To Ramona ¹

Bob Dylan © 1964 Warner Bros. Music, renewed 1992 Special Rider Music

(Official lyrics @ www.bobdylan.com)

Another Side session, Columbia Studio A, NYC - 9.jun.1964, album version  
Philharmonic Hall, NYC - 31.oct.1964  
1966 World Tour - April-May 1966  
    Westchester County Center, White Plains, NY USA - 5.feb.1966  
    Syria Mosque, Pittsburgh, PA USA - 6.feb.1966  

Ramona, come closer
Shut softly your watery eyes
The pangs of your sadness
Will pass as your senses will rise
The flowers of the city
Tho breathlike
Get deathlike sometimes
And there's no use in tryin'
To deal with the dyin'
Though i cannot explain that in lines.

Your cracked country lips
I still wish to kiss
As to be by the strength of your skin
Your magnetic movements
Still capture the minutes i'm in
But it grieves my heart, love
To see you tryin' to be a part of
A world that just don't exist
It's all just a dream, babe
A vacuum, a scheme, babe
That sucks you into feelin' like this.

I can see that your head
Has been twisted an' fed
With worthless foam from the mouth
I can tell you are torn
Between stayin' an' returnin' 
Back to the south
You've been fooled into thinkin'
That the finishin' end is at hand
Yet there's no one to beat you
No one to defeat you
'Cept the thoughts of yourself feelin' bad.

I've heard your say many times
That you're better than no one
And no one is better than you
If you really believe that
You know you have
Nothin' to win an' nothin' to lose
From fixtures an' forces an' friends
Your sorrow does stem
They'll hype you an' type you
Makin' you feel 
That you gotta be just like them.

I'd forever talk to you
But soon my words
Would turn into a meaningless ring
For deep in my heart 
I know there's no help i can bring
Everythin' passes
Everythin' changes
Just do what you think you should do
An' someday, baby
Who knows, baby
I'll come and be cryin' to you.