Bob Dylan-Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands Pt.1 Video

"Sad-Eyed Lady of the Lowlands" is the last song on the Bob Dylan album Blonde on Blonde, which was released in 1966.

At 11:23 minutes long, the song contains five stanzas of surreal poetic imagery all pertaining, and coming back to, the woman figure. The song is in 6/8 time yet the form of the lyrics is far from traditional; Dylan's intonation at times straying 'beyond' the melody but never out of it.

It is written as a list song that comes back to a chorus line at the end of each stanza. The song is filled almost entirely with poetic symbols, such as in the first line "with your mercury mouth / in the missionary times".

Many critics have noted the similarity of 'Lowlands' to 'Lownds', the name of Dylan's wife Sara when he married her. Her maiden name was Shirley Noznisky, and her father, Isaac Noznisky, was a scrap metal dealer in Wilmington, Delaware. Critics have noted the link between "sheet metal memories of Cannery Row" and the business of Sara's father. Similarly the line "your magazine husband who one day just had to go" could be a reference to Sara's first husband, magazine photographer Hans Lownds.[1] Dylan acknowledged how indebted he felt to Sara for this song; in "Sara" on the album Desire (1976) Dylan sang:


Dylan has never performed this song in concert. However, during a sequence of Dylan's film Renaldo And Clara, a live performance of the song can be heard in the background. Accompanied by violin, it has been assumed it was performed with The Rolling Thunder Revue during the tour of 1975, possibly during a rehearsal session

With your mercury mouth in the missionary times
And your eyes like smoke and your prayers like rhymes
And your silver cross, and your voice like chimes
Oh, who do they think could bury you ?
With your pockets well protected at last
And your streetcar visions which you place on the grass
And your flesh like silk, And you face like glass
Who among them do they think could carry you ?
Sad-eyed lady of the lowlands
Where the sad-eyed prophet says that no man comes
My warehouse eyes, my Arabian drums
Should I put them by your gate
Oh, sad-eyed lady, should I wait ?

With your sheets like metal and your belt like lace
And your deck of cards missing the jack and the ace
And your basement clothes and your hollow face
Who among them can think he could outguess you ?
With your silhouette when the sunlight dims
Into your eyes where the moonlight swims
And your match-book songs and your gypsy hymns
Who among them would try to impress you ?
Sad-eyed lady of the lowlands
Where the sad-eyed prophet says that no man comes
My warehouse eyes, my Arabian drums
Should I put them by your gate
Oh, sad-eyed lady, should I wait ?

The kings of Tyrus with their convict list
Are waiting in line for their geranium kiss
And you wouldn't know it would happen like this
But who among them really wants just to kiss you ?
With your childhood flames on your midnight rug
And your Spanish manners, and your mother's drugs
And your cowboy mouth and your curfew plugs
Who among them do you think could resist you ?
Sad-eyed lady of the lowlands
Where the sad-eyed prophet says that no man comes
My warehouse eyes, my Arabian drums
Should I leave them by your gate
Oh, sad-eyed lady, should I wait ?
Oh, the farmers and the businessmen they all did decide
To show you the dead angels that they used to hide
But why did they pick you to sympathize with their side ?
How could they ever mistake you ?
They wished you'd accepted the blame for the farm
But with the sea at your feet and the phony false alarm
And with the child of a hoodlum wrapped up in your arms
How could they ever, ever persuade you ?
Sad-eyed lady of the lowlands
Where the sad-eyed prophet says that no man comes
My warehouse eyes, my Arabian drums
Should I leave them by your gate
Oh, sad-eyed lady, should I wait ?

With your sheet-metal memory of Cannery Row
And your magazine-husband

Save & Share:

TREYOLDHIPPIE: thanks.. great empathy .. legendary beauty.

TeoTorriate: Magical.

NMWeatherman: This song, which took up the entire side of a 33 rpm album, finally established Dylan as a great American poet. 40 years later (or more) this song and its poetic lyrics still stands, and still shines. Bob Dylan, an American treasure...

Rumiton: "Staying up for days in the Chelsea Hotel, Writing Sad-eyed Lady of the Lowlands for you." I am very grateful this poet has been in my life.

dalesman4: One of the truly great songs. Thanks for posting.

Author: cannibaljuice; Uploaded: Nov 8, 2009; Duration: 8:3; Views: 2635

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