This is about bronies. They communicate by stomping.
Once upon a time you dressed so fine
Threw the bums a dime in your prime, didn't you?
People call say 'beware doll, you're bound to fall'
You thought they were all kidding you
You used to laugh about
Everybody that was hanging out
Now you don't talk so loud
Now you don't seem so proud
About having to be scrounging your next meal
How does it feel, how does it feel?
To be without a home
Like a complete unknown, like a rolling stone
Ahh you've gone to the finest schools, alright Miss Lonely
But you know you only used to get juiced in it
Nobody's ever taught you how to live out on the street
And now you're gonna have to get used to it
You say you never compromise
With the mystery tramp, but now you realize
He's not selling any alibis
As you stare into the vacuum of his eyes
And say do you want to make a deal?
How does it feel, how does it feel?
To be on your own, with no direction home
A complete unknown, like a rolling stone
Ah you never turned around to see the frowns
On the jugglers and the clowns when they all did tricks for you
You never understood that it ain't no good
You shouldn't let other people get your kicks for you
You used to ride on a chrome horse with your diplomat
Who carried on his shoulder a Siamese cat
Ain't it hard when you discover that
He really wasn't where it's at
After he took from you everything he could steal
How does it feel, how does it feel?
To have you on your own, with no direction home
Like a complete unknown, like a rolling stone
Ahh princess on a steeple and all the pretty people
They're all drinking, thinking that they've got it made
Exchanging all precious gifts
But you better take your diamond ring, you better pawn it babe
You used to be so amused
At Napoleon in rags and the language that he used
Go to him now, he calls you, you can't refuse
When you ain't got nothing, you got nothing to lose
You're invisible now, you've got no secrets to conceal
How does it feel, ah how does it feel?
To be on your own, with no direction home
Like a complete unknown, like a rolling stone
Threw the bums a dime in your prime, didn't you?
People call say 'beware doll, you're bound to fall'
You thought they were all kidding you
You used to laugh about
Everybody that was hanging out
Now you don't talk so loud
Now you don't seem so proud
About having to be scrounging your next meal
How does it feel, how does it feel?
To be without a home
Like a complete unknown, like a rolling stone
Ahh you've gone to the finest schools, alright Miss Lonely
But you know you only used to get juiced in it
Nobody's ever taught you how to live out on the street
And now you're gonna have to get used to it
You say you never compromise
With the mystery tramp, but now you realize
He's not selling any alibis
As you stare into the vacuum of his eyes
And say do you want to make a deal?
How does it feel, how does it feel?
To be on your own, with no direction home
A complete unknown, like a rolling stone
Ah you never turned around to see the frowns
On the jugglers and the clowns when they all did tricks for you
You never understood that it ain't no good
You shouldn't let other people get your kicks for you
You used to ride on a chrome horse with your diplomat
Who carried on his shoulder a Siamese cat
Ain't it hard when you discover that
He really wasn't where it's at
After he took from you everything he could steal
How does it feel, how does it feel?
To have you on your own, with no direction home
Like a complete unknown, like a rolling stone
Ahh princess on a steeple and all the pretty people
They're all drinking, thinking that they've got it made
Exchanging all precious gifts
But you better take your diamond ring, you better pawn it babe
You used to be so amused
At Napoleon in rags and the language that he used
Go to him now, he calls you, you can't refuse
When you ain't got nothing, you got nothing to lose
You're invisible now, you've got no secrets to conceal
How does it feel, ah how does it feel?
To be on your own, with no direction home
Like a complete unknown, like a rolling stone
Lyrics submitted by oofus, edited by sparrowhawk73
Like a Rolling Stone Lyrics as written by Bob Dylan
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
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Disagree entirely, with most of this. Have studied the song greatly, so may be able to offer some fact based insight.
The song is about socialite, Edie Palmer. A one time girlfriend of Bob Dylan, who cheated on him, with a number of people, while he was an up and coming musician, and eventually left him for the artist Andy Warhol. Their lives went different ways, with Dylan moving on to fame and fortune, and Palmer becoming destitute, and dying a homeless drug addict. Sadly, the song is black humour on Dylans part, mocking the girl after she was dumped by Warhol, and quickly lost the brief fame she had as his girlfriend.
Most of the song hints at a rich, fame hungry girl, who was maybe destined for a fall. But there are many hints to what happened to her, after falling on hard times:
“You never turned around to see the frowns on the jugglers and the clowns. When they all come down and did tricks for you”
This refers to the many suitors that Palmer had. Many men, trying to impress and court her, and how much she loved it. Dylan refers to them as “jugglers and clowns”, as in, men trying to entertain her, trying to catch her attention. Dylan thought of them quite literally as desperate clowns. He comments that she had little care for their feelings, and probably refers to himself as one of these “clowns”, as he was well known to have pursued Palmer vigorously, as a younger man.
“You said you'd never compromise. With the mystery tramp, but now you realize. He's not selling any alibis. As you stare into the vacuum of his eyes. And ask him do you want to make a deal?”
This refers to the fact that Palmer resorted to prostitution, not literally, but in Dylans eyes. It was well known that Palmer slept about a lot, mostly for gifts, and fame – generally sleeping with anyone she though of as “hip” – Dylan being one of them. He’s commenting that she used to make fun of “working class people”, and considered herself a better class, but at the same time was (in Dylan’s opinion) prostituting herself to the same people, for fame.
“You used to ride on the chrome horse with your diplomat. Who carried on his shoulder a Siamese cat. Ain't it hard when you discover that. He really wasn't where it's at, after he took from you everything he could steal.”
“The diplomat” was one of many names Dylan referred to the artist Andy Warhol. Dylan and Warhol were known enemies of the New York art scene. Dylan, the legitimate artist, and star, whereas Warhol was more “shock” value person, who attained fame by courting the media, and trying to shock. Dylan disliked Warhol, and his “factory” immensely, and felt of them as untalented wannabes. He called him “the diplomat”, as although he had an exterior image as a wild artist, he was in his early 40s, and very wealthy, so Dylan felt it was all an act, and he was in fact a very establish piece of New York society. “Chrome Horse” he is obviously referring to a car. The Siamese cat line is referring to Warhol’s almost comedic artistic decadence. The imagery of a man walking around town with a Siamese cat (very rare at the time) on his shoulder, was Dylan explaining how ridiculous he felt Warhol was, and how much attention he craved. “He really wasn't where it's at, after he took from you everything he could steal”. Warhol’s 60s fame was seen as a “fad” at the time, and Dylan was basically saying “you backed the wrong horse”, as in the late 60s, Dylan really was the biggest artist/star in the world, rivalling the Beatles, and Warhol had slipped into obscurity.
“You used to be so amused At Napoleon in rags and the language that he used Go to him now, he calls you, you can't refuse. When you got nothing, you got nothing to lose You're invisible now, you got no secrets to conceal.”
Someone touched on this earlier, claiming “Napoleon in rags” was referring to himself, Bob Dylan. Nice, but sadly wrong. “Napoleon in rags” was another Dylan (mocking) nickname of the artist Andy Warhol. As stated earlier, Warhol painted himself as a beatnik/struggling artist, yet, he was immensely wealthy, middle class, and powerful, in the new york scene. He was also at least 20 years older than Dylan at the time. “Napoleon in rags” was basically Dylan mocking the image Warhol tried to convey of himself, stating that he was actually, underneath all the rags, and imagery, a little, ageing powerful man, who dictated himself to people. As a parting shot “Go to him now”, Dylan is telling Palmer to go to the man she left him for, and states that they are both “invisible”, as in, not famous, whereas, he was world start. Basically stating what a mistake she actually made.
In conclusion, the crux of the song is the fact that Eadie Palmer, left Dylan, as a struggling musician, in the new york scene, to date the 40 year old artist, Andy Warhol, for what Dylan felt were money related issues. He was very rich and famous in the early 60s after all. Dylan, rather darkly, is mocking them both, and basically stating that “you left me for money, but now look at you – your nothing, and I’m huge”.
Her name was Edie Sedwyck and how could she have cheated on Dylan when Dylan was married and had not disclosed this to her. She found out he was married very uncomfortably through Warhol.
Very insightful. Yes indeed I always thought that he was referring to Worhal in all of those parts. <br /> Yes. I really think he was referring to Andy Worhal in the Chrome Horse and Diplomat part. Not only because this story is very much like Edie's but also because he didnt have a liking for Worhal. Worhal apparently video-taped Dylan when he was picking up Edie and in return. Dylan stole one of his paintings and used it as a dart board!<br /> <br /> Edie also came from a very RICH RICH family.
Agreed with Joeo78501, Dylan secretly married when he was allegedly in relation with Edie ...this song is not about that girl ...and read my above comments for more details on this topic
Any idea what the following part means? I couldn't quite figure it out.<br /> <br /> "With the mystery tramp, but now you realize<br /> He's not selling any alibis<br /> As you stare into the vacuum of his eyes"<br /> <br /> Cheer
Andy Warhol is quite the legitimate artist.
I think this is a wonderful interpretation of Rolling Stone. Before I read the above entry, I didn't have a clue, other than some girl in college who used to get drunk, now was out of college and having difficult times. But all the details from the above entry are really enlightening to me. Read in the newspaper today in the story about the $2 million sale of Dylan's first draft of that song, that the song was about a socialite who lost her status. I thought, that was a real person, the song was about a real person? And it set to wondering more about the lyrics, and that sent me to this website. Thanks to the above contributor. The others are interesting too, show many people have an interest in this.
@ceej1979 andy warhol was a homosexual.
I created an account just to reply to this comment because it's so misinformed.<br /> <br /> As others have noted, Warhol was homosexual/asexual. Both he and Dylan became famous at about the same time (early 60s). I have to wonder if the author of this comment has ever seen a photo of Andy Warhol if he/she would describe him as a beatnik.<br /> <br /> If we can believe Wikipedia, Dylan did not meet Edie Sedgwick until after she had left Warhol's circle, in 1965, well after Dylan had established a hugely successful career.<br /> <br /> Lastly, even thirty years after his death, Andy Warhol is not "obscure" and he certainly was a relevant figure in popular culture throughout the 1960s and 1970s.<br /> <br /> The song may be about Sedgwick--who knows? Dylan has described it as a "revenge" song, so perhaps he wrote it to get the last word on a lover who jilted him. Others have described it as a "liberation" song (the woman is finally free of the material possessions/ emotional entanglements that bound her).<br /> <br /> But it's not about Andy Warhol.<br />
nice detective work, but how about the genius behind the lyrics? the writing is stuff that i think about but never get it down on paper or record quick enuf to articulate so eloquently as Dylan.
@ceej1979 <br /> <br /> A 'chrome horse' I believe is slang for a motorcycle.
@ceej1979 Dylan operated more on feeling than on logic. He's an INFP and I'm an INFP. Feeling people are usually not nice. If we feel anger or sadness, we will express it truthfully and honestly - we will not hide - we will not be fake. Nice people usually talk shit about you when you're not around. Being nice is mental slavery.
My first thought while listening to the song, was: Isn't Dylan describing every person in this world, when we are completely stripped? All of us are rolling stones, a thing we will never get away from - no matter how rich, intellectual and commercial (etc) we become. I think that is ONE of all the meanings this song has.
This is the moment of self relization, when everything you've spent most of your life putting up to hide the sad truth from your eyes comes crashing down and you are left with nothing but reality.
This song is about a rich girl getting strung out on heroin or other opiates.
As with any Dylan song, he dresses it up quite obliquely and is addressing things on multiple levels here, but the heroin references are everywhere ...
Now, getting 'juiced' just refers to getting drunk, but that was back in school ... so that's how the addiction cycle started. Then it graduated to opiates, which people told her to 'beware' of or she'd be sucked in, but she didn't believe them.
The terms 'kicks' and 'hanging out' are both junkie terms for dope withdrawals. The general term 'kicking drugs' is derived from the phenomenon of 'the kicks', which are uncontrollable leg spasms that occur in opiate withdrawals. Early-on, she apparently thought addiction couldn't happen to her ... to the point where she laughed at people who were dope-sick (i.e. 'hanging out').
At the beginning of the song, the 'living on the streets' refers to how you have to go to bad neighborhoods chasing down the dope man ... and as an addict, you have to 'get used to it'. By the end of the song, she probably literally was living on the streets.
The 'mystery tramp' is the drug dealer(s), pure and simple. And I've got my suspicions that Napoleon is the drug habit itself ... it starts out 'amusing', but then eventually it becomes an addiction ... which in turn just calls you, and indeed, you can't refuse.
Due to her addiction, she ends up in life of misery and despair, pawning her possessions for drug money, and basically 'invisible' to the world, possibly homeless ... if not literally, then figuratively at least ... as addicts tend to drive everyone away from themselves.
Mmmm... perhaps. I don't think it's exclusively that, though.
personally, I think you've nailed it. I hadn't thought of it like that before, but your interpretation really rings true, for me at least.
Thanks. Good analysis. I never knew. "Chrome horse" is cool description -- a car? A pimp's car?
I think you're right. I think the rich girl is Edie Sedgwick.
One of the best explications I've ever had the pleasure of reading. Yes, a chrome horse could definitely be a car, and a "hooked up" car at that, as drug dealers tend to have, but the term "chrome horse" is generally used to refer to a motorcycle. As for the Napoleon reference, it could also be symbolism of the power that the "dope man" has over a heroin addict; many times they will trade sex for drugs, but I also like the OP idea very much as Napoleon is considered by some as the greatest conqueror of people that ever lived and did so through any means necessary, just as heroin/opiates or the dealers that sell it do. I guess it could have a dual meaning here.<br /> <br /> "You threw the bums a dime in your prime, didn't you?"...a dime referring to a small amount of drugs for personal use. Many rich people (or any person for that matter) new to the drug scene are asked by people who have been in the scene for a while to "hook them up"...this being a reference to her, the rich girl, "hooking them up with a dime bag".<br /> <br /> "You never turned around to see the frowns on the jugglers and the clowns<br /> When they all come down and did tricks for you". Now, later in the song, she is more popular in these areas, and this is an allusion to the people, when they see her, running to her trying to be the dealer to score the sale.<br /> <br /> "You never understood that it ain't no good<br /> You shouldn't let other people get your kicks for you". Kicks being used in a different way here, I believe, than the OP intended, referring to the drug itself, as one can never trust another person to score the drugs they are seeking out. You never know what else is added or how much is skimmed.<br /> <br /> Just my 2 cent addition to the original posters ideas , which I also feel, hit this song right on the head.
my take on it.. i just think it's about how children of the 60s (and still today) were so eager to get away from their parents and into the 'real world' but were greeted with a smack of reality in the face
I think you're absolutely right, that is exactly the feeling the lyrics gave me when I first listened to them
That is exactly my take. "...to be scrounging your next meal????? how does it feel?" He hated being the spokesman for a generation, and now he is mocking them. There could be more explanations. Who is Napolean in Rags? I have heard he is flipping off the "folkies." He usurped the entire movement, and now he is sticking his middle finger out at them, saying, in effect, you are on your own...I will no longer carry your sorry asses. I'm going on to bigger and brighter things. I am going electric. You folk freaks can linger in limbo, like you did before I rescued your sorry asses. But he seems pretty pissed--shoving it right back at them. He is clealy vindictive, like later, on positively 4th street...and even Idiot Wind. Could also be about a girlfriend, or Joan Baez. Could be an odd combo of all of the above. Some guy wrote an entire book on this song recently!!!
This is most likely about deceased heiress/debutant/Warhol Superstar Edie Sedgwick. The lines "You used to ride on the chrome horse with your diplomat/ Who carried on his shoulder a Siamese cat/ Ain't it hard when you discover that/ He really wasn't where it's at/ After he took from you everything he could steal." refer to Andy Warhol rather pointedly. I've heard that the Dylan songs Leopard-Skin Pillbox Hat and Just Like a Woman were also Edie-inspired, but I doubt it.
Thank you dewdrop that's exactly who this song was intended for...I LOVE you! Like a rolling stone is so obviously about Edie that its hard to miss...unless you don't know about Andy Warhol and Edie.Have you seen the movie 'Factory Girl'? I loved the part where the guy playing Bob Dylan told Edie "your friend's as empty as his cans of soup". I can just imagine Bob really telling her that. Dylan is the BEST!...And you are too Dewdrop.<br /> hit me up bandersnatch5703@yahoo.com
Yes. I really think he was referring to Andy Worhal in the Chrome Horse and Diplomat part. Not only because this story is very much like Edie's but also because he didnt have a liking for Worhal. Worhal apparently video-taped Dylan when he was picking up Edie and in return. Dylan stole one of his paintings and used it as a dart board!<br /> <br /> Edie also came from a very RICH RICH family.
I don't think it was about Edie. It was recorded in 1965, when she was still the talk of the town, and before she was banished from the Warhol entourage.<br /> <br /> There's a great book, simply titled "Edie", that should be on everyone's reading list.
when i hear this song it makes me think of one of those signs next to Mt.'s on the highway. The signs that are like "watch for rocks"
i dunno it just makes me think of a rock tumbling down a hill about to smash into cars on a highway for some reason.....
THis is not, in any way, Dylan's best song. Not musically, not lyrically. But still, I can't say it isn't a masterpiece, and that it is probably the most influential song this genious has written. Simply brilliant. "When you got nothing, you got nothing to lose. You're invisible now, you got no secrets to conceal". Outstanding.
@ligeirinho what would you consider to be a better work of Dylan's than 'Like a Rolling Stone'? Many feel the way that you do (sometimes including myself), but I would be interested to see what is better either lyrically, musically, or both.
I believe this song is either about a woman who lived her whole life with money and prestige and one day she either realizes that all that money is worthless, or she loses that money somehow. She always looked down on the poor people, but never took time to look at them objectively, and now she's one of them.
Its about Andy Warhol and Edie Sedgwick. Dylan and Warhol had an ongoing fued about edie and wanted to get her away from him. He thought Warhol was bringing her down.
does anyone think this could be about john lennon also does anyone know if they really got on well as bob never ever mentions him
I read a book about Bob Dylan and he said that this song isn't written for no one, he wrote it about his self
I think it's about finding in himself things of his human reality. Like the Edie Sedwick story. Rich girl educated to spit on the poors with psychiatric problems hit the Big City hoping to be a star. Get addicted to Big Lifestyle and screwed-up. Lose it all and end ups in the street maybe looking for comfort and friendship in the mystery tramp. Dylan that could have live like a star but was living like a tramp. I think Dylan learned then he was not sorry for her. He was just asking himself if she had learn a lesson from the experience.
I find the tone troubling. It takes pleasure in this girls fall from grace or inocence. It not compassionate at all. There seems to be a pleasure in taking her as low as possible- making deals with the mystery tramp presumably for a little company or place to stay or protection. Its cruel epiloge to a loss of innocence with no hope or redemption. No idealism or beauty. Almost a curse of fortune upon someone yet to fall- "Now, How Does This Feel, Bitchl"? The Jimi Hendrix version is even more so when he adds: "Look at ya!"
google Edie Sedgwick...Andy Warhol screwed her out of all her...wealth. <br /> it's a really tragic story. Also see 'Factory Girl'
welcome to reality- harsh, perhaps, but reality. Also, a mocking tone- the protagonist is now the victom of what she had once mocked.