Man came to the door I say, "For whom are you looking?"
He says, "Your wife", I say, "She's busy in the kitchen cookin'"
Poor boy where you been?
I already tol' you won't tell you again

I say, "How much you want for that?", I go into the store
The man says, "Three dollars", "All right", I say, "Will you take four?"
Poor boy - never say die
Things will be all right by and by

Workin' like on the mainline, workin' like the devil
The game is the same it's just up on a different level
Poor boy, dressed in black
Police at your back

Poor boy in a red hot town
Out beyond the twinklin' stars
Ridin' first class trains making the rounds
Tryin' to keep from fallin' between the cars

Othello told Desdemona, "I'm cold, cover me with a blanket
By the way, what happened to that poison wine?"
She says, "I gave it to you, you drank it"
Poor boy, layin' 'em straight pickin' up the cherries fallin' off the plate

Time and love has branded me with its claws
Had to go to Florida, dodgin' them Georgia laws
Poor boy, in the hotel called the Palace of Gloom
Calls down to room service, says, "Send up a room"

My mother was a daughter of a wealthy farmer
My father was a traveling salesman, I never met him
When my mother died, my uncle took me in, he ran a funeral parlor
He did a lot of nice things for me and I won't forget him

All I know is that I'm thrilled by your kiss
I don't know any more than this
Poor boy, pickin' up sticks
Build ya a house out of mortar and bricks

Knockin' on the door, I say, "Who is it and where are you from?"
Man says, "Freddy!" I say, "Freddy who?" He says, "Freddy or not here I come."
Poor boy 'neath the stars that shine
Washin' them dishes, feedin' them swine


Lyrics submitted by wienerscnitzel

Po' Boy Lyrics as written by Bob Dylan

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

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Po' Boy song meanings
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6 Comments

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  • +1
    General Comment

    great song that shows some of dylans sense of humor

    hari66on January 13, 2007   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    dylan definitely feeding us swine by throwing us some pearals here. great sense of humor, reminds me of some of the early albums where he shows off his sense of humor.

    R_Bishopon May 12, 2008   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    "Freddy." "Freddy who?" "Freddy or not, here I come."

    The best line on Love And Theft.

    TheThornBirdson February 09, 2009   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    Epic, epic song. Here's Bob the empathetic observer at his best. The touch of humor is balanced by some cuttingly sober lines. "Had to go to Florida, dodgin' them Georgia laws," to me says Jim Crow.

    5thdayomayon July 28, 2012   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    In the 1963 Bob Hope-Anita Ekberg movie "Call me Bwana", Hope finds his hotel room a mess by some burglars.He calls the room service and says "Send up a room".

    zelligason September 26, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    dylan definitely feeding us swine by throwing us some pearals here. great sense of humor, reminds me of some of the early albums where he shows off his sense of humor.

    R_Bishopon May 12, 2008   Link

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