Folk Rock

Congrats to Bob Dylan, who has just been awarded a Nobel Prize in Literature. He has been, indeed, the poet laureate of the Sixties generation.

This song, which was written by Bob Dylan, was the opening track of his 1966 album Blonde on Blonde. A shorter version, with the omission of the third and final verses, backed with “Pledging My Time” was also released in 1966. It was an international success, going to “#2 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, #7 in the U.K., #9 in the Netherlands, and #17 in Australia.

The song has been noted for a few things. One is that the title of the song does not appear in the lyrics. And then there was controversy about this being a “drug song” because of the line “Everybody must get stoned” and the general tipsy vibe of the track. (You make the call as to what that line means.) It also has a brass band arrangement, as Dylan and producer Bob Johnston were envisioning a Salvation Army style sound. There are plenty of other noises going on, and there are tales of the musicians being intoxicated on Leprechaun cocktails and weed. There are also those who claim everyone was sober.

The song has had numerous covers, including versions by Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Sammy Hagar, Jessi Colter, Jimmy Buffett, and Lenny Kravitz, to mention a few.

Here are the lyrics to “Rainy Day Women #12 & 35” by Bob Dylan:

Well, they’ll stone ya when you’re trying to be so good
They’ll stone ya just a-like they said they would
They’ll stone ya when you’re tryin’ to go home
Then they’ll stone ya when you’re there all alone
But I would not feel so all alone
Everybody must get stoned.

Well, they’ll stone ya when you’re walkin’ ‘long the street
They’ll stone ya when you’re tryin’ to keep your seat
They’ll stone ya when you’re walkin’ on the floor
They’ll stone ya when you’re walkin’ to the door
But I would not feel so all alone
Everybody must get stoned.

They’ll stone ya when you’re at the breakfast table
They’ll stone ya when you are young and able
They’ll stone ya when you’re tryin’ to make a buck
They’ll stone ya and then they’ll say “good luck”
Tell ya I would not feel so all alone
Everybody must get stoned

Well, They’ll stone you and say that it’s the end
Then they’ll stone you and then they’ll come back again
They’ll stone you when you’re riding in your car
They’ll stone you when you’re playing your guitar
Yes, but I would not feel so all alone
Everybody must get stoned.

Well, they’ll stone you when you are all alone
They’ll stone you when you are walking home
They’ll stone you and then say you are brave
They’ll stone you when you are set down in your grave
But I would not feel so all alone
Everybody must get stoned.

For more songs by Bob Dylan: “Lay, Lady, Lay” and “Maggie’s Farm.”

If you are interested in an album of Bob Dylan’s music, please click on the photo below:

Check Out The Groove Pad for More 1960s Music

The Pass the Paisley Groove Pad is a resting stop, a place to chill out and listen to the featured song on the stereo. If the mood strikes you, click on the juke box to access and listen to the 50+ free online songs there. The TV has several channels, with selections updated twice a week. Every now and then, Pass the Paisley hosts an all-request of 1960s and 1970s songs for a Be-In at the juke box in the Groove Pad. Keep on truckin’. Hope you enjoyed “Rainy Day Women #12 and #5” by Bob Dylan.