On leaving a lover and refusing the suggestion that they could stay friends.
Conflated with musings on how he has now become public property, with every aspect of his private life raked over, asked about, and his songs examined for clues (as many of us are doing here all these year's later!)
Oh, ev'ry thought that's strung a knot in my mind,
I might go insane if it couldn't be sprung.
But it's not to stand naked under unknowin' eyes,
It's for myself and my friends my stories are sung.
Perhaps the most intriguing verse though is the third, which seems to contain a contradiction midway through. Dylan claims to have fought his every argument without remorse
Oh ev'ry foe that ever I faced,
The cause was there before we came.
And ev'ry cause that ever I fought,
I fought it full without regret or shame.
but goes on to talk of leaving before the sun rises, and before he has to face the person with whom he's argued
But the dark goes die
As the curtain is drawn and somebody's eyes
Must meet the dawn.
And if I see the day
I'd only have to stay,
So I'll bid farewell in the night and be gone.
Slipping out on a lover with whom he's quarreled one too many times perhaps, and with whom he's decided there is no future, just more quarrels, even if he's not (had the courage) to say as much.
On leaving a lover and refusing the suggestion that they could stay friends. Conflated with musings on how he has now become public property, with every aspect of his private life raked over, asked about, and his songs examined for clues (as many of us are doing here all these year's later!)
Oh, ev'ry thought that's strung a knot in my mind, I might go insane if it couldn't be sprung. But it's not to stand naked under unknowin' eyes, It's for myself and my friends my stories are sung.
Perhaps the most intriguing verse though is the third, which seems to contain a contradiction midway through. Dylan claims to have fought his every argument without remorse
Oh ev'ry foe that ever I faced, The cause was there before we came. And ev'ry cause that ever I fought, I fought it full without regret or shame.
but goes on to talk of leaving before the sun rises, and before he has to face the person with whom he's argued
But the dark goes die As the curtain is drawn and somebody's eyes Must meet the dawn. And if I see the day I'd only have to stay, So I'll bid farewell in the night and be gone.
Slipping out on a lover with whom he's quarreled one too many times perhaps, and with whom he's decided there is no future, just more quarrels, even if he's not (had the courage) to say as much.