Tangled Up In Blue (Live at The Stone, San Francisco, June 1, 1981)

Lyrics

[Verse 1] Early one morning the sun was shining I was laying in bed I wondered if she'd changed that much If her hair was still red Parents said our lives together Sure was gonna be rough Never did like mama's homemade dress Papa's bankbook wasn't big enough I was sitting on the side of the road Rain falling on my shoes Heading out for the East Coast God knows I've paid some dues Getting through Tangled up in blue [Verse 2] She was married when we first met Soon to be divorced I helped her out of a jam, I guess But I used a little too much force Drove that car as far as we could Abandoned it out West Separated on a dark sad night Both agreeing it was best She turned around and called to me As I was walking away I heard her say over my shoulder "We'd meet again someday on the avenue" Tangled up in blue [Verse 3] I went out to the great north woods Working as a cook for a spell I never did like it all that much And one day the axe just fell I headed down to New Orleans And I lucky was to be employed Working for a while on a fishing boat Right outside of Delacroix All the while I was alone The past was close behind I've known a lot of women But she never escaped my mind And I just grew Tangled up in blue [Instrumental Break] [Verse 4] She was working in a topless place I stopped in for a beer I just kept looking at the side of her face In the spotlight so clear Later on when the crowd thinned out I was just about to do the same Standing there in the back of my chair Said to me, "Don't I know your name?" I muttered something underneath my breath She studied the lines on my face I must admit I felt a little uneasy When she bent down to tie the laces of my shoe Tangled up in blue [Verse 5] She lit the burners on the stove and offered me a light "I thought you'd never say hello," she said "You look like the silent type." She opened up a book of poems, handed it to me Written by an Italian poet from the thirteenth century Every one of them words rang true And glowed like burning coals Rolling off of every page Like it was written in my soul From me to you Tangled up in blue [Instrumental Break] [Verse 6] I lived with them on Montague Street In a basement down the stairs The music in the cafés at night And revolution in the air We started into dealing with slaves And something inside of him died She had to sell everything she owned And froze up inside Later on when the...I became withdrawn The only thing I know how to do Is keep on keeping on Like a bird that flew Tangled up in blue [Verse 7] Now I'm going back again I gotta get back to her somehow All the people that we used to know They're an illusion to me now Some are mathematicians Some are carpenter's wives Don't know how it all got started I don't know what they do with their lives I'm still on the road Heading for another joint We always did feel the same We just saw it from a different point of view Tangled up in blue [Refrain] Tangled up in blue Tangled up in blue Tangled up in blue Tangled up in blue Tangled up in blue [Instrumental Break] [Outro] We'll be back in a little while