Isis (Oct-Nov 1975)

She said, “You gonna stay?” I said:

Oct 30: I think I might, yes!
Oct 31: I might as well, yes.
Nov 2 and later: If ya want me to, yes!

She said, “Where ya been?” I said, “No place special”
She said, “You look different.” I said, “Well, not quite”
She said, “You been gone.” I said, “That’s only natural”
She said, “You gonna stay?” I said, “Yeah, I jes might”

She said, “Where ya been?” I said, “No place special”
She said, “You look different.” I said, “Well, not quite”
She said, “You been gone.” I said, “That’s only natural”
She said, “You gonna stay?” I said, “Yeah, I jes might”

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Tombstone Blues (July 24, 1965)

The blacksmith and the boy-scout, after torturing a thief
Looking up at the hero, the Commander-in-Chief
Saying, “Tell me great hero, but please make it brief
Is there a hole for us to get sick in?”

The Commander-in-Chief answers him while pounding a fly
Saying, “Death to all those who would whimper and cry”
And dropping a barbell he points to the sky
Saying, “The sun’s not yellow it’s chicken”

The geometry of innocent flesh on the bone
Keeps Galileo busy while his math book gets thrown
In lazy Delila’s lap who sits worthlessly alone
Yet the tears on her cheeks are from laughter.

Well, John the Baptist after torturing a thief
Looks up at his hero the Commander-in-Chief
Saying, “Tell me great hero, but please make it brief
Is there a hole for me to get sick in?”

The Commander-in-Chief answers him while chasing a fly
Saying, “Death to all those who would whimper and cry”
And dropping a barbell he points to the sky
Saying, “The sun’s not yellow it’s chicken”

The geometry of innocent flesh on the bone
Causes Galileo’s math book to get thrown
At Delilah who’s sitting worthlessly alone
But the tears on her cheeks are from laughter

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Desolation Row (outtake 1965)

Across the street they’ve closed the curtains
They’re getting ready for the feast
The Phantom of the Opera
A perfect image of a priest
Now he’s spoonfeeding Casanova
The boiled guts of birds
Then he’ll torture him with self-confidence
And poison him with words

Across the street they’ve nailed the curtains
They’re getting ready for the feast
The Phantom of the Opera
A perfect image of a priest
They’re spoonfeeding Casanova
To get him to feel more assured
Then they’ll kill him with self-confidence
After poisoning him with words

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Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right (Bailey Apartment, Autumn 1962)

An’ it ain’t no use to sit and wonder why, babe
It don’t make no difference now
An’ it ain’t no use to sit and wonder why, babe
If and you don’t know by now

It ain’t no use to sit and wonder why, babe
It don’t matter, anyhow
An’ it ain’t no use to sit and wonder why, babe
If you don’t know by now

Background from Bob Dylan Center news release, May 2021:

“One sterling example of the treasures to be found in The Bob Dylan Archive is a recording of Dylan performing “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right” in the autumn of 1962. This heretofore-unknown recording was made by Milton (Mell) and Lillian Bailey, friends and early champions of the young Bob Dylan when he was a fixture in New York’s Greenwich Village folk scene. This version of the song, recorded in the Baileys’ apartment at 185 East 3rd St., features alternate lyrics and is the earliest known recording of the song that was eventually released in 1963 on The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan. The song can be downloaded at https://bit.ly/3ycz9X1 courtesy of The Bob Dylan Center.”

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