Like a Rolling Stone

Once upon a time you dressed so fine

Threw the bums a dime, in your prime

Didn’t you?

People call, say beware doll, you’re bound to fall, you

thought they were all

A-kiddin’ you

You used to

Laugh about

Everybody that was

Hangin’ out

Now you don’t

Talk so loud

Now you don’t

Seem so proud

About havin’ to be scrounging

Your next meal

How does it feel?
How does it feel
To be without a home
Like a complete unknown
Like a rolling stone?

Aw you’ve
Gone to the finest school alright Miss Lonely but you know
you only used to get
Juiced in it
Nobody’s ever taught you how to live out on the street
And now you’re gonna
Have to get
Used to it
You say you never
Compromise
With the mystery tramp but now you
Realize
He’s not selling any
Alibis
As you stare into the vacuum
Of his eyes
And say
Do you want to
Make a deal?

How does it feel?
How does it feel?
To be on your own
With no direction home
A complete unknown
Like a rolling stone

Ah, you
Never turned around to see the frowns
On the jugglers and the clowns when they all did
Tricks for you
Never understood that it ain’t no good
You shouldn’t
Let other people
Get your
Kicks for you
You used to ride on a chrome horse with your
Diplomat
Who carried on his shoulder a
Siamese cat
Ain’t it hard
When you discover that
He really wasn’t
Where it’s at
After he took from you everything
He could steal?

How does it feel?
How does it feel
To have you on your own
No direction home
Like a complete unknown
Like a rolling stone

Ahhhhhhhh—
Princess on the steeple and all the
Pretty people they’re all drinkin’ thinkin’ that they
Got it made
Exchanging all precious gifts
But you better
Take your diamond ring
You better pawn it, babe
You used to be
So amused
At Napoleon in rags
And the language that he used
Go to him now, he calls you, you can’t refuse
When you ain’t got nothin’
You got
Nothing to lose
You’re invisible now, you got no secrets
To conceal

How does it feel
Ah, how does it feel
To be on your own
With no direction
Home
Like a complete unknown
Like a rolling stone

As sung by Bob Dylan, New York City, 16 June 1965. Six minutes and six seconds. Produced by Tom Wilson. Engineered by Roy Halee, with Pete Duryea, assistant engineer. Michael Bloomfield, guitar; Bob Dylan, rhythm guitar and harmonica; Bobby Gregg, drums; Paul Griffin, piano; Al Kooper, organ; Bruce Langhorne, tambourine; Joe Macho, Jr., bass guitar. Released as Columbia 45 43346 on July 20. First entered Billboard Hot 100 July 24. Highest chart position reached: number 2, September 4. Number one that week: the Beatles, “Help.”