Sunday, August 9, 2015

One of Us Must Know (Sooner or Later)

There are eight million
Girls in the Naked City.
This was one of them.

This is another one of Bob Dylan's breakup songs, this one from the dyspeptic but majestic 1966 album "Blonde on Blonde." I could have given you a summary or interpretation of the lyrics, but why bother with that when Jules Dassin already did it when he created "Naked City"?

Anyway, here are the lyrics. You'll see from them why the haiku makes sense:

I didn’t mean to treat you so bad
You shouldn’t take it so personal
I didn’t mean to make you so sad
You just happened to be there, that’s all
When I saw you say “goodbye” to your friend and smile
I thought that it was well understood
That you’d be comin’ back in a little while
I didn’t know that you were sayin’ “goodbye” for good

But, sooner or later, one of us must know
You just did what you’re supposed to do
Sooner or later, one of us must know
That I really did try to get close to you

I couldn’t see what you could show me
Your scarf had kept your mouth well hid
I couldn’t see how you could know me
But you said you knew me and I believed you did
When you whispered in my ear
And asked me if I was leavin’ with you or her
I didn’t realize just what I did hear
I didn’t realize how young you were

But, sooner or later, one of us must know
You just did what you’re supposed to do
Sooner or later, one of us must know
That I really did try to get close to you

I couldn’t see when it started snowin’
Your voice was all that I heard
I couldn’t see where we were goin’
But you said you knew an’ I took your word
And then you told me later, as I apologized
That you were just kiddin’ me, you weren’t really from the farm
An’ I told you, as you clawed out my eyes
That I never really meant to do you any harm

But, sooner or later, one of us must know
You just did what you’re supposed to do
Sooner or later, one of us must know
That I really did try to get close to you





1 comment:

  1. Hello Robert, yes another interesting analysis of a song from Bob Dylan's Music Box http://thebobdylanproject.com/Song/id/474/One-of-Us-Must-Know-Sooner-or-Later Lift the lid and join us inside to listen to every version of every song composed, recorded or performed by Bob Dylan... Plus 5000 artists doing covers and Dylan related songs streaming on YouTube, Spotify, Deezer and SoundCloud.

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