Talkin' World War III Blues

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan

Some time ago a crazy dream came to me
I dreamt I was walkin'
Into World War Three
I went to the doctor the very next day
To see what kinda words he could say
He said it was a bad dream
I wouldn't worry 'bout it none, though
They were my own dreams
And they're only in my head

I said: Hold it, Doc
A World War passed through my brain
He said: Nurse, get your pad
The boy's insane
He grabbed my arm, I said: Ouch!
As I landed on the psychiatric couch
He said: Tell me about it

Well, the whole thing started at 3 o'clock fast
It was all over by quarter past
I was down in the sewer with some little lover
When I peeked out from a manhole cover
Wondering who turned the lights on us

Well, I got up and walked around
And up and down the lonesome town
I stood a-wondering which way to go
I lit a cigarette on a parking meter
And walked on down the road
It was a normal day

Well, I rung the fallout shelter bell

And I leaned my head and I gave a yell
Give me a string bean, I'm a hungry man
A shotgun fired and away I ran
I don't blame them too much though
They didn't know me

Down at the corner by a hot-dog stand
I seen a man, I said: Howdy friend
I guess there's just us two
He screamed a bit and away he flew
Thought I was a Communist

Well, I spied a girl and before she could leave
Let's go and play Adam and Eve
I took her by the hand and my heart it was thumpin'
When she said: Hey man, you crazy or somethin'
You see what happened last time they started

Well, I seen a Cadillac window uptown
And there was nobody around
I got into the driver's seat
And I drove down 42nd Street
In my Cadillac
Good car to drive after a war

Well, I remember seein' some ad
So I turned on my Conelrad
But I didn't pay my Con Ed bill
So the radio didn't work so well
Turned on my record player
It was Rock-A-Day Johnny singin'
Tell Your Ma, Tell Your Pa
Our Loves Are Gonna Grow Ooh-wah, Ooh-wah

I was feelin' kinda lonesome and blue
I needed somebody to talk to
So I called up the operator of time
Just to hear a voice of some kind
When you hear the beep
It will be three o'clock
She said that for over an hour
And I hung up

Well, the doctor interrupted me just about then
Sayin': Hey I've been havin' the same old dreams
But mine was a little different you see
I dreamt that the only person left
After the war was me
I didn't see you around

Well, now time passed and now it seems
Everybody's having them dreams
Everybody sees themselves
Walking around with no one else
Half of the people
Can be part right all of the time
Some of the people
Can be all right part of the time
But all of the people
Can't be right all of the time
I think Abraham Lincoln said that
I'll let you be in my dreams
If I can be in yours
I said that

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