Talkin World War III Blues by Bob Dylan Lyrics
[Verse 1]
One time ago a crazy dream came to me
I dreamt I was walking to World War Three
I went to the doctor the very next day
To see what kind of words he could say
He said it was a bad dream
"I wouldn’t worry about it none, though
Them old dreams are only in your head"
[Verse 2]
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”
[Verse 3]
Well, the whole thing started at 3 o’clock fast
It was all over by a 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
[Verse 4]
Well, I got up and I walked around
Up and down the lonesome town
I stood a-wondering which way to go
I lit a cigarette on a parking meter
And walked on down the road
It was a normal day
[Verse 5]
Well, I rung the fallout shelter bell
And I leaned my head and I give a yell
“Give me a string bean, I’m a hungry man”
A shotgun fired, and away I ran
I don’t blame him too much though, he didn't know me
[Verse 6]
Down at 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
[Verse 7]
Well, I spied me a girl and before she could leave
I said “Let’s go and play Adam and Eve”
I took her by the hand, and my heart was thumping
When she said “Hey man, you crazy or something?
You seen what happened last time they started”
[Verse 8]
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
[Verse 9]
Well, I remember seeing 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, singing “Tell Your Ma, Tell Your Pa
Our Love’s A-going to Grow, Ooh-wah, Ooh-wah”
[Verse 10]
I was feeling kind of 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 3 o’clock”
She said that for over an hour
And I hung up
[Verse 11]
Well, the doctor interrupted me just about then
Saying "Hey, I’ve been having 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"
[Verse 12]
Well, now time passed and now it seems
Everybody’s having them dreams
Everybody sees their self
Walking around with no one else
[Outro]
"Half of 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 of the people can’t be all right all of the time"
I think Abraham Lincoln said that
“I’ll let you be in my dream if I can be in yours”
I said that
One time ago a crazy dream came to me
I dreamt I was walking to World War Three
I went to the doctor the very next day
To see what kind of words he could say
He said it was a bad dream
"I wouldn’t worry about it none, though
Them old dreams are only in your head"
[Verse 2]
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”
[Verse 3]
Well, the whole thing started at 3 o’clock fast
It was all over by a 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
[Verse 4]
Well, I got up and I walked around
Up and down the lonesome town
I stood a-wondering which way to go
I lit a cigarette on a parking meter
And walked on down the road
It was a normal day
[Verse 5]
Well, I rung the fallout shelter bell
And I leaned my head and I give a yell
“Give me a string bean, I’m a hungry man”
A shotgun fired, and away I ran
I don’t blame him too much though, he didn't know me
[Verse 6]
Down at 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
[Verse 7]
Well, I spied me a girl and before she could leave
I said “Let’s go and play Adam and Eve”
I took her by the hand, and my heart was thumping
When she said “Hey man, you crazy or something?
You seen what happened last time they started”
[Verse 8]
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
[Verse 9]
Well, I remember seeing 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, singing “Tell Your Ma, Tell Your Pa
Our Love’s A-going to Grow, Ooh-wah, Ooh-wah”
[Verse 10]
I was feeling kind of 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 3 o’clock”
She said that for over an hour
And I hung up
[Verse 11]
Well, the doctor interrupted me just about then
Saying "Hey, I’ve been having 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"
[Verse 12]
Well, now time passed and now it seems
Everybody’s having them dreams
Everybody sees their self
Walking around with no one else
[Outro]
"Half of 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 of the people can’t be all right all of the time"
I think Abraham Lincoln said that
“I’ll let you be in my dream if I can be in yours”
I said that