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Need A Woman 1 Bob Dylan © 1982 Special Rider Music (Official lyrics @ www.bobdylan.com are quite different from those below)

20 Mar 1981 SPRINGTIME IN NEW YORK:     THE BOOTLEG SERIES VOL. 16 / 1980-1985

Preliminary Shot Of Love recording session, Rundown Studios, Santa Monica CA - 20.mar.1981, BS-16 version It’s been rainin' in my mouth all day, drippin’ down to my clothes My patience it is wearin’ thin, I got fire inside my toes Searchin’ for the truth the way God has designed it Well the real truth is I may be afraid to find it. Oh, I need that woman, all right Oh, I need that woman or I don’t feel right. See me as I am To show me the kind of love that don’t have to be condemned An' I want you to be that woman. I’ve had my eyes on you, babe, for five long years You probably don’t know me at all, I’ve seen your laughter, I’ve seen your tears You don’t frighten me, I’m not so demanding You look like it wouldn’t hurt you none to have a man of understanding. An' I need that woman, all grown up Need that woman, drinkin’ from the same cup. Seen you standin’ on the corner, seen you sittin’ down in the park I seen you standin’ in the sunshine, I seen you sleepin’ in the dark An' I want you to be that woman, yes I do. Well if you keep hearin’ something long enough you just begin naturally to believe it’s true You know there’s a wall that can’t fall and there’s a wall you can walk right through Well that which is not permanent can’t last Can’t place your hopes in the future if you’ve got to avoid the past. An' I need that woman, to be my queen I need a woman black, white, yellow, brown, blue or green. Somebody who likes simple things is not afraid to bend Somebody who don’t make herself up just to be seen by other men An' I want you to be that woman, yes I do, be that woman. I’ve got some unanswered questions in my mind that’s takin’ place I want to put the searchlight aflame on you, want to explore your face The rebellion in me now, why was it created? To blur the focus of my eyes and keep me isolated. Well I need that woman, ain’t no crime Need that woman, all the time. Get back the falseness, get back the world I know a virtuous woman's hard to find, but they can’t be obsolete Well, I want you to be that woman, yes I do Be that woman, hmm, yes I do Be that woman, yes I do...

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Need A Woman 2

27 Apr 1981 the bootleg series volumes 1-3 [rare and unreleased] 1961-1991

Shot Of Love session 9, United Western Studio, Los Angeles CA - 27.apr.1981, BS-3 version Lately I've been havin' evil dreams, I wake up in a cold blue glare I run the tape back in my mind wonderin' if I took the wrong road somewhere Searchin' for the truth the way God designed it Well the real truth is that I may be afraid to find it. Well I need that woman, all right Need that woman, every night. To be with me an' know me as I am To show me the kind of love that don't have to be condemned An' I want you to be that woman. I've had my eyes on you, baby, for five long years Well you probably don't know me at all but I've seen your laughter, I seen your tears A tell tale heart will show itself to anybody near There's always some new stranger in the night to lend a sympathetic ear. Well I need that woman to be my own I need that woman that's mine alone. Seen you in the doorway, I seen your in the park Seen you in the sunshine, I seen you in the dark An' I want you to be that woman. If you keep listenin' to somethin' long enough, you just bound to believe that it's true You know there's some things that you pulled up, it's gonna come back on you That which is not permanent don't last Whatever's waitin' in the future could be what you're runnin' from in the past Well I need that woman, ah pulled up Need that woman, drinking from the same cup. Someone who likes simple things is not afraid to bend Someone who don't make herself up to make every man her friend An' I want you to be that woman. Don't know what you got that I want, don't know what I got to give Don't know how much time I've got, don't know how long I'll live The rebellion in my soul, why was it created? To blur the focus of my mind and keep me isolated. But I need that woman, ain't no crime Need that woman, all the time. To see the promised land with me as the time goes by To rule my heart with sweetness, and boldness from on high An' I want you to be that woman, yes I do Be that woman, straight and true.

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Need A Woman 3

Another version (of unknown origin !) Yet another version of lyrics can be found on the pages of Olof Björner's "Words fill my head". It's been rainin' on my roof all day and i'm soakin' wet My heart feels like it is on fire, but my clothes ain't burnin' yet Searchin' for the truth the way God designed it But the real truth is that i may be afraid to find it Oh, i need a woman, alright Need a woman every night To lay with me an' see me as i am Show me the kind of love that don't have to be condemned An' i want you to be that woman I've had my eyes on you, baby, for five long years You probably don't me at all, but i've seen your laughter an' i've seen your tears Can i talk to you directly? Must i ignore you? Do i take you far away by force, or can i hold a stirrup for you? Oh, i need a woman, don't i? Need a woman, bring it home safe now. I've seen you in the sunshine, i've seen you in the rain I've seen you sittin' in a park, seen all the violent pain An' i want you to be that woman You can believe anything you want to, long as you won't believe in what's wrong That unseen eye is watchin' you, got to be cool all day long That which is not permanent don't last The future just looks back an' laughs at the past Oh, i need a woman, ain't no joke Need a woman like fire an' smoke. Someone who likes simple things, is not afraid to bend Someone who don't make herself up just to be seen by other men An' i want you to be that woman. I looked into the mirror this morning, i seen a man with no face I covered my eyes, i looked back again but all i saw was an empty space Well, rebellion in my soul, why was it created? To blur the purpose of my eyes an' keep me isolated Oh i need a woman, ain't no crime Need a woman all the time. Midnight on the desert in the belly of a futile world In a house that shines on the side of the hill Goin' up with boys an' girls An' i want you to be that woman Be that woman.