Seen a shooting star tonight
And I thought of you
You were trying to break into another world
A world I never knew
I always kind of wondered
If you ever made it through
Seen a shooting star tonight
And I thought of you

Seen a shooting star tonight
And I thought of me
If I was still the same
If I ever became what you wanted me to be
Did I miss the mark or over-step the line
That only you could see?
Seen a shooting star tonight
And I thought of me

Listen to the engine, listen to the bell
As the last fire truck from hell
Goes rolling by, all good people are praying,
It's the last temptation
The last account
The last time you might hear the sermon on the mount
The last radio is playing

Seen a shooting star tonight
Slip away
Tomorrow will be another day
Guess it's too late to say the things to you
That you needed to hear me say
Seen a shooting star tonight
Slip away


Lyrics submitted by typo

Shooting Star Lyrics as written by Bob Dylan

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

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Shooting Star song meanings
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  • +1
    General Comment

    Although this song is typically looked at in terms of Dylan looking back at his evangelical period, I think it can also be looked at as a sad song about a failed relationship (like many Dylan songs with the dual man-woman/man-god theme).

    I've always seen it as being about an ordinary guy who is with an ambitious woman - perhaps socially ambitious, or in some particular sphere of endeavour - career, art, who knows? ("You were trying to break into another world, a world I never knew?")

    Anyway, she leaves him behind, and they go their separate ways with him a little mystified and without a map or compass ("over-step the line that only you could see").

    Finally, he has to face the future without her, and perhaps with regret he reflects that maybe the failure was partly his and that he did not try to understand her motivations and support her, leading to the failure of the relationship ("it's too late to say the things to you that you needed to hear me say.")

    In this context the "last temptation" bridging section is symbolic of finality, of the end of the relationship and their part in each other's lives.

    Anyway, just my take. I love both the 'Unplugged' and 'Oh Mercy' versions of this song. According to Chronicles this was one of two tracks Dylan cranked out at the last minute when recording Oh Mercy - I'm glad he did.

    caitsith01on March 30, 2006   Link

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