[00:00:00] Desolation Row (Live from London 5/26/66) - Bob Dylan Desolation lan [00:00:33] They're selling postcards of the hanging [00:00:37] They're painting the passports brown [00:00:41] The beauty parlor is filled with sailors [00:00:46] The circus is in town [00:00:50] Here comes the blind commissioner [00:00:53] They've got him in a trance [00:00:57] One hand is tied to the tight rope walker [00:01:02] The other is in his pants [00:01:05] And the riot squad they're restless [00:01:10] They need somewhere to go [00:01:14] As lady and I look out tonight [00:01:18] From desolation row [00:01:28] Cinderella she seems so easy [00:01:32] It takes one to know one she smiles [00:01:36] And puts her hands in her back pockets [00:01:41] Bette davis style [00:01:44] And in comes romeo he's moaning [00:01:48] You belong to me I believe [00:01:53] And someone says you're in the wrong place my friend [00:01:57] You'd better leave [00:02:00] And the only sound that's left [00:02:05] After the ambulances go [00:02:08] Is cinderella sweeping up [00:02:12] On desolation row [00:02:23] Now the moon is almost hidden [00:02:31] The stars are beginning to hide [00:02:35] The fortune telling lady [00:02:39] Has even taken all her things inside [00:02:43] All except for cain and abel [00:02:47] And the hunchback of notre dame [00:02:51] Everybody is making love [00:02:55] Or else expecting rain [00:02:59] And the good samaritan he's dressing [00:03:03] He's getting ready for the show [00:03:07] He's going to the carnival tonight [00:03:11] On desolation row [00:03:18] Ophelia she's 'neath the window [00:03:22] For her I feel so afraid [00:03:25] On her twenty second birthday [00:03:29] She already is an old maid [00:03:33] To her death is quite romantic [00:03:38] She wears an iron vest [00:03:41] Her profession's her religion [00:03:45] Her sin is her lifelessness [00:03:50] And though her eyes are fixed upon [00:03:54] Noah's great rainbow [00:03:58] She spends her time peeking [00:04:01] Into desolation row [00:04:12] Einstein disguised as robin hood [00:04:16] With his memories in a trunk [00:04:21] Passed this way an hour ago [00:04:24] With his friend a jealous monk [00:04:28] Now he looked so immaculately frightful [00:04:32] As he bummed a cigarette [00:04:36] Then he went off sniffing drainpipes [00:04:40] And reciting the alphabet [00:04:44] You would not think to look at him [00:04:48] But he was famous long ago [00:04:52] For playing the electric violin [00:04:56] On desolation row [00:05:06] Dr filth he keeps his world [00:05:11] Inside of a leather cup [00:05:15] But all his sexless patients [00:05:18] They are trying to blow it up [00:05:22] Now his nurse some local loser [00:05:26] She's in charge of the cyanide hole [00:05:30] And she also keeps the cards that read [00:05:34] Have mercy on his soul [00:05:39] They all play on the penny whistle [00:05:42] You can hear them blow [00:05:46] If you lean your head out far enough [00:05:50] From desolation row [00:06:01] Across the street they've nailed the curtains [00:06:04] They're getting ready for the feast [00:06:08] The phantom of the opera [00:06:12] In a perfect image of a priest [00:06:16] They are spoon feeding casanova [00:06:20] To get him to feel more assured [00:06:24] Then they'll kill him with self confidence [00:06:28] After poisoning him with words [00:06:32] And the phantom's shouting to skinny girls [00:06:36] Get outta here if you don't know [00:06:40] Casanova is just being punished for going [00:06:44] To desolation row [00:06:54] At midnight all the agents [00:06:58] And the superhuman crew [00:07:07] Come out and round up everyone [00:07:10] That knows more than they do [00:07:15] Then they bring them to the factory [00:07:18] Where the heart attack machine [00:07:23] Is strapped across their shoulders [00:07:27] And then the kerosene [00:07:31] Is brought down from the castles [00:07:34] By insurance men who go [00:07:38] Check to see that nobody is escaping [00:07:42] To desolation row [00:07:51] Praise be to nero's neptune [00:07:54] The titanic sails at dawn