In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
Oh, I'm sailin' away, my own true love
I'm sailin' away in the morning
Is there something I can send you from across the sea
From the place that I'll be landing?
No, there's nothin' you can send me, my own true love
There's nothin' I'm wishin' to be ownin'
Just carry yourself back to me unspoiled
From across that lonesome ocean
Oh, but I just thought you might want something fine
Made of silver or of golden
Either from the mountains of Madrid
Or from the coast of Barcelona
But if I had the stars of the darkest night
And the diamonds from the deepest ocean
I'd forsake them all for your sweet kiss
For that's all I'm wishin' to be ownin'
But I might be gone a long old time
And it's only that I'm askin'
Is there something I can send you to remember me by?
To make your time more easy-passin'
Oh, how can, how can you ask me again?
It only brings me sorrow
The same thing I would want today
I would want again tomorrow
Oh, I got a letter on a lonesome day
It was from her ship a-sailin'
Saying I don't know when I'll be comin' back again
It depends on how I'm a-feelin'
If you, my love, must think that-a-way
I'm sure your mind is roamin'
I'm sure your thoughts are not with me
But with the country to where you're goin'
So take heed, take heed of the western winds
Take heed of the stormy weather
And yes, there's something you can send back to me
Spanish boots of Spanish leather
I'm sailin' away in the morning
Is there something I can send you from across the sea
From the place that I'll be landing?
No, there's nothin' you can send me, my own true love
There's nothin' I'm wishin' to be ownin'
Just carry yourself back to me unspoiled
From across that lonesome ocean
Oh, but I just thought you might want something fine
Made of silver or of golden
Either from the mountains of Madrid
Or from the coast of Barcelona
But if I had the stars of the darkest night
And the diamonds from the deepest ocean
I'd forsake them all for your sweet kiss
For that's all I'm wishin' to be ownin'
But I might be gone a long old time
And it's only that I'm askin'
Is there something I can send you to remember me by?
To make your time more easy-passin'
Oh, how can, how can you ask me again?
It only brings me sorrow
The same thing I would want today
I would want again tomorrow
Oh, I got a letter on a lonesome day
It was from her ship a-sailin'
Saying I don't know when I'll be comin' back again
It depends on how I'm a-feelin'
If you, my love, must think that-a-way
I'm sure your mind is roamin'
I'm sure your thoughts are not with me
But with the country to where you're goin'
So take heed, take heed of the western winds
Take heed of the stormy weather
And yes, there's something you can send back to me
Spanish boots of Spanish leather
Lyrics submitted by Jack, edited by Mellow_Harsher, aayush, joemama247
Boots Of Spanish Leather Lyrics as written by Bob Dylan
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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I agree, bob dylans one of the greatest song-writers ever, but one thing that's funny (to him) also is how much his songs are over analyzed
This sond was writted about the 7-8 month period where his then girlfriend, suze rotolo (the girl on the cover of freewheelin' album) was in italy and bob was really feeling it. She was his girlfriend in the early sixties right before he was signed to columbia and they lived in an apartment together when she was 18 and he was 20. When he was signed, he started to get fame and she was feeling like people only knew her as "bob's girl" and she was offered the chance to study in italy, something she wanted to do right after high school but couldn't because of a car accident. Well when her mother, who wasn't too fond of bob, was pushing her to go and she feared if she didn't go she would regret it forever. She finally decided to go, despite the fact her and bob were now in a loving relationship. This was all described in her book that just came out, "a freewheelin' time"
Back to the song, it is about how any man would feel when his woman is far away (in this case overseas) and thw beginning is essentially a conversation between he and her, where she is asking if there is anything he wants her to buy him while she's on her trip, and he insists that all he wants is her back home "unspoiled" meaning he wants their relationship to be just like it was when they were together. Then she says she's not sure of when she's coming home, that it depends on how she's feeling (which is what happened in real life) and bob fears that this means she's not even thinking about him, that she's too busy having fun in europe to worry about how lovesick he is. That is the basic meaning of the song. The common long-distance relationship fear that your loved one isn't as sad or missing you as much as you miss them
Thanks
Yeah, it is pretty clear that Dylan felt that his fans should not think about the lyrics, but simply attribute them to something in his life based on a book by an ex-girlfriend. That's it. Case closed. <br /> <br /> No, I think Dylan thought it was funny when someone would claim to know the real meaning of the song. Dylan's songs are purposely vague and listeners should definitely use their brains to figure out what the song means to them. You can't go wrong until you claim that you are the only person that is right. There is no "basic meaning" to the song. The meaning can only be determined by the listener. Why do think Dylan constantly answers questions about songs differently all the time. He doesn't want an answer set down in stone, and he definitely doesn't want to stop someone from doing their own "analysis" of the song.