Prayed in the ghetto with my face in the cement
Heard the last moan of a boxer, seen the massacre of the innocent
Felt around for the light switch, felt around for her face
Been treated like a farm animal on a wild goose chase

West of Jordan, east of the Rock of Gibraltar
I see the turning of the page
Curtain rising on a new age
See the groom still waiting at the altar

Try to be pure at heart, they arrest you for robbery
Mistake your shyness for aloofness, your shyness for snobbery
Got the message this morning, the one that was sent to me
About the madness of becoming what one was never meant to be

West of Jordan, east of the Rock of Gibraltar
I see the turning of the page
Curtain rising on a new age
See the groom still waiting at the altar

Don't know what I can say about Claudette wouldn't come back to haunt me
Finally had to give her up about the time she began to want me
But I know God has mercy on them who are slandered and humiliated
I'd a-done anything for that woman if she'd only make me feel obligated

West of Jordan, east of the Rock of Gibraltar
I see the turning of the page
Curtain rising on a new age
See the groom still waiting at the altar

Put your hand on my head, baby, do I have a temperature?
I see people who are supposed to know better standing around like furniture
There's a wall between you and what you want and you got to leap it
Tonight you got the power to take it, tomorrow you won't have the power to keep it

West of Jordan, east of the Rock of Gibraltar
I see the turning of the page
Curtain rising on a new age
See the groom still waiting at the altar

Cities on fire, phones out of order
They're killing nuns and soldiers, there's fighting on the border
What can I say about Claudette?
Ain't seen her since January
She could be respectfully married or running a whorehouse in Buenos Aires

West of Jordan, east of the Rock of Gibraltar
I see the turning of the page
Curtain rising on a new age
See the groom still waiting at the altar


Lyrics submitted by hari66

The Groom's Still Waiting At The Altar Lyrics as written by Bob Dylan

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

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The Groom's Still Waiting at the Altar song meanings
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    General Comment

    great vocal from Dylan - insanely good - better even than say Elkie Brooks (smiles). Worth pointing out that The Groom Still Waiting At The Altar could well be a biblical bridegroom & church reference - much more subtle than those from Slow Train Coming. Makes sense in the light of the previous line:" I see the turning of the page, Curtain risin' on a new age, See the groom still waitin' at the altar" Kind of anticipating the apocolypse - the groom waiting on the church to bring in a new age. Always thought this was a sensational track in terms of the vocal and that's how i hear this song with the verses lamenting the 'world gone mad' farm animal on a wild goose chase type of thing. solid rock in a world of confusion.

    ScottishAngleon July 09, 2010   Link

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