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The Boomer National Anthem: Like a Rolling Stone. Change My Mind.

And this is how it goes

Once upon a time, you dressed so fine
You threw the bums a dime in your prime, didn’t you?
People’d call, say, “Beware doll, you’re bound to fall”
You thought they were all kiddin’ you
You used to laugh about
Everybody that was hangin’ out
Now you don’t talk so loud
Now you don’t seem so proud
About having to be scrounging for your next meal

How does it feel?
How does it feel?
To be without a home
Like a complete unknown,
Like a rolling stone?

You’ve gone to the finest school all right, Miss Lonely
But you know you only used to get juiced in it
And nobody has ever taught you how to live on the street
And now you find out you’re gonna have to get used to it
You said you’d never compromise
With the mystery tramp, but now you realize
He’s not selling any alibis
As you stare into the vacuum of his eyes
And ask him do you want to make a deal?

How does it feel
How does it feel
To be on your own
With no direction home
Like a complete unknown
Like a rolling stone?  

You never turned around to see the frowns on the jugglers and the clowns
When they all come down and did tricks for you
You never understood that it ain’t no good
You shouldn’t let other people get your kicks for you
You used to ride on the chrome horse with your diplomat
Who carried on his shoulder a Siamese cat
Ain’t it hard when you discover that
He really wasn’t where it’s at
After he took from you everything he could steal

How does it feel
How does it feel
To be on your own
With no direction home
Like a complete unknown
Like a rolling stone?

Princess on the steeple and all the pretty people
They’re drinkin’, thinkin’ that they got it made
Exchanging all kinds of precious gifts and things
But you’d better lift your diamond ring, you’d better pawn it babe
You used to be so amused
At Napoleon in rags and the language that he used
Go to him now, he calls you, you can’t refuse
When you got nothing, you got nothing to lose
You’re invisible now, you got no secrets to conceal

How does it feel
How does it feel
To be on your own
With no direction home
Like a complete unknown
Like a rolling stone?   

PLEASE. . .
AND THANK YOU!
OR BY MAIL WITH “CASH CHECK OR MONEY ORDER” TO
Gerard Van der Leun // 1692 Mangrove Ave Apt: 379
Chico, CA 95926

Comments on this entry are closed.

  • rabbit tobacco June 15, 2018, 7:14 PM

    “I was so much older then, I’m younger than that now.”

  • Dsadt August 25, 2022, 9:09 PM

    HOW DOES IT FEEL !!

  • rocdoctom August 26, 2022, 6:54 AM

    Written and released in 1965. 57 years later–true now as it was then.

  • Dirk August 26, 2022, 7:30 AM

    Timely,, thank you.

  • pbird August 26, 2022, 8:12 AM

    Yep. I can’t think of a better one.

  • Walter Sobchak August 26, 2022, 8:35 AM

    Please count me as a huge Dylan worshiper. The Nobel Prize was deeply deserved. But, National Anthem?

    Jackson Browne Doctor My Eyes
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKGTaplzmV4

    • Vanderleun August 26, 2022, 10:21 AM

      Well, that may be a slight overstatement because Headline.

  • Anonymous August 26, 2022, 8:44 AM

    No.
    His biggest hit and it’s an “I told you so” tune.

    • Daniel K Day August 27, 2022, 4:09 PM

      It always rubbed me as “I’m cool and you’re not”.

  • jiminalaska August 26, 2022, 11:40 AM

    Reminds me I haven’t read or listed to the other Dylan for quite a while, by far, not his best, but resonates for me today: https://youtu.be/1mRec3VbH3w

    • jiminalaska August 26, 2022, 12:13 PM

      Listened, not listed. For some reason I’m doing that a lot lately with that word.

  • Lokki August 29, 2022, 7:12 AM

    “There must be some kind of way out of here….”