That area of Dallas at Dealey Plaza is absolutely frozen in time. It still looks and feels in 2020 exactly as the 1963 historical films show. This song captures it all, in spooky slow-motion.
As related in Scaduto's bio, Dylan visited Dealey Plaza to look around in 1964, while he was on his cross-country station wagon car trip. I've never been to Dallas, but I've been reading about the JFK assassination since I was a kid...Dylan certainly knows the players. Overlayed with his litany of seemingly random singers, songs, movie lines, etc., it's really a long, impressionistic journey he's taking us on here.
I visit Dallas every now and then, and that area is exactly as it was in 1963/64. It's uncanny and spooky. I hope no one takes offense to my reference here, but I wish Jim Marrs had lived to hear this song.
a few corrections i made .... what a weird wild song! Twas’ a dark day in dallas, november '63 the day that would live on in infamy President Kennedy was a-ridin' high good day to be livin and a good day to die being led to the slaughter like a sacrificial lamb he say wait a minute boys you know who i am of course we do, we know who you are then they blew off his head while he was still in the car shot down like a dog in broad daylight was a matter of timing and the timing was right you got unpaid debts we've come to collect we gonna kill you with hatred, without any respect we'll mock you and shock you and we'll put it in your face we've already got someone here to take your place the day they blew out the brains of the king thousands were watching no one saw a thing it happened so quick and so quick by surprise right there in front of everyone's eyes greatest magic trick ever under the sun perfectly executed, skillfully done wolf man oh wolf man oh wolf man howl rub-a-dub-dub it's a murder most fowl hush little children you'll understand the Beatles are comin they're gonna hold your hand slide down the banister, go get your coat ferry cross the mercy and go for the throat there's three bums comin all dressed in rags pick up the pieces and lower the flags i'm goin to woodstock, it's the aquarian age then i'll go to altamont and sit near the stage put your head out the window, let the good times roll there's a party goin on behind the grassy knoll stack up the bricks, pour the cement don't say dallas don't love you, mr president put your foot in the tank and step on the gas try to make it to the triple underpass blackface singer white face clown better not show your faces after the sun goes down up in the red light district like a cop on the beat livin in a nightmare on elm street when you're down in deep ellum put your money in your shoe don't ask what your country can do for you cash on the barrelhead, money to burn at dealy plaza, make a left hand turn i'm goin down the crossroads gonna flag a ride the place where faith, hope, and charity died shoot him while he runs boys, shoot him while you can see if you can shoot the invisible man goodbye charlie, goodbye uncle sam frankly, miss scarlett, i don't give a damn what is the truth? where did it go? ask Oswald and Ruby, they oughta know shut your mouth says the wise old owl business is business, and it's murder most foul Tommy can you hear me I’m the acid queen? i'm ridin in a long black Lincoln limousine ridin in the backseat next to my wife headin straight on into the afterlife i'm leanin to the left got my head in her lap oh lord i've been led into some kind of a trap well we ask no quarter, no quarter do we give we're right down the street from the street where you live they mutilated his body and they took out his brain what more could they do? they piled on the pain but his soul was not there, where it was supposed to be at for the last 50 years they've been searching for that freedom oh freedom, freedom from need i hate to tell ya mister but only dead men are free send me some loving, tell me no lie throw the gun in the gutter and walk on by wake up little suzie let's go for a drive cross the trinity river let's keep open eyed turn the radio on, don't touch the dials Heartland hospital only six more miles you got me dizzy ms lizzy you fill me with lead that magic bullet of yours it goin on ahead i'm just a patsy like patsy cline never shot anyone from in front or behind got blood in my eye, got blood in my ear i'm never gonna make it to the new frontier zepruter's film i seen the night before seen it 33 times, maybe more it's vile and deceitful, it's cruel and it's mean ugliest thing that you ever have seen they killed him once and they killed him twice killed him like a human sacrifice the day that they killed him someone said to me, son the age of the antichrist has just only begun air force one comin in through the gate johnson sworn in at 2:38 lemme know when you decide to throw in the towel it is what it is, and it's murder most foul what's new pussycat, what'd i say? i said the soul of a nation been torn away and it's beginning to go into a slow decay and that it's 36 hours past judgement day wolfman jack he's speakin in tongues he's going on and on at the top of his lungs play me a song, mr wolfman jack play it for me in my long cadillac play me that only the good die young take me to the place tom dooley was hung the saint james infirmary in the court of king james if you want to remember you better write down the names play the james too, play the prodigal rhyme play it for the man with a telepathic mind play john lee hooker, play scratch my back play it for that strip club owner named jack guitar slim goin down slow play it for me and for marilyn monroe play please don't let me be misunderstood play it for the first lady she ain't feelin too good play don henley, play glenn frey take it to the limit and lettin' it go by play it for carl wilson too lookin far far away at down gallow avenue play tragedy, play twilight time take me back to tulsa to the scene of the crime play another one and another one bites the dust play the old rugged cross and in god we trust ride the pink horse down that long lonesome road stand there and wait for his head to explode play mystery train for mr mystery the man who fell down dead like a rootless tree play it for the reverend, play it for the pastor play it for the dog that got no master play oscar peterson, play stan getz play blue sky, play dicky betts play art pepper, thelonious monk charlie parker and all that junk all that junk and all that jazz play somethin for the birdman of alcatraz play buster keaton, play harold lloyd play bugsy segal, play pretty boy floyd play the numbers, play the odds play cry me a river for the lord of the gods play number nine play number six play it for nancy and stevie knicks play nat king cole, play nature boy play down in the boondocks for terry malloy play it happened one night and one night of sin there's 12 million souls that are listenin in play merchant of venice play merchants of death play stella by starlight from lady macbeth don't worry mr president, help's on the way your brothers are comin', there'll be hell to pay brothers, what brothers? what's this about hell? tell em we're waiting, keep coming, we'll get them as well love field is where his plane touched down but it never did get back up off the ground was a hard act to follow, second to none they killed him on the altar of the rising sun play misty for me and that old devil moon play anything goes and Memphis in June play lonely at the top and lonely are the brave play it for Houdini, spinnin around in his grave play jelly roll morton, play lucille play deep in a dream and play driving wheel play moonlight sonata in f# and the key to the highway but the king of the heart play marching through georgia and dumnbarton's drums play darkness and death will come when it comes play love me or leave me by the great bud powell play the bloodstained banner, play murder most foul
MAN I wish this had been the epic on Tempest rather than "Tempest" itself. That album is a B from me, but swapping out those songs would make it an A- or even an A.
ZAPRUDER's film i seen the night before seen it 33 times, maybe more it's vile and deceitful, it's cruel and it's mean ugliest thing that you ever have seen Yes.
I want this song to never end. The end actually comes as a disappointing surprise, not usual for songs this long...
The limousine made a LEFT-HAND TURN from Houston Street onto ELM, and JFK was hit as they were heading towards the TRIPLE UNDERPASS. They took him to PARKLAND HOSPITAL where he was prounounced dead...LBJ was sworn in on Air Force One (not sure if it was at "2:38")
This is some intense stuff. I may have to log-out and and steel myself for the fully clarified lyrics tomorrow. .....Bob Dylan. Mr Bob Dylan. Has the 20th Century, just might get the 21st as well.
" play it for carl wilson too lookin far far away at down gallow avenue" It's GOWER avenue, Dylan's shoutout reference to Warren Zevon from the famous line from Desperados Under the Eaves. This song is Everything.
It tickles me imagining how happy Stevie Nicks probably is tonight when she learns she's namedropped in a Dylan song.
My early thoughts: elements of It's Alright Ma, Blind Willie McTell, Pay In Blood, some Theme Time Radio playlists, and BDs Musicares speech
By total chance, while listening to Phil sing about JFK's assassination… I see the news here in the forum that just within the previous hour, Ochs' old pal Bobby Dylan had released this…
