"Maggie's Farm" as written by and Bob Dylan....
I ain't gonna work on Maggie's farm no more
No, I ain't gonna work on Maggie's farm no more
Well, I wake in the morning
Fold my hands and pray for rain
I got a head full of ideas
That are drivin' me insane
It's a shame the way she makes me scrub the floor
I ain't gonna work on Maggie's farm no more
I ain't gonna work for Maggie's brother no more
No, I ain't gonna work for Maggie's brother no more
Well, he hands you a nickel
He hands you a dime
He asks you with a grin
If you're havin' a good time
Then he fines you every time you slam the door
I ain't gonna work for Maggie's brother no more
I ain't gonna work for Maggie's pa no more
No, I ain't gonna work for Maggie's pa no more
Well, he puts his cigar
Out in your face just for kicks
His bedroom window
It is made out of bricks
The National Guard stands around his door
Ah, I ain't gonna work for Maggie's pa no more
I ain't gonna work for Maggie's ma no more
No, I ain't gonna work for Maggie's ma no more
Well, she talks to all the servants
About man and God and law
Everybody says
She's the brains behind Pa
She's sixty eight, but she says she's fifty four
I ain't gonna work for Maggie's ma no more
I ain't gonna work on Maggie's farm no more
No, I ain't gonna work on Maggie's farm no more
Well, I try my best
To be just like I am
But everybody wants you
To be just like them
They sing while you slave and I just get bored
I ain't gonna work on Maggie's farm no more
No, I ain't gonna work on Maggie's farm no more
Well, I wake in the morning
Fold my hands and pray for rain
I got a head full of ideas
That are drivin' me insane
It's a shame the way she makes me scrub the floor
I ain't gonna work on Maggie's farm no more
I ain't gonna work for Maggie's brother no more
No, I ain't gonna work for Maggie's brother no more
Well, he hands you a nickel
He hands you a dime
He asks you with a grin
If you're havin' a good time
Then he fines you every time you slam the door
I ain't gonna work for Maggie's brother no more
I ain't gonna work for Maggie's pa no more
No, I ain't gonna work for Maggie's pa no more
Well, he puts his cigar
Out in your face just for kicks
His bedroom window
It is made out of bricks
The National Guard stands around his door
Ah, I ain't gonna work for Maggie's pa no more
I ain't gonna work for Maggie's ma no more
No, I ain't gonna work for Maggie's ma no more
Well, she talks to all the servants
About man and God and law
Everybody says
She's the brains behind Pa
She's sixty eight, but she says she's fifty four
I ain't gonna work for Maggie's ma no more
I ain't gonna work on Maggie's farm no more
No, I ain't gonna work on Maggie's farm no more
Well, I try my best
To be just like I am
But everybody wants you
To be just like them
They sing while you slave and I just get bored
I ain't gonna work on Maggie's farm no more
Lyrics submitted by roger wilco
"Maggie's Farm" as written by Bob Dylan
Lyrics © AUDIAM, INC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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actually in the song, Dylan says that she says that she's FIFTY-four. just wanted to point that out.
I don't think artists have any special understanding of what life is about, but simply a different understanding. That is, if you can justify generalizing that much, which I don't know that you can.
A great man once said, "An artist is a regular man with special delusions of grandeur." In fact that great man was me, and really there's no reason for me to say it now, except that I wanted to quote myself.
As far as the meaning of this song, and any Dylan song, and really any song or any work of art...well, the artist may be the kind that knows exactly what his art means and tells his audience exactly what it means, or he may be the kind that suggests any person that wonders about the meaning of his art should decide for him or herself. I think Dylan would probably be the latter kind. There's a certain school that makes a big deal out of it--Symbolism, I think. Anyway, the point I think is that you can't say "think about what you want it to mean, and realize that's not it." Because, that is it. It may not be what the artist intended, or what everybody else thinks, but what does that matter? Personally, as an artist, I don't think I know any better what my art means than anybody else does. And I believe I know what this song means just as well as Dylan himself does. See what I mean about special delusions of grandeur?
"Well, I try my best
To be just like I am,
But everybody wants you
To be just like them.
They sing while you save but I just get bored."
***Basically, screw you if you don't like me and my music.
I think a farm is fantastic metaphor for a company, organisation or even nation. You could even read the farm as a family, to which Dylan is related through marriage and no longer wishes to be part of.
Genius, the man is a complete genius.