Tangled Up In Blue

Early one morning the sun was shining

I was laying in bed

Wondering if she'd changed at all

if her hair was still red

Her folks they said our lives together

sure was gonna be rough

They never did like mama's homemade dress

papa's bank book wasn't big enough

Me I'm standing on the side of the road

rain falling onto my shoes

I'm heading out to the east coast

Lord knows I've paid some dues

Getting through

Tangled up in blue

She was married when we first met

soon to be divorced

I helped her out of a jam I guess

but I used a little too much force

And we drove that car as far as we could

abandoned it out west

We split up on a sad dark night

both agreeing it was best

She turned around and looked at me

as I was walking away

And I heard her say over my shoulder

we'll meet again someday

On the avenue

Tangled up in blue

I was living in the Great North Woods

working as a cook for a spell

Never did like it all that much

and one day the ax just fell

So I drifted down to New Orleans

where I happened to be employed

I was working for a while on a fishing boat

right outside of Delacroix

And all the while I was alone

the past was close behind

I'd seen a lot of women

but she never escaped my mind

And I just grew

Tangled up in blue

She was working at a topless bar

I stopped in for a beer

I kept looking at the side of her face

in the spotlight so clear

Now later on the crowd thinned out

and I was just about to do the same

But she was standing there at the back of my chair

she said "don't I know your

name"

Well I muttered something

under my breath as she studied the lines on my face

And I must admit I felt a little uneasy when she bent down to tie the laces

Of my shoes

Tangled up in blue

I know I know I know

She lit a burner on the stove and offered me a pipe

I thought you'd never say hello she said you look like the silent type

And she opened up a book of poems and handed it to me

Written by an Italian poet from the thirteenth century

Every one of his word rang true and glowed like burning coal

Pouring off every page like it was written in my soul

From me to you

Tangled up in blue

I lived with them on Montague Street in a basement down the stairs yeah

There was music in the cafes at night and revolution in the air

That's when he started into dealing with slaves yeah something inside of her

just died

And she had to sell everything she owned and she froze up inside

Finally when the bottom fell out I became withdrawn

The only thing I knew how to do was to keep on keepin' on

Like a bird that flew

Tangled up in blue

Oooh yeah

Now I'm headed back again I got to get to her somehow

And all the people that I used to know they're an illusion to me now

Some are mathematicians, some are carpenters' wives

I don't know how they all got started don't know what they're doing with their

lives

But me I'm still out on the road headed for another joint

We always did feel the same we just saw it from a different point

Of view

Tangled up in blue