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


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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Like a Rolling Stone song meanings
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  • +1
    General Comment

    best ever from songfacts.com comments:

    I'm 15 and a huge Dylan fan. My sister's english class had to listen to this song and give an analysis note: I noticed all these comments about Andy Warhol ect but mine is more general. The girl was rich and dressed and acted like a snob. The people tried warning her that if kept up her bahvior karma would catch up to her. She went all these nice school but all she did was party, and now shes a drop out living on the streets. The mystery tramp is a hooker. And now the girl is consulting the hooker trying to get a job for some money. But the guy thats about to buy sex after her isnt an excuse for were shes ended up. "Do you want to make a deal" means selling herself to the john. She never realized that people would jump through hoops for her. Chrome horse means a nice car and dipolmat is a hot shot boyfriend. Meaning she used to drive a nice car and have a big time boyfriend and now shes about to do an "act" as a hooker, and this man is about to take all her diginity from her. (Everything he could steal Shes thinking about all the like frat boys she used to know party and wasting money because they can, and now she's gonna "pawn her diamond ring" aka sell herself to the john. Now she go to her pimp whenever he calls her because she has nothing else to lose

    Again this is just an interaption, I didn't call up Bob and ask him so it isnt 100% right

    • Maurice, Philly, PA
    gradxon February 28, 2011   Link

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