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Bob Dylan – Ballad of a Thin Man

By 3 mai 2025Bob Dylan

Découvrez les paroles de la chanson « Ballad of a Thin Man » de Bob Dylan, accompagnées des explications de leur signification, d’anecdotes et de contexte.

Paroles de la chanson

You walk into the room

With your pencil in your hand

You see somebody naked

And you say, "Who is that man?"

You try so hard

But you don't understand

Just what you'll say

When you get home

Because something is happening here

But you don't know what it is

Do you, Mister Jones?

You raise up your head

And you ask, "Is this where it is?"

And somebody points to you and says

"It's his"

And you say, "What's mine?"

And somebody else says, "Where what is?"

And you say, "Oh my God

Am I here all alone?"

Because something is happening here

But you don't know what it is

Do you, Mister Jones?

You hand in your ticket

And you go watch the geek

Who immediately walks up to you

When he hears you speak

And says, "How does it feel

To be such a freak?"

And you say, "Impossible"

As he hands you a bone

Because something is happening here

But you don't know what it is

Do you, Mister Jones?

You have many contacts

Among the lumberjacks

To get you facts

When someone attacks your imagination

But nobody has any respect

Anyway they already expect you

To just give a check

To tax-deductible charity organizations

You've been with the professors

And they've all liked your looks

With great lawyers you have

Discussed lepers and crooks

You've been through all of

F. Scott Fitzgerald's books

You're very well read

It's well known

Because something is happening here

But you don't know what it is

Do you, Mister Jones?

Well, the sword swallower, he comes up to you

And then he kneels

He crosses himself

And then he clicks his high heels

And without further notice

He asks you how it feels

And he says, "Here is your throat back

Thanks for the loan"

Because something is happening here

But you don't know what it is

Do you, Mister Jones?

Now you see this one-eyed midget

Shouting the word "NOW"

And you say, "For what reason?"

And he says, "How?"

And you say, "What does this mean?"

And he screams back, "You're a cow

Give me some milk

Or else go home"

Because something is happening here

But you don't know what it is

Do you, Mister Jones?

Well, you walk into the room

Like a camel and then you frown

You put your eyes in your pocket

And your nose on the ground

There ought to be a law

Against you comin' around

You should be made

To wear earphones

Because something is happening here

But you don't know what it is

Do you, Mister Jones?

Explication des paroles de Ballad of a Thin Man de Bob Dylan

La chanson « Ballad of a Thin Man » de Bob Dylan aborde le thème de l’aliénation sociale et de la incompréhension entre les gens. Elle a été écrite en 1965, à une époque où Dylan était au sommet de sa carrière et de sa créativité. L’histoire raconte la confusion d’un homme, « Mister Jones », confronté à un monde qu’il ne comprend pas. Cette chanson est souvent considérée comme une critique acerbe de la presse populaire et de la superficialité de la société de consommation.

Une anecdote intéressante sur cette chanson est que Dylan aurait écrit les paroles en seulement une nuit, lors d’une séance d’enregistrement intense. Cela témoigne de son génie créatif et de sa capacité à capter l’essence d’une époque en quelques mots.

En conclusion, « Ballad of a Thin Man » est une critique percutante de la société de son temps et reste pertinente aujourd’hui, abordant des thèmes universels d’isolement et de désillusion.