Song for Bob Dylan (by David Bowie)

Oh, hear this Robert Zimmerman
I wrote a song for you
About a strange young man called Dylan
With a voice like sand and glue
Some words had truthful vengeance
That could pin us to the floor
Brought a few more people on
And put the fear in a whole lot more

Ah, here she comes
Here she comes, here she comes again
The same old painted lady
From the brow of the superbrain
She’ll scratch this world to pieces
As she comes on like a friend
Couple of songs from your old scrapbook
Could send her home again

Gave your heart to every bedsit room
At least a picture on my wall
And you sat behind a million pair of eyes
And told them how they saw
Then we lost your train of thought
Your paintings are all your own
While troubles are rising, we’d rather be scared
Together than alone

Ah, here she comes
Here she comes, here she comes again
The same old painted lady
From the brow of the superbrain
She’ll scratch this world to pieces
As she comes on like a friend
But a couple of songs from your old scrapbook
Could send her home again

Now hear this, Robert Zimmerman
Though I don’t suppose we’ll meet
Ask your good friend Dylan
If he’d gaze a while down the old street
Tell him we’ve lost his poems
So we’re writing on the walls
Give us back our unity
Give us back our family
You’re every nation’s refugee
Don’t leave us with their sanity

Ah, here she comes
Here she comes, here she comes again
The same old painted lady
From the brow of the superbrain
She’ll scratch this world to pieces
As she comes on like a friend
But a couple of songs from your old scrapbook
Could send her home again

Ah, couple of songs from your old scrapbook
Could send her home again
Oh, here she comes
Here she comes, and here she comes

——

“Song for Bob Dylan” was written by singer-songwriter David Bowie for his 1971 album Hunky Dory. 

I have long been a fan of both Bob Dylan and David Bowie, and this song has been on my playlist for about 50 years. A few of my favorite lines include:

• “you sat behind a million pair of eyes and told them how they saw”
• “brought a few more people on and put the fear in a whole lot more”
• “a strange young man called Dylan with a voice like sand and glue”
• “some words had truthful vengeance that could pin us to the floor”

——

Linked to dVerse Poets Pub — Poetics: Poems to a Poet where Laura is hosting and asked us to pen a poem about or to one of our favorite poets. Upon hearing this prompt, I immediately thought of “Song for Bob Dylan” by David Bowie. I have not been able to move beyond that point, and therefore thought it would be fitting to share David’s work.

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