D
They're
selling postcards of the hanging.
G D
They're
painting the passports brown.
A7
The
beauty parlour's filled with sailors.
G D
The circus is in town.
Here
comes the blind commissoner.
G
D
They've
got him in a trance.
A7
One
hand's tied to the tightrope walker.
G D
The other is in his pants.
G
And
the riot squad they're restless
D
They
need some where to go.
D A7
As
lady and I look out tonight
G D
On Desolation Row.
Cinderella
she seem so easy.
It
takes on to know one she smiles.
Then
puts her hand in her back pocket,
Betty
davis style.
Then
in comes Romeo he's moaning.
You
Belong to me I believe.
And
someone says your in the wrong place my friend
You
better leave.
And
the only sound that's left
After
the ambulances go.
Is
Cinderella sweeping up
On
Desolation Row.
Now
the moon is almost hidden
The
stars are beginning to hide
The
fortune telling lady
Has
already taken all her things inside.
All
except for Cane and Able
And
the Hunch Back of Notre Dame
Everyone
is making love
Or
else expecting rain
And
the good samaritan he's dressing
He's
gettin ready for the show.
He's
going to the carinval
Tonight
on Desolation Row.
Now
Ophelia she's 'neath the window.
For
her I feel so afraid.
On
her twenty-second birthday
She
already is an old maid.
To
her death is quite romantic.
She
wears an iron vest.
Her
profession's her religion,
Her
sin is her lifelessness.
And
though her eyes are fixed upon
Noah's
great rainbow
She
spends her time peeking
Into
Desolation Row.
Einstien
disguised as Robin Hood
With
his memories in a trunk
Passed
this way an hour ago
With
his friend a jealous monk.
He
looked so frightful
As
he bummed a cigarette
Then
went off sniffing drain pipes
And
reciting the alphabet.
No
you would not think to look at him
That
he was famous long ago
For
playing electric violin
On
Desolation Row.
Doctor
filth he keeps his word
Inside
a leather cup
But
all his sexless patients
Are
trying to blow it up.
Now
his nurse a local looser
She's
in charge of the cyanaide hole
And
she also keeps the cards that read
Have
mercy on his soul.
They
all play on penny whistles
You
can hear them blow
If
you lean your head out far enough
>From
Desolation Row
Across
the street they've nailed the curtains
They're
gettin ready for the feast
The
phantom of the opera
A
perfect image of a priest
They're
spoon feedin Casonova
To
get him to feel more assured
Then
they'll killed him with self confidence
After
poisoning him with words
And
the phantom shouting to skinning girls
Get
outta her don't you know
Casanova
is just being punished
For
going to Desolation Row.
Now
at midnight all the agents
And
the superhuman crews
Round
up everyone
That
knows more than they do.
Then
they bring them to the factory
Where
the heart attack machines
Is
strapped across their shoulders
And
then the kerosene
Is
brought down from the castles
By
insurance men that go
Check
to see that nobody is escaping
To
Desolation Row
Praise
be to Nero's Neptune
The
Titanic sails at dawn
And
everybody shouting
Which
side are you on
And
Ezra Pound and T.S. Eliot
Fighting
in the captains tower
While
calypso signers laugh at them
And
fishermen hold flowers
Between
the windows of the sea
Where
lovely mermaids flow
And
nobody has to think too much
About
Desolation Row
Yes
I received your letter yesterday
About
the time the door knob broke.
When
you asked me how I was
Was
that some kind of joke.
All
those people that you mention
Yes
I know them they're quite lame.
I
had to rearrange their faces
And
give them all another name.
Right
now I can't read too good
Don't
send me no more letters no.
Not
unless you mail them from
Desolation
Row.
Be
seeing you,
Kelwyn.
_________
He
said that's alright babe,
I
love you too.
But
we were Tangled Up In Blue.
- Bob Dylan
From:
jim@truleigh.demon.co.uk (James Fryer)
Subject:
CRD: Dylan, Desolation Row
D
They're
selling postcards of the hanging
D G D
They're
painting the passports brown
D
A
The
beauty parlour's filled with sailors
G D
The
circus is in town
D
Here
comes the blind commissioner
D
G D
They
got him in a trance
D
A
One
hand is tied to the tightrope walker
G D
The
other is in his pants
D G
And
the riot squad they're restless
D G
They
need somewhere to go
D A
As
lady and I look out tonight
A
G D
On
desolation row
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