don't you and
that life long dream ever part."
I'm in love
with you baby
Please
understand
That you
got to be free
So let go
of my hand
I'm going,
I'm going,
I'm gone.
[Source: tape from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, 18 May 1976, with help from
Åke Jonsson]
[TOP]
If you see
her say hello, she might be in North Saigon
She left
here in a hurry, I don't know what she was on.
You might
say that I'm in disarray and for me time's standing still
Boy, you've
never gotten over her, I don't think I ever will.
The evil
______________________________ then suddenly you stole
It's one of
them wreckless situations which nobody control
__________________________________
eyes
___________
do the best we can which should come as no surprise
If you're
makin' love to her watch it from the rear
You'll
never know when I'll be back or liable to appear
Oh, it's
natural to dream of peace as it id for rules to break
And right
now I got not much to lose, so you better stay awake.
Sundown,
silver moon, hittin' on the days
My head
can't understand no more, what my heart don't tolerate
And I know
she'll be back some day of that there is no doubt
And when
that moment comes, Lord, give me the strength to keep her out.
[Source: tape from Lakeland, Florida, 18 April 1976, with help from
Rebecca Buck]
[TOP]
Lay, lady,
lay,
Lay across
my big brass bed
Lay, lady,
lay,
Lay across
my big brass bed
Whatever
colors you have in your mind
I'll show
them to you and you'll see them shine
Lay, lady,
lay,
Lay across
my big brass bed
Forget this
dance,
Let's go
upstairs
Let's take
a chance
Who really
cares
Why don't
you know you got nothin' to prove
It's all in
your eyes and the way that you move
Forget this
dance,
Let's go
upstairs
Why wait
any longer, I don't mean too complain
You can
have love but you might lose it
Why run any
longer when you're runnin' in vain
You can
have the truth but you've got to choose it
Stay, lady,
stay
Stay with
you man awhile
Til the
break of day
Love to see
you make him smile
I long to
see you in the morning light
I long to
hold you in the night
Stay, lady,
stay
Stay with
you man awhile
[Source: Hard Rain
album liner notes]
[TOP]
I laid on a
dune, and I looked at the sky,
When the
children were babies and played on the beach.
You came up
behind me, I saw you go by,
You were
always so close and still within reach.
Sara, Sara,
Whatever made
you want to change your mind?
Sara, Sara,
So easy to
look at, so hard to define.
I can still
see them playin' with their pails in the sand,
They run to
the water their buckets to fill.
I can still
see the shells fallin' out of their hands
As they follow
each other back up the hill.
Sara, Sara,
Sweet
virgin angel, sweet love of my life.
Sara, Sara,
Radiant
jewel, mystical wife.
Sleepin' in
the woods near the fire in the night.
Where you
fought for my soul and went up against the odds
I was too
young to know you were doin' it right
And you did
it with strength that belonged to the gods.
Sara, Sara,
Wherever we
travel, we're never apart
Sara, Sara,
Beautiful
lady so dear to my heart.
I can still
hear the sounds of those Methodist bells,
I'd taken the
cure and had just gotten through,
Stayin' up
for days in the Chelsea Hotel,
Writin'
"Sad-Eyed Lady of the Lowlands" for you.
Sara, Sara,
It's all so
clear, I could never forget
Sara, oh Sara,
Lovin' you
is the one thing I'll never regret
Now the
beach is deserted except for some kelp
And a piece
of an old ship that lies on the shore.
You always
responded when I needed your help,
You gave a
map and a key to your door.
Sara, oh Sara,
Glamorous
nymph with an arrow and bow,
Sara, oh Sara,
Don't ever
leave me, don't ever go.
[Source tape from
the evening show in Boston, Massachusetts, 21 November 1975]
[TOP]
They sat
together in the park
As the
evening sky got dark
She looked at
him and he felt a spark tingle to his bones
Twas then
he felt alone and wished that he'd gone straight
And watched
out for a simple twist of fate.
They walked
along by the old canal
A little
confused, I remember well
And stopped
into an old hotel with the neon burning bright
He felt the
heat of the night hit him like a freight train
Moving with
a simple twist of fate.
A clarinet
some place softly played
As she was
walking on by the arcade
She heard
the melody rise and fade, the sun was comin' up
She dropped
a coin into the cup of a blind man at the gate
And forgot
about a simple twist of fate.
He woke up
and she was gone
He didn't
see nothin' but the dawn
He got out
of bed and put his clothes back on, pushed back the blinds
Found a
note she'd left behind, to which he just could not relate
All about a
simple twist of fate.
He hears
the ticking of the clocks
Walks alone
through the city blocks
Hunts her
down by the waterfront docks where the sailors all come in
Maybe
she'll see him once again, how long must he wait
One more
time for a simple twist of fate.
People tell
me it's a crime
To feel too
much at any one time
She should
have caught me in my prime, she would have stayed with me
Instead of
goin' off to sea and leavin' me to meditate
Upon a simple
twist of fate.
[Source: tape from John Hammond Tribute, 10 September 1975, with help from
Ron Mura]
[TOP]
Threw my
ticket in the wind
Threw my
mattress out there too
Threw my letters
in the sand
Cause
you've got to understand
That
tonight I'll be staying here with you
I would
have left this town by noon
By tonight
have been in some place new
But I was
feeling a little bit scattered
And your
love was all that mattered
So tonight I'll
be staying here with you
Get ready
Cause
tonight I'll be staying here with you
Is it
really any wonder?
The changes
that we run upon each others heads
You come on
to me like rolling thunder
I left my
dreams on the river bed
I can hear that
whistle blowing
Hear that
sunrise rolling too
If there's
a driver on the road
Let him
have my load
Cause
tonight I'll be staying here with you
I can hear
that lonesome whistle blowing
Hear that
sunrise rolling too
If there's
a driver on the road
Let him
have my load
Cause
tonight I'll be staying here with you
Yes tonight
I'll be staying here with you
[Source: The Telegraph # 7, from Toronto, Ontario, Canada, 1 December 1975]
[TOP]
This page last
updated 20 May 2001.