Texty: Bob Dylan. Bob Dylan In Concert: Brandeis University 1963. Talkin' World War Iii Blues.
One time ago a crazy dream came to me
I dreamt I was walkin' into World War Three
Went to the doctor the very next day
To see what kinda words he could say
He said, "It was a bad dream"
I wouldn't worry 'bout it none, though
They were my own dreams
Were only in your head
I said, "Hold it Doc, a World War passed through my brain"
He said, "Nurse, get your pad, the boy's insane"
He grabbed my arm, I said, "Ouch!"
As I landed on the psychiatric couch
He said, "Tell me about it"
Well, the whole thing started at three o'clock fast
It was all over by quarter past
I was down in the sewer with some little lover
When I peeked out from a manhole cover
Wondering who turned the lights on us
Well, I got up and I walked around
Up and down the lonesome town
I stood on wondering which way to go
I lit a cigarette on a parking meter
And walked on down the road, it was a normal day
Well, I rung me fallout shelter bell
And I leaned my head and I gave a yell
"Give me a string bean, I'm a hungry man"
Shotgun fired and away I ran
I don't blame them too much though, they didn't know me
Down the corner by the hot-dog stand
I seen a man, I said, "Howdy friend
I guess there's just us two"
He screamed a bit and away he flew
Thought I was a Communist
Well, I spied me a girl before she could leave
I said, "Let's go play Adam and Eve"
I took her by the hand and my heart was thumpin'
When she said, "Hey man, you crazy or something"
You seen what happened last time they started
Well, I seen me a Cadillac window uptown
There was nobody around
I got into the driver's seat
And I drove down 42nd street in my Cadillac
Good car to drive after a war
Well, I remember seein' some ad
So I turned on my Conelrad but I didn't pay the Con Ed bill
So the radio didn't work so well, turned on my record player
It was Rock-A-Day, Johnny singin', "Tell your ma, tell your pa
Our loves are gonna grow ooh wah, ooh wah"
I was feelin' kinda lonesome and blue I needed somebody to talk to
So I called up the operator of time just to hear a voice of some kind
"When you hear the beep it will be three o'clock"
She said that for over an hour and I hung up
Well, the doctor interrupted me just about then
Sayin', "Hey I've been havin' the same old dreams
But mine was a little different you see
I dreamt the only person left after the war was me
I didn't see you around"
Well, now time passed and now it seems
Everybody's having them dreams
Everybody sees their self walkin' around with no one else
Half the people can be part right all of the time and
Some of the people can be all right part of the time but
All the people can't be all alright all of the time
I think Abraham Lincoln said that
"I'll let you be in my dreams if I can be in yours", I said that
I dreamt I was walkin' into World War Three
Went to the doctor the very next day
To see what kinda words he could say
He said, "It was a bad dream"
I wouldn't worry 'bout it none, though
They were my own dreams
Were only in your head
I said, "Hold it Doc, a World War passed through my brain"
He said, "Nurse, get your pad, the boy's insane"
He grabbed my arm, I said, "Ouch!"
As I landed on the psychiatric couch
He said, "Tell me about it"
Well, the whole thing started at three o'clock fast
It was all over by quarter past
I was down in the sewer with some little lover
When I peeked out from a manhole cover
Wondering who turned the lights on us
Well, I got up and I walked around
Up and down the lonesome town
I stood on wondering which way to go
I lit a cigarette on a parking meter
And walked on down the road, it was a normal day
Well, I rung me fallout shelter bell
And I leaned my head and I gave a yell
"Give me a string bean, I'm a hungry man"
Shotgun fired and away I ran
I don't blame them too much though, they didn't know me
Down the corner by the hot-dog stand
I seen a man, I said, "Howdy friend
I guess there's just us two"
He screamed a bit and away he flew
Thought I was a Communist
Well, I spied me a girl before she could leave
I said, "Let's go play Adam and Eve"
I took her by the hand and my heart was thumpin'
When she said, "Hey man, you crazy or something"
You seen what happened last time they started
Well, I seen me a Cadillac window uptown
There was nobody around
I got into the driver's seat
And I drove down 42nd street in my Cadillac
Good car to drive after a war
Well, I remember seein' some ad
So I turned on my Conelrad but I didn't pay the Con Ed bill
So the radio didn't work so well, turned on my record player
It was Rock-A-Day, Johnny singin', "Tell your ma, tell your pa
Our loves are gonna grow ooh wah, ooh wah"
I was feelin' kinda lonesome and blue I needed somebody to talk to
So I called up the operator of time just to hear a voice of some kind
"When you hear the beep it will be three o'clock"
She said that for over an hour and I hung up
Well, the doctor interrupted me just about then
Sayin', "Hey I've been havin' the same old dreams
But mine was a little different you see
I dreamt the only person left after the war was me
I didn't see you around"
Well, now time passed and now it seems
Everybody's having them dreams
Everybody sees their self walkin' around with no one else
Half the people can be part right all of the time and
Some of the people can be all right part of the time but
All the people can't be all alright all of the time
I think Abraham Lincoln said that
"I'll let you be in my dreams if I can be in yours", I said that
Bob Dylan
The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan