I didn't mean
To treat you so bad
You shouldn't take it so personal
I didn't mean
To make you so sad
You just happened to be there, that's all
When I saw you say "goodbye" to your friend and smile
I thought that it was well understood
That you'd be comin' back in a little while
I didn't know that you were sayin' "goodbye" for good
But, sooner or later, one of us must know
That you just did what you're supposed to do
Sooner or later, one of us must know
That I really did try to get close to you
I couldn't see
What you could show me
Your scarf had kept your mouth well hid
I couldn't see
How you could know me
But you said you knew me and I believed you did
When you whispered in my ear
And asked me if I was leavin' with you or her
I didn't realize just what I did hear
I didn't realize how young you were
But, sooner or later, one of us must know
That you're just doin' what you're supposed to do
Sooner or later, one of us must know
That I really did try to get close to you
I couldn't see
When it started snowin'
Your voice was all that I heard
I couldn't see
Where we were goin'
But you said you knew an' I took your word
And then you told me later, as I apologized
That you were just kiddin' me, you weren't really from the farm
An' I told you, as you clawed out my eyes that I
Never really meant to do you any harm
But, sooner or later, one of us must know
That you just did what you're supposed to do
Sooner or later, one of us must know
That I really did try to get close to you
To treat you so bad
You shouldn't take it so personal
I didn't mean
To make you so sad
You just happened to be there, that's all
When I saw you say "goodbye" to your friend and smile
I thought that it was well understood
That you'd be comin' back in a little while
I didn't know that you were sayin' "goodbye" for good
But, sooner or later, one of us must know
That you just did what you're supposed to do
Sooner or later, one of us must know
That I really did try to get close to you
I couldn't see
What you could show me
Your scarf had kept your mouth well hid
I couldn't see
How you could know me
But you said you knew me and I believed you did
When you whispered in my ear
And asked me if I was leavin' with you or her
I didn't realize just what I did hear
I didn't realize how young you were
But, sooner or later, one of us must know
That you're just doin' what you're supposed to do
Sooner or later, one of us must know
That I really did try to get close to you
I couldn't see
When it started snowin'
Your voice was all that I heard
I couldn't see
Where we were goin'
But you said you knew an' I took your word
And then you told me later, as I apologized
That you were just kiddin' me, you weren't really from the farm
An' I told you, as you clawed out my eyes that I
Never really meant to do you any harm
But, sooner or later, one of us must know
That you just did what you're supposed to do
Sooner or later, one of us must know
That I really did try to get close to you
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The narrator is addressing an ex-girlfriend with whom he had what he thought was an ‘open’ relationship, and expressing his sorrow that he inadvertently hurt her. There is a mistake in the first verse here — it should read “when I saw you say goodbye to your friend and smile” — he thought she was in an ongoing relationship and just wanted an affair with him, whereas in fact she was leaving her previous partner to be with him.
The second verse refers to their failure to communicate, where each makes an assumption about the other’s intentions (he that she knows he isn’t ‘serious’ about her, she that he is serious about her). The second part of the verse refers to an incident where the two of them are at a party and he leaves with someone else and breaks her heart. “Young” here means innocent, as opposed to the worldly sophisticate he took her for.
The third verse is slightly less clear, but suggests that he couldn’t see how the relationship could continue, whereas she claimed to know what she was doing. “The farm” probably has a literal meaning but to me the metaphor suggests sex without commitment — again he’s saying she posed as a person who was in control of the situation and comfortable with casual encounters whereas in fact she was extremely vulnerable behind that façade. “Clawed out my eyes” refers to her jealous bitterness at the end of the relationship.
The chorus says that he did love her in his own way, even though he didn’t want to spend his life with her, and that in the end she took refuge in the conventional, wanted a traditional marriage rather than ‘free love’ and became jealous and angry when this wasn’t on offer.
I think it's one of Dylan's most heartfelt and beautiful songs.
I didn't mean to treat you so bad
You shouldn't take it so personal
I didn't mean to make you so sad
You just happened to be there, that's all
It's really clear, in fact, he's saying sorry, but at same time excusing himself.
When I saw you say "goodbye" to your friends and smile
I thought that it was well understood
That you'd be comin' back in a little while
I didn't know that you were sayin' "goodbye" for good
She said bye to Warhol and all his Factory for Bob, but he doesn't believe her, he tought she would come back to his friend and all this madness. But Edie really left all that behind for Dylan.
But, sooner or later, one of us must know
You just did what you're supposed to do
Sooner or later, one of us must know
That I really did try to get close to you
We have tried but for some reason it hasn't worked, is not you blame or mine, but we must know that this isnt going anywhere, Edie.
I couldn't see what you could show me
Your scarf had kept your mouth well hid
I couldn't see how you could know me
But you said you knew me and I believed you did
When you whispered in my ear
And asked me if I was leavin' with you or her
I didn't realize just what I did hear
I didn't realize how young you were
He couldn't see what she really was, and what she really feel, cause was in some aspects really superficial about her look and clothes, and he couldn't believe for sure she loves him. So he wasn't sure about her, cause she was so charming in many ways, but finally when they were close he forgot that and believe anything she said. Then I think is talking about Edie and Sara, they must had talk about that in some moment, and he was "blind" by her, even thinking about leaving Sara for a moment and just be for Edie. Now he see how blind he was, and how young she was for him.
I couldn't see when it started snowin'
Your voice was all that I heard
I couldn't see where we were goin'
But you said you knew an' I took your word
And then you told me later, as I apologized
That you were just kiddin' me, you weren't really from the farm
An' I told you, as you clawed out my eyes
That I never really meant to do you any harm
He didn't see when things starts to get so bad, he was focus only in her. He trust her and expect her to take the situation. He says he's sorry but it had to be over, and she acts on the defensive, kidding him, but Bob knows she's broke, and feels sorry cause he didn't want her to feel that bad.
What the fuck does "you weren't really from the farm" means????
Anything. I'll even accept lies.
This song is likely inspired by Edie Sedgwick, as is 'Just Like A Woman'. Cavern, the 'farm' ref reinforces this...just change 'farm' to 'Factory' (as in Warhol's talent 'farm'), and the song becomes - just possibly - another commentary on the shallowness of that scene.
It doesn't matter if you're wrong. Now it makes sense. Finally!