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.
There must be some way out of here
Said the joker to the thief
There's too much confusion, I can't get no relief
Businessmen, they drink my wine
Plowmen dig my earth
None of them along the line know what any of it is worth
No reason to get excited,the thief, he kindly spoke
There are many here among us who feel that life is but a joke
But you and I, we've been through that, and this is not our fate
So let us not talk falsely now, the hour is getting late
All along the watchtower, princes kept the view
While all the women came and went, barefoot servants, too
Outside in the distance a wildcat did growl
Two riders were approaching, the wind began to howl
Said the joker to the thief
There's too much confusion, I can't get no relief
Businessmen, they drink my wine
Plowmen dig my earth
None of them along the line know what any of it is worth
No reason to get excited,the thief, he kindly spoke
There are many here among us who feel that life is but a joke
But you and I, we've been through that, and this is not our fate
So let us not talk falsely now, the hour is getting late
All along the watchtower, princes kept the view
While all the women came and went, barefoot servants, too
Outside in the distance a wildcat did growl
Two riders were approaching, the wind began to howl
Lyrics submitted by oofus, edited by CrimsnEdge, Dartman, Backstage
All Along the Watchtower Lyrics as written by Bob Dylan
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Standing On The Edge Of Summer
Thursday
Thursday
Mental Istid
Ebba Grön
Ebba Grön
This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
Dreamwalker
Silent Planet
Silent Planet
I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
Amazing
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.
I've read in many places this song is about government. The Thief and Joker represent the middle and lower classes, they stand over looking the castle (the upper class). They know that the upper class takes advantage of everything and looks down upon these two men. There must be some way out of here represents the struggle that these men put forward to break the cycle at hand. It all leads up to them standing outside the castle trying to figure out how to bring them down. But their is no reason to get excited cuz we don't know what they do in the end but we know this is not their fate!
@tayzha26 Your interpretation is very interesting!! This comment change my mind. I thought this song is about the God and the Human who doesn't think thankful about earth.
@tayzha26 I have recently came across this song and i can see how you interpret the song about having to do with the government however i strongly feel that it is talking about Jesus. In my English class many decide that perhaps the song concludes to saying that at the end the "joke is on us" because we think life is a "joke" and perhaps it is true that many of us see life is a joke but as humans we all need a purpose to live and sometimes we lose track of that purpose and realize there's really no reason to keep going or keep trying because eventually you will die and it's all for nothing. Many people have this mentality! In the song the joker is symbolizing Jesus and the thief can be symbolizing us humans. The joker claims that humans take from him by saying "they drink my wine" and "dig my earth" . Eventually the thief says that they should stop "talking falsely" because it's no joking matter and in all truths we can joke about life and see it as a joke but at the end of the day god has the last word when it comes to judging day and that is if you believe in religion.
@tayzha26 I have recently came across this song and i can see how you interpret the song about having to do with the government however i strongly feel that it is talking about Jesus. In my English class many decide that perhaps the song concludes to saying that at the end the "joke is on us" because we think life is a "joke" and perhaps it is true that many of us see life is a joke but as humans we all need a purpose to live and sometimes we lose track of that purpose and realize there's really no reason to keep going or keep trying because eventually you will die and it's all for nothing. Many people have this mentality! In the song the joker is symbolizing Jesus and the thief can be symbolizing us humans. The joker claims that humans take from him by saying "they drink my wine" and "dig my earth" . Eventually the thief says that they should stop "talking falsely" because it's no joking matter and in all truths we can joke about life and see it as a joke but at the end of the day god has the last word when it comes to judging day and that is if you believe in religion.
@tayzha26 i disagree with you because it doesn't means about representing the government but the joker represents Jesus and the thief when there where both right next to each other. the reason why the joker is Jesus is because he is saying his the son of god and people wont believe him and will think its a joke.
@tayzha26 i can see your point but the "joker" is saying he owns everything and if it's the middle or the lower class they can't own anything it'll have to be the higher class.
@tayzha26 I would have to disagree with this statement because I do not think that the song was based off of the government, his view was more of a spiritual level and a more religious aspect. He talks about the thief and the joker, I believe that the thief is god because he steals our lives when the time is right but the joker is jesus who is part human and part god...Bob Dylan's main argument is life is a joke and us humans are the fools.
@tayzha26 To be honest I don´t think that your argument has any relationship with the meaning of this song, I think this song´s meaning is how Jesus (joker) is getting tired of humanity (thief) who don´t see the true value of life, and takes it as a joke.
@tayzha26 i would have to disagree with your opinion about the government. I believe it's more about jesus talking to thiefs while being crucified. He talks about fate because he believes that the lives they were living wasn't meant for him.
@tayzha26 Your comment makes a lot of sense and different from the other people who think this song about Jesus, because you have a good argument.
@tayzha26 I would say that this interpretation is spot on. Dylan read the bible quite a lot at one point. The Bible is a book containing stories about the struggles between the prophets and the kings. I think that in the song he uses biblical type imagery in the words he uses.