TRACK TALK #161 Po' Boy

Po' Boy
ALBUM : Love & Theft (2001)
Recorded : Mai 2001
Released : 11 Septembre 2001

Première performance live : Grand Rapids (6 Novembre 2001)
Dernière performance live : Bordeaux (29 Juin 2010)
Total : 40 fois.



Lyrics
Man comes to the door—I say, “For whom are you looking?”
He says, “Your wife,” I say, “She’s busy in the kitchen cookin’”
Poor boy—where you been?
I already tol’ you—won’t tell you again

I say, “How much you want for that?” I go into the store
The man says, “Three dollars.” “All right,” I say, “Will you take four?”
Poor boy—never say die
Things will be all right by and by

Been workin’ on the mainline—workin’ like the devil
The game is the same—it’s just on a different level
Poor boy—dressed in black
Police at your back

Poor boy in a red hot town
Out beyond the twinklin’ stars
Ridin’ first-class trains—making the rounds
Tryin’ to keep from fallin’ between the cars

Othello told Desdemona, “I’m cold, cover me with a blanket
By the way, what happened to that poison wine?”
She says, “I gave it to you, you drank it”
Poor boy, layin’ ’em straight—pickin’ up the cherries fallin’ off the plate

Time and love has branded me with its claws
Had to go to Florida, dodgin’ them Georgia laws
Poor boy, in the hotel called the Palace of Gloom
Calls down to room service, says send up a room

My mother was a daughter of a wealthy farmer
My father was a traveling salesman, I never met him
When my mother died, my uncle took me in—he ran a funeral parlor
He did a lot of nice things for me and I won’t forget him

All I know is that I’m thrilled by your kiss
I don’t know any more than this
Poor boy, pickin’ up sticks
Build ya a house out of mortar and bricks

Knockin’ on the door, I say, “Who is it and where are you from?”
Man says, “Freddy!” I say, “Freddy who?” He says, “Freddy or not here I come”
Poor boy ’neath the stars that shine
Washin’ them dishes, feedin’ them swine

j'ai adoré la version live de 2009 au palais des congrès, et l'écriture est typiquement dylanienne j'aime !

Ce morceau me rappelle les blagues que Dylan faisait à la fin de ses concerts à une période du NET. Des blagues souvent potaches, des jeux de mots qui le font rire comme un gamin malicieux. C'est amusant de le voir incarner un paysage comme celui-ci, c'est presque du "Nashville Skyline" tellement c'est campagnard. Un rythme de dingue surtout, qu'il a du mal à tenir en live.

hazel a écrit:

Ce morceau me rappelle les blagues que Dylan faisait à la fin de ses concerts à une période du NET. Des blagues souvent potaches, des jeux de mots qui le font rire comme un gamin malicieux. C'est amusant de le voir incarner un paysage comme celui-ci, c'est presque du "Nashville Skyline" tellement c'est campagnard. Un rythme de dingue surtout, qu'il a du mal à tenir en live.

oui tu as raisons. Ca fait penser à l'humour dylanien, le même que pendant les années folk de ses débuts. Exemple que j'adore par dessus tout:

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 the people can't be all right all 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.

Bob est inimitable depuis 50 ans !

voici ma version live favorite :

- rochester 13/11/04