Hand Me Down

This song is awesome. I know so many people who feel like this at times.

The song probably alludes to Jakob Dylan's strained relationship with is father; he appeared to confirm this in Rolling Stone in 2000. The lyrics as give though are a bit off. The following is a more accurate rendering:

You won't ever amount to much You won't be anyone Now tell me what you are thinking of How could think you would be enough It's not that you have stayed too long It's not that you've done something wrong It's not your fault But you embarrass us all

You're a hand me down It's better when you're not around You feel good And you look like you should But you will never make us proud

You've been used by a army of kings You've been touched by the lips of a queen Now we've all made good use of you But you won't be needed again So why don't you move and let someone else in Make some room for a new harlequin 'Cause you never know when You'll disappoint us again

Hand me down It's better when you're not around You feel good And you look like you should But you won't ever make us proud

Hand me down It's better when you're not around You feel good And you look like you should But you could never make us proud Hand me down

So look at you with your worn out shoes Livin' proof evolution's through We're stuck with you This revolution's due

Hand me down It's better when you're not around You feel good And you look like you should But you could never make us proud

Hand me down It's better when you're not around You feel good And you look like you should But you won't ever make us proud

I believe it's actually "this revolution's doomed" but yeah, the set of lyrics posted by DJacques are more accurate. Definitely a song about his father. I saw them perform this at Nashville River Stages in 2001, the night before Bob Dylan was performing at the same place. It was pretty amusing, and awesome live.

This is the most perfect song to listen to when you've had one of those days. It definitely sums up feelings of self-loathing and a strained parent-child relationship. Jakob Dylan is definitely up there with his dad and Kurt Cobain as one of the greatest songwriters.

Wow I had no idea it was about that... so it's from the POV of Bob Dylan? I was just amused by the pretty intense burns, such as "Look at you... living proof that evolution's throught"

About feeling or being told that you're second best. Good song.

The song could be from the point of view of some people who were fans of Bob Dylan. I think it's about Jakob being inferior to his dad from their perspective.

This sounds like it was written just for Bush.

He does, in fact, embarrass us all, even if there are those who aren't embarrassed by him (even more embarrassing as a country).

The reference to being a hand me down is fitting for the Bush family, even though his father wasn't very successful, nor was his father who's funds supported the Nazis before and during the war.

"You feel good and you look like you should" suggests the obvious. Bush thinks in his own world that he's an ace, a sure shot. Everyone else knows differently.