Hey, Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me
I'm not sleepy and there is no place I'm going to
Hey, Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me
In the jingle jangle morning I'll come following you

Though I know that evening's empire has returned into sand
Vanished from my hand
Left me blindly here to stand, but still not sleeping
My weariness amazes me, I'm branded on my feet
I have no one to meet
And the ancient empty street's too dead for dreaming

Hey, Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me
I'm not sleepy and there is no place I'm going to
Hey, Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me
In the jingle jangle morning I'll come following you

Take me on a trip upon your magic swirling ship
My senses have been stripped
My hands can't feel to grip
My toes too numb to step
Wait only for my boot heels to be wandering
I'm ready to go anywhere, I'm ready for to fade
Into my own parade
Cast your dancing spell my way, I promise to go under it

Hey, Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me
I'm not sleepy and there is no place I'm going to
Hey, Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me
In the jingle jangle morning I'll come following you

Though you might hear laughing, spinning, swinging madly across the sun
It's not aimed at anyone
It's just escaping on the run
And but for the sky there are no fences facing
And if you hear vague traces of skipping reels of rhyme
To your tambourine in time
It's just a ragged clown behind
I wouldn't pay it any mind
It's just a shadow you're seeing that he's chasing

Hey, Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me
I'm not sleepy and there is no place I'm going to
Hey, Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me
In the jingle jangle morning I'll come following you

And take me disappearing through the smoke rings of my mind
Down the foggy ruins of time
Far past the frozen leaves
The haunted frightened trees
Out to the windy beach
Far from the twisted reach of crazy sorrow
Yes, to dance beneath the diamond sky
With one hand waving free
Silhouetted by the sea
Circled by the circus sands
With all memory and fate
Driven deep beneath the waves
Let me forget about today until tomorrow

Hey, Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me
I'm not sleepy and there is no place I'm going to
Hey, Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me
In the jingle jangle morning I'll come following you

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Mr. Tambourine Man Lyrics as written by Bob Dylan

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

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Mr. Tambourine Man song meanings

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214 Comments

+16
General Comment
I always get incredibly sad when I hear this song. It seems to be about the existential lonliness of earthly happiness. A guy with a tambourine can't really play a song.

I always get incredibly sad when I hear this song. It seems to be about the existential lonliness of earthly happiness. A guy with a tambourine can't really play a song.

Reason:

tomatoboyyon June 10, 2002 Link
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@tomatoboyy

That's beautiful

danglingconversationon April 15, 2011

"A guy with a tambourine can't really play a song."
Well said!

patobebadoon June 24, 2012
+12
General Comment
Dudes you have it totally wrong. While you can only marvel at Mr. Dylan beautiful lyrics, the true meaning of the song has been lost on you. For those of you who thinks this song is about drugs, pray tell, where are the drug references? what drug is "Mr. Tambourine Man" associated with. Just because the speaker in the lyrics is in another realm does not mean he got there due to drugs. "Mr Tambourine Man" is a musician. He is a source of inspiration. Much like Keat's "Ode to a Nightingale", this song is about getting inspiration (ie being able to achieve enlightenment) . Whereas the clown follows the shadow, the speaker follows the Tambourine Man because he is the real deal. He is where inspiration comes from. And since Dylan chose a man playing the tambourine as the title/"inspirator", it is safe to assume that he is making a statement about his art. Musician, with their music, inspire the people who truly understands the lyrics (case in point: this very debate) . While the clowns of this world merely copy the style, the form, and the tone of the lyrics, the inspired people understand and see their world in a new light (ie the passages about nature and their surroundings) . This new understanding can thereby make the audience into better people.

Dudes you have it totally wrong. While you can only marvel at Mr. Dylan beautiful lyrics, the true meaning of the song has been lost on you. For those of you who thinks this song is about drugs, pray tell, where are the drug references? what drug is "Mr. Tambourine Man" associated with. Just because the speaker in the lyrics is in another realm does not mean he got there due to drugs. "Mr Tambourine Man" is a musician. He is a source of inspiration. Much like Keat's "Ode to a Nightingale", this song is about getting inspiration (ie being able to achieve enlightenment) . Whereas the clown follows the shadow, the speaker follows the Tambourine Man because he is the real deal. He is where inspiration comes from. And since Dylan chose a man playing the tambourine as the title/"inspirator", it is safe to assume that he is making a statement about his art. Musician, with their music, inspire the people who truly understands the lyrics (case in point: this very debate) . While the clowns of this world merely copy the style, the form, and the tone of the lyrics, the inspired people understand and see their world in a new light (ie the passages about nature and their surroundings) . This new understanding can thereby make the audience into better people.

Reason:

hpylorion August 03, 2002 Link
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@hpylori

Music is there to be analyzed differently by each individual. I think it's a bit narcissistic and naive of you to be placing yourself on some pedistule as "the great interpreter of songs."

Shroxon March 14, 2009

individuality is often these days an excuse for stupidity and failure to recognize undeniable ignorance where it is encountered(self), I shouldn't have to but i will without my own words explain again in the original post's words: "While the clowns of this world merely copy the style, the form, and the tone of the lyrics, the inspired people understand and see their world in a new light (ie the passages about nature and their surroundings) . This new understanding can thereby make the audience into better people." so when in fact you're overlooking the real meaning as it should be, my friend, you're just another ragged clown chasing some shadow.

manuelturcioson March 23, 2009

I Have a Question Im 15 And sometimes i can guess what songs are about by reading each stanza. But what i love about Bob Dylan is that his lyrics are a challenge and i can't understand a thing he is talking about in this song. Can some break it down for and give me some tips on how to interpret songs a lot better?

Gounomonoon August 13, 2009

yeh your right mr tambourine man is inspiration but the inspiration comes from weed. mr tambourine man is not his dealer its his weed. weed does what he is describing in the song. trust me i'm stoned now!!!

stevethehorseon March 05, 2010

I think you nailed it, for the most part hpylori.

degree7on May 01, 2011

Next time you leave a comment, you should be more pretentious.

matthewconteon May 17, 2011

I agree, but I bet this song's still great on XTC.

paddygilberton April 11, 2012

@hpylori I agree with much or all of that. Dylan, in an interview, said he had been inspired by seeing & hearing a tambourine player at a street festival, the morning after some night before. To my mind, therefore, it seems to me the singer-songwriter-poet is asking "Who's gonna sing for ME?" i.e. who will inspire the singer who inspires so many others?
At least, that's what I thought back in 1971, near the end of an acid trip, as my friend played the song for us.

buildwellon December 01, 2014

@hpylori "Take me on a trip upon your magic swirlin' ship,
My senses have been stripped, my hands can't feel to grip,
My toes too numb to step, wait only for my boot heels
To be wanderin'.
I'm ready to go anywhere, I'm ready for to fade
Into my own parade, cast your dancing spell my way,
I promise to go under it.

Hey! Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me,
I'm not sleepy and there is no place I'm going to.
Hey! Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me,
In the jingle jangle morning I'll come followin' you.

Though you might hear laughin', spinnin', swingin' madly across the sun,
It's not aimed at anyone, it's just escapin' on the run
And but for the sky there are no fences facin'.
And if you hear vague traces of skippin' reels of rhyme
To your tambourine in time, it's just a ragged clown behind,
I wouldn't pay it any mind, it's just a shadow you're
Seein' that he's chasing.
"
You're tellin me this fools not on salvia.

josh110172on December 04, 2014

@hpylori the jingle jangle morning is a description of the first pangs of withdrawal, before you go cop heroin in the morning. You chase the dealer to get your fix. This is fairly well known song meaning, I thought everyone knew this. I'll l ook for a source though.

larickon September 02, 2015

@hpylori
Although I do not know much of the context of this song I still must disagree with you. I do, however, commend you on the originality of the interpretation and I do know how tiresome it can get hearing people use drugs to explain what they don't understand. That said, it is very hard to interpret these words for anything else...
"Take me on a trip upon your magic swirling ship
My senses have been stripped
May hands can't feel to grip
My toes too numb to step
Wait only for my boot heels to be wandering
I'm ready to go anywhere, I'm ready for to fade
Into my own parade
Cast your dancing spell my way, I promise to go under it".
If I had to guess I'd say much is referring to the meaninglessness and therefore the emptiness of life and the results of such a feeling. He says
"Though I know that evenings empire has returned into sand
Vanished from my hand
Left me blindly here to stand but still not sleeping
My weariness amazes me, I'm branded on my feet
I have no one to meet
And the ancient empty street's too dead for dreaming"
I think the sleep he is referring to is death itself. There is no stimulus in his world (the street's are too empty to dream) yet he is still forced by something unknown to stand. He probably wants to kill himself (My weariness amazes me) or at least he can't understand why he is both so tired (over life) and still standing (Resisting his true thoughts thanks to instinct or something along those lines). He wants there to be purpose but he is always let down (Though you might hear laughing, spinning, swinging madly across the sun
It's not aimed at anyone) and so when he asks Mr Tambourine man to play a song he will inevitably be disappointed as it is extremely difficult to play a "song" with an instrument whose most easily compared to the triangle.

BabyEater75on October 09, 2015

I should add that the drugs come into, of course, as an escape from this empty world. Much like Lou Reed's "Perfect Day"

BabyEater75on October 09, 2015

@hpylori It is all about drugs. Have another listen and think about the words ...smoke rings of my mind...might help you understand.

castalia2576on December 21, 2015

@hpylori - this song may not be *solely* about drugs but, if you\'ve ever taken enough good hallucinogens, the imagery of this song will probably resonate with that experience. The dissolution of your own ego, the helpless tug of your own imagination, the crazy joy and helpless laughter - it\'s all in there.\r\n

gilbert113on February 14, 2022
+11
General Comment
This song is so genius that it has so many people arguing about its meaning even today! The people who believe it is a drug song can back it up in every single line of the song. Hpylori can also back up his interpretation in, you guessed it, every single line of the song. My point is, that art is derived from inspiration, whether it came from pure mind or a drug induced state, and that art was created for the purpose of expressing, viewing, experimenting with, and explaining life while also providing us comfort and an escape from life. Therefore art and drugs, in a very strong way, are one and the same. They can both be used to further understand or to escape from life.

This song is so genius that it has so many people arguing about its meaning even today! The people who believe it is a drug song can back it up in every single line of the song. Hpylori can also back up his interpretation in, you guessed it, every single line of the song. My point is, that art is derived from inspiration, whether it came from pure mind or a drug induced state, and that art was created for the purpose of expressing, viewing, experimenting with, and explaining life while also providing us comfort and an escape from life. Therefore art and drugs, in a very strong way, are one and the same. They can both be used to further understand or to escape from life.

Reason:

curious georgeon June 21, 2003 Link
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@curious george
+6
My Interpretation
It’s the high that you feel when you’re tired from doing a lot of things and have done them well. You’re tired (“my weariness amazes me”), but feel energetic and good. So you don’t want to sleep. He’s walking in NYC at maybe 6:00 in the morning feeling good in this way. The streets are empty and dead. “The ancient empty street’s too dead for dreaming”. Yet he seeks sensory stimulation of some sort because he’s not “dead” — though weary, he’s feeling so alive. Then he gets behind a tambourine man who’s walking along, playing the instrument. Mental stimulation he so needs, amid the otherwise deadness. That’s all it takes, in that state of mind. He’s elated by and for that moment reveres the tambourine man. It’s a momentary kind of unique feeling which Dylan perfectly lyricizes for this song. Tomorrow he may see the tambourine man and not even notice.

It’s the high that you feel when you’re tired from doing a lot of things and have done them well. You’re tired (“my weariness amazes me”), but feel energetic and good. So you don’t want to sleep. He’s walking in NYC at maybe 6:00 in the morning feeling good in this way. The streets are empty and dead. “The ancient empty street’s too dead for dreaming”. Yet he seeks sensory stimulation of some sort because he’s not “dead” — though weary, he’s feeling so alive. Then he gets behind a tambourine man who’s walking along, playing the instrument. Mental stimulation he so needs, amid the otherwise deadness. That’s all it takes, in that state of mind. He’s elated by and for that moment reveres the tambourine man. It’s a momentary kind of unique feeling which Dylan perfectly lyricizes for this song. Tomorrow he may see the tambourine man and not even notice.

Reason:

dylaniteon July 03, 2012 Link
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@dylanite
+5
General Comment
The song isn't about drugs. It's about how you feel when you're dieing from old age. I don"t know how Dylan could know of this being young at the time he wrote it. (maybe drugs) (or some real spiritual sence) To an aged person the lyics make perfect sence. Entertainment to take them to the great beyond.

The song isn't about drugs. It's about how you feel when you're dieing from old age. I don"t know how Dylan could know of this being young at the time he wrote it. (maybe drugs) (or some real spiritual sence) To an aged person the lyics make perfect sence. Entertainment to take them to the great beyond.

Reason:

no1knowson December 16, 2004 Link
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@no1knows
+5
General Comment
Whoever said it was about death was absolutely right. It is an imaginative combining of the process of dying ("my senses have been stripped"), longing to go on that trip (an obvious pun), and the eventual funeral procession - what else could his own parade mean? He is still there "not sleepy" , feeling his soul fade as they lay him to rest, to the music of a tambourine. See this link for New Orleans parades and funerals nola.com/mardigras/about/…

Whoever said it was about death was absolutely right. It is an imaginative combining of the process of dying ("my senses have been stripped"), longing to go on that trip (an obvious pun), and the eventual funeral procession - what else could his own parade mean? He is still there "not sleepy" , feeling his soul fade as they lay him to rest, to the music of a tambourine. See this link for New Orleans parades and funerals <a rel="nofollow" href="http://http://www.nola.com/mardigras/about/index.ssf?/mardigras/about/content/stories/funerals.html">nola.com/mardigras/about/…</a>

Reason:

Unpredictableon February 18, 2005 Link
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@Unpredictable
+3
General Comment
Bob Dylan TOOK drugs, sure, but that doesn't necessarily mean the songs are ABOUT drugs. "yes, to dance beneath the diamond sky with one hand waving free, silhouetted by the sea, circled by the circus sands with all memory and fate driven deep beneath the waves let me forget about today until tomorrow" are my favorite lines in the song. they create such a beautiful mental picture.

Bob Dylan TOOK drugs, sure, but that doesn't necessarily mean the songs are ABOUT drugs. "yes, to dance beneath the diamond sky with one hand waving free, silhouetted by the sea, circled by the circus sands with all memory and fate driven deep beneath the waves let me forget about today until tomorrow" are my favorite lines in the song. they create such a beautiful mental picture.

Reason:

miseraon June 09, 2002 Link
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@misera

Those are my favorite lyrics in the song. Of course the song is about taking drugs, specifically in this case probably heroin, but certainly some substance sold by the Tamborine Man (the dealer) that makes you numb from the pain of life and makes you want to swirl and dance beaneath the diamond sky. "With one hand waiving free" suggests to me a reference to Zorba the Greek or Chasidic dancers or some other "old country" tribal folk dancers, so the song connects the contemporary to the ancient ruins of time and establishes a link between the past and the present, to express the universality of mankind's desire to be one with nature, or God, or the universe or whatever.

iwikleron December 05, 2011

Yes, This is a great thread and some right on comments and I will add this to your mental picture: He's singing about the Statue of Liberty holding the torch (one hand waving FREE) with the sand around beach at night and I think there was an amusement park around there (CIRCUS sands). Coney Island ? or something like that. I still sing this song when I perform if the right audience is there.

bob1000029on September 14, 2014
+2
General Comment
to me this song is clearly a reference to Plato's cave analogy. For those of you who don't know, Plato's cave analogy is regarded as the most important piece of philosophical manuscript ever recorded and forms the basis of all major religions today. You can find it on the net if interested. The way I see it, the Tambourine man is the Instructor of the analogy and Dylon sings as one cave dweller who wishes to be enlightened. This fits as Dylon was fascinated by such concepts. Some lyrics in this song fit the cave analogy word for word. "just a shadow you're seein' that he's chasin'". Could that be any clearer (to those who have read the analogy)? "My senses have been stripped" this refers to the overwhelming sensation of stepping out from the cave. Again word for word. Eventually Dylon comes to terms with his enlightenment and realises his freedom from the cave "Far from the twisted reach of crazy sorrow". Even the chorus of the song summarises the analogy completely "I'm not sleepy and there is no place I'm going to" Like a cave dweller who has 'woken up' and seen the need for an instructor, he turns to the tambourine man. If you have no idea of what I'm talking about, I recommend you read the cave analogy- and the true meaning of this song may uncurl.

to me this song is clearly a reference to Plato's cave analogy. For those of you who don't know, Plato's cave analogy is regarded as the most important piece of philosophical manuscript ever recorded and forms the basis of all major religions today. You can find it on the net if interested. The way I see it, the Tambourine man is the Instructor of the analogy and Dylon sings as one cave dweller who wishes to be enlightened. This fits as Dylon was fascinated by such concepts. Some lyrics in this song fit the cave analogy word for word. "just a shadow you're seein' that he's chasin'". Could that be any clearer (to those who have read the analogy)? "My senses have been stripped" this refers to the overwhelming sensation of stepping out from the cave. Again word for word. Eventually Dylon comes to terms with his enlightenment and realises his freedom from the cave "Far from the twisted reach of crazy sorrow". Even the chorus of the song summarises the analogy completely "I'm not sleepy and there is no place I'm going to" Like a cave dweller who has 'woken up' and seen the need for an instructor, he turns to the tambourine man. If you have no idea of what I'm talking about, I recommend you read the cave analogy- and the true meaning of this song may uncurl.

Reason:

shrewdon February 16, 2005 Link
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@shrewd
+2
General Comment
A bunch of years ago, 1970's?, I went to a small concert with the folksinger Chuck Mitchell (Joni Mitchell's first husband - and he hated to be refered to as that). Well he gave a great concert to less than 100 people at the "Down Under" coffee house at FSU (Tallahassee Florida). He started playing the chords to a song and told a story about he and Bob Dylan were up in the attic of someone's house. He told us that Dylan actually shared the meaning to him. He said it referred to the one common musician in all New Orleans Jazz funerals. Wealthy people would get a marching band in fancy uniforms, poorer people might only get a few musicians. He claimed the tradition was there was always a Tambourine player who didn't march in formation, or where a matching uniform. This was for rich people and poor people. He claimed that the Tambourine Man symbolized DEATH and that's it. The entire song is about death and not drugs. He then did a great version of the song with all the verses. The death interpretation makes perfect sense if you listen to all the verses. especially: Take me on a trip upon your magic swirlin' ship, My senses have been stripped, my hands can't feel to grip, My toes too numb to step, wait only for my boot heels To be wanderin'. I'm ready to go anywhere, I'm ready for to fade Into my own parade, cast your dancing spell my way, I promise to go under it. When you are dead all your senses are stripped. Chuck Mitchell's story sounded very convincing, and I could not have come up with this interpretation myself.

A bunch of years ago, 1970's?, I went to a small concert with the folksinger Chuck Mitchell (Joni Mitchell's first husband - and he hated to be refered to as that). Well he gave a great concert to less than 100 people at the "Down Under" coffee house at FSU (Tallahassee Florida). He started playing the chords to a song and told a story about he and Bob Dylan were up in the attic of someone's house. He told us that Dylan actually shared the meaning to him. He said it referred to the one common musician in all New Orleans Jazz funerals. Wealthy people would get a marching band in fancy uniforms, poorer people might only get a few musicians. He claimed the tradition was there was always a Tambourine player who didn't march in formation, or where a matching uniform. This was for rich people and poor people. He claimed that the Tambourine Man symbolized DEATH and that's it. The entire song is about death and not drugs. He then did a great version of the song with all the verses. The death interpretation makes perfect sense if you listen to all the verses. especially: Take me on a trip upon your magic swirlin' ship, My senses have been stripped, my hands can't feel to grip, My toes too numb to step, wait only for my boot heels To be wanderin'. I'm ready to go anywhere, I'm ready for to fade Into my own parade, cast your dancing spell my way, I promise to go under it. When you are dead all your senses are stripped. Chuck Mitchell's story sounded very convincing, and I could not have come up with this interpretation myself.

Reason:

gsokolowon November 01, 2008 Link
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@gsokolow

i didn't know all that stuff about the tambourine player, but I'm so glad I'm not crazy thinking its about death!

blackwindowsofon July 22, 2014

@gsokolow Gerat stuff. Thank you for this information.

F3rguson October 29, 2018
+2
General Comment
Google Bruce Langhorne, the musician that Dylan called Mr. Tambourine Man. Great musician that Dylan knew and wrote about.

Google Bruce Langhorne, the musician that Dylan called Mr. Tambourine Man. Great musician that Dylan knew and wrote about.

Reason:

happy1on March 09, 2010 Link
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@happy1