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The festival was over and the boys were all planning for a fall
The cabaret was quiet except for the drilling in the wall
The curfew had been lifted and the gambling wheel shut down
Anyone with any sense had already left town
He was standing in the doorway looking like the Jack of Hearts
He moved across the mirrored room, "Set it up for everyone," he said
Then everyone commenced to do what they were doing before he turned their heads
Then he walked up to a stranger and he asked him with a grin
"Could you kindly tell me, friend, what time the show begins?"
Then he moved into the corner, face down like the Jack of Hearts
Backstage the girls were playing five-card stud by the stairs
Lily had two queens, she was hoping for a third to match her pair
Outside the streets were filling up, the window was open wide
A gentle breeze was blowing, you could feel it from inside
Lily called another bet and drew up the Jack of Hearts
Big Jim was no one's fool, he owned the town's only diamond mine
He made his usual entrance looking so dandy and so fine
With his bodyguards and silver cane and every hair in place
He took whatever he wanted to and he laid it all to waste
But his bodyguards and silver cane were no match for the Jack of Hearts
Rosemary combed her hair and took a carriage into town
She slipped in through the side door looking like a queen without a crown
She fluttered her false eyelashes and whispered in his ear
"Sorry, darling, that I'm late," but he didn't seem to hear
He was staring into space over at the Jack of Hearts
"I know I've seen that face before," Big Jim was thinking to himself
"Maybe down in Mexico or a picture up on somebody's shelf"
But then the crowd began to stamp their feet and the house lights did dim
And in the darkness of the room there was only Jim and him
Staring at the butterfly who just drew the Jack of Hearts
Lily was a princess, she was fair-skinned and precious as a child
She did whatever she had to do, she had that certain flash every time she smiled
She'd come from a broken house, had lots of strange affairs
With men in every walk of life which took her everywhere
But she's never met anyone quite like the Jack of Hearts
The hanging judge came in unnoticed and was being wined and dined
The drilling in the wall kept up but no one seemed to pay it any mind
It was known all around that Lily had Jim's ring
And nothing would ever come between Lily and the King
No, nothing ever would except maybe the Jack of Hearts
Rosemary started drinking hard and seeing her reflection in the knife
She was tired of the attention, tired of playing the role of Big Jim's wife
She had done a lot of bad things, even once tried suicide
Was looking to do just one good deed before she died
She was gazing to the future, riding on the Jack of Hearts
Lily took her dress off, buried it away
"Has your luck run out?" she laughed at him, "Well, I guess you must have known it would someday
Be careful not to touch the wall, there's a brand-new coat of paint
I'm glad to see you're still alive, you're looking like a saint"
Down the hallway footsteps were coming for the Jack of Hearts
The backstage manager was pacing all around by his chair
"There's something funny going on," he said, "I can just feel it in the air"
He went to get the hanging judge, but the hanging judge was drunk
As the leading actor hurried by in the costume of a monk
There was no actor anywhere better than the Jack of Hearts
No one knew the circumstance but they say that it happened pretty quick
The door to the dressing room burst open and a cold revolver clicked
And Big Jim was standing there, you couldn't say surprised
Rosemary right beside him, steady in her eyes
She was with Big Jim but she was leaning to the Jack of Hearts
Two doors down the boys finally made it through the wall
And cleaned out the bank safe, it's said that they got off with quite a haul
In the darkness by the riverbed they waited on the ground
For one more member who had business back in town
But they couldn't go no further without the Jack of Hearts
The next day was hanging day, the sky was overcast and black
Big Jim lay covered up, killed by a penknife in the back
And Rosemary on the gallows, she didn't even blink
The hanging judge was sober, he hadn't had a drink
The only person on the scene missing was the Jack of Hearts
The cabaret was empty now, a sign said, "Closed for repair"
Lily had already taken all of the dye out of her hair
She was thinking about her father, whom she very rarely saw
Thinking about Rosemary and thinking about the law
But most of all she was thinking about the Jack of Hearts
The cabaret was quiet except for the drilling in the wall
The curfew had been lifted and the gambling wheel shut down
Anyone with any sense had already left town
He was standing in the doorway looking like the Jack of Hearts
He moved across the mirrored room, "Set it up for everyone," he said
Then everyone commenced to do what they were doing before he turned their heads
Then he walked up to a stranger and he asked him with a grin
"Could you kindly tell me, friend, what time the show begins?"
Then he moved into the corner, face down like the Jack of Hearts
Backstage the girls were playing five-card stud by the stairs
Lily had two queens, she was hoping for a third to match her pair
Outside the streets were filling up, the window was open wide
A gentle breeze was blowing, you could feel it from inside
Lily called another bet and drew up the Jack of Hearts
Big Jim was no one's fool, he owned the town's only diamond mine
He made his usual entrance looking so dandy and so fine
With his bodyguards and silver cane and every hair in place
He took whatever he wanted to and he laid it all to waste
But his bodyguards and silver cane were no match for the Jack of Hearts
Rosemary combed her hair and took a carriage into town
She slipped in through the side door looking like a queen without a crown
She fluttered her false eyelashes and whispered in his ear
"Sorry, darling, that I'm late," but he didn't seem to hear
He was staring into space over at the Jack of Hearts
"I know I've seen that face before," Big Jim was thinking to himself
"Maybe down in Mexico or a picture up on somebody's shelf"
But then the crowd began to stamp their feet and the house lights did dim
And in the darkness of the room there was only Jim and him
Staring at the butterfly who just drew the Jack of Hearts
Lily was a princess, she was fair-skinned and precious as a child
She did whatever she had to do, she had that certain flash every time she smiled
She'd come from a broken house, had lots of strange affairs
With men in every walk of life which took her everywhere
But she's never met anyone quite like the Jack of Hearts
The hanging judge came in unnoticed and was being wined and dined
The drilling in the wall kept up but no one seemed to pay it any mind
It was known all around that Lily had Jim's ring
And nothing would ever come between Lily and the King
No, nothing ever would except maybe the Jack of Hearts
Rosemary started drinking hard and seeing her reflection in the knife
She was tired of the attention, tired of playing the role of Big Jim's wife
She had done a lot of bad things, even once tried suicide
Was looking to do just one good deed before she died
She was gazing to the future, riding on the Jack of Hearts
Lily took her dress off, buried it away
"Has your luck run out?" she laughed at him, "Well, I guess you must have known it would someday
Be careful not to touch the wall, there's a brand-new coat of paint
I'm glad to see you're still alive, you're looking like a saint"
Down the hallway footsteps were coming for the Jack of Hearts
The backstage manager was pacing all around by his chair
"There's something funny going on," he said, "I can just feel it in the air"
He went to get the hanging judge, but the hanging judge was drunk
As the leading actor hurried by in the costume of a monk
There was no actor anywhere better than the Jack of Hearts
No one knew the circumstance but they say that it happened pretty quick
The door to the dressing room burst open and a cold revolver clicked
And Big Jim was standing there, you couldn't say surprised
Rosemary right beside him, steady in her eyes
She was with Big Jim but she was leaning to the Jack of Hearts
Two doors down the boys finally made it through the wall
And cleaned out the bank safe, it's said that they got off with quite a haul
In the darkness by the riverbed they waited on the ground
For one more member who had business back in town
But they couldn't go no further without the Jack of Hearts
The next day was hanging day, the sky was overcast and black
Big Jim lay covered up, killed by a penknife in the back
And Rosemary on the gallows, she didn't even blink
The hanging judge was sober, he hadn't had a drink
The only person on the scene missing was the Jack of Hearts
The cabaret was empty now, a sign said, "Closed for repair"
Lily had already taken all of the dye out of her hair
She was thinking about her father, whom she very rarely saw
Thinking about Rosemary and thinking about the law
But most of all she was thinking about the Jack of Hearts
Lyrics submitted by Jack, edited by Mellow_Harsher
Track duration: 08:51
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The Jack of Hearts (JOH) walked iinto the bar, buying everyone drinks and asking someone when the show started. He was, apparently, establishing an alibi for the theft that was going on, but after that he was as inconspicuous and possible ("facedown like the JOH). I think the drilling by the robbers, which everyone ignored, wa thought to be building repairs doable without stopping the performance. Big Jim, a rich guy having an affair with Lily, comes in. He was so absorbed by Lily and the JOH whom he then didn't recognize, that he didn't pay any attention to his wife, Rosemary, when she came in later. Rosemary, "drinking hard and seeing her reflection in the knife" realizes what's going on, that her life bound to Big Jim had been worthless, and wants to do "one good thing before she dies." It's possible that she wanted to help JOH or Lily, but her idea of the one good thing, from the beginning, was killing Big Jim whom she considered to be the essence of "bad" and the song suggests she was not entirely wrong as he "took whatever he wanted and laid it all to waste."
I agree with comments made suggesting the monk who passed by was in fact JOH. We doin't know where he got the costume, but seemingly a dark tablecloth would work.. If that's the case, the verse beginning "the backstage manager...." would have to come ahead of any where JOH is actually with Lily. Dylan often takes facts out of order in his songs, for example, from the same album "Tangled Up in Blues" and "Simple Twist of Fate" make no sense if read chronologically.
I agree with the general interpretation here of language suggesting that Big Jim, followed by Rosemary, went into Lily's dressing room, tried to shoot JOH but Rosemary had removed the bullets from his gun, and Rosemary stabs Big Jim in the back with her knife referred to earlier, killing him. No one else is killed that day.
Meanwhile the "boys" finally made it through the wall. This refers to JOH's gang. I believe that in verse 1, where the "boys were planning for a fall" it means the gang as well. "Planning for a fall" is a phrase not used commonly in any context, but the few times I've been able to find it, it is used in business to mean "cutting losses" or minimizing the damage from some act. I think the "boys" had been identified by the law, and made an agreement to give up JOH in exchange for something, a lesser sentence maybe.
I think that evening, JOH showed up to meet the boys, but was ambushed, somehow managing to escape. This leads to the need for another verse order change. I think the verse beginning "Lily took her dress off..." should be last though it's still in her dressing room. She would be thinking mostly about JOH if she had a date with him.. At that point, there would be reason for Lily to tease him about his luck running out. Also, on this day when the caberet was shut down, it would be reasonable to do interior work like inside painting. Thus, Lily warns JOH there's a new coat of paint, and she buries it away to keep it from paint and dust. In her previous meeting with JOH, when there is lots of activity and somebody would be more likely to come in, she would want to keep her dress close at hand. That verse ends with footsteps coming for JOH, and I wonder who gave him away.
Well, I have more thoughts but I'm tired of writing, and probably nobody has read this far. It's a great song and I think disproves what my poetry teacher said: that song lyrics cannot be poetry.
"I know I've seen that face somewhere, Big Jim was thinking to himself"
"Lily took her dress off and buried it away" - Changing into Jack
And the final verse:
"Lily had already taken all of the dye out of her hair" - Why was her hair dyed?
"She was thinking about her father, whom she very rarely saw
Thinking about Rosemary and thinking about the law
But most of all she was thinking about the Jack of Hearts" - Because she is the Jack of Hearts! She had "Strange affairs with men from every walk of life which took her everywhere" - She's worldly and creates Jack out of a conglomeration of her father and all the men she knew. The song's about women taking control of their lives by any means necessary.
Some say it's a split-personality, others say it's symbolic, and a few even go so far as to claim there's nothing to it, other than the cryptic story it tells... I'd say the last of the three is probably the most valid, though I wouldn't doubt for a second that the characters symbolize one thing or another. That's not what I'm interested in... first of all, I think the double (or triple) personality theory is senseless. First of all, all characters are introduced at separate times in separate physical locations in the story and, most importantly, have significantly different outcomes. Rosemary is killed, the Jack of Hearts starts a new life, and Lilly is left to think about Jack, instead of her "lover" Jim.
The Jack of Hearts does not die, Dylan even states he's "missing from the scene" but has no problem locating dead-Jim with a knife in his back. It is Jack who "passed by in the costume of a monk" after talking to Lilly in the dressing room-- this is why Dylan tells us "there was no actor better" than him. Lilly talks about Jack's luck running out, likely due to Jim's suspicion... she helps dress him up in a costume and he sneaks out the back door. The climax scene does not in fact contain the Jack of Hearts, he is only mentioned when Rosemary is "leaning towards" him... which brings me to my last real point: the whole entire story is a love triangle or, more appropriately, a web of infidelity and misguided passion. Lilly has a fling with Jim but loves Jack; Rosemary loves Jim but knows he's untrue and would rather do away with him than see him with another woman (she is also eying Jack as a possible substitute, as hinted at in the "leaning toward the Jack of Hearts" line); Jack doesn't love Lily, which is why he leaves town without bringing her with him. We know he's gone because it's implied that he doesn't meet up to collect the money from his co-conspirators who are waiting for him.
Like I said before, each character may symbolize something in an allegorical sense, like greed or truth or corruption, but there is no doubt in my mind that this is how the story ultimately played out-- the only reason for this long-winded analysis was that no one seemed to see it this way. Obviously, if you don't agree, that's completely fine... that's the beauty of art. It affects people in different ways and there's truly no real "answer" as to what anything means... I just wanted to share my opinion in the event that someone is semi-enlightened or rethinks their interpretation.
Lilly = en.wikipedia.org/wiki/…
Actor in the costume of a monk = en.wikipedia.org/wiki/…
Jack of Hearts: Leader of a Gang who roles into town with his "boys" to rob Big Jim
Big Jim:The wealthy town villian
Rosemary: Jim's estranged wife
Lily: Jim's mistress, a performer in the Cabaret, and also Jack's lover
Here's what happens:
1. While the Cabaret is going on, Jack's boys are breaking into Jim's safe. Meanwhile, Jack is shmoozing, making a scene to distract Jim and later the Hanging Judge.
2. There is some old beef between Jack and Jim, but Jim can't quite place him. Jim keeps an eye on Jack, and notices that he sneaks up to Lily's dressing room.
3. Jack has a quickie with Lily, and then slips out in a Monk costume before Jim busts the door open, and fires a shot in Jealous rage,
4. but his "cold" (it is "cold", check the lyrics on Bobdylan.com) revolver was previously unloaded by Rosemary, who enters the room and fatally stabs Jim. The next day, Rosemary is hanged for stabbing Jim, Jack gets away, and Lily is left to contemplate the situation.
Thats about it, it's pretty simple.
A locked and loaded weapon is hot.
A cold weapon is unloaded.
Therefore, a cold revolver clicking is pulling the trigger, cycling the action and the hammer hitting nothing but the stop which clicks.
So a jolly little romp using bits of other peoples material and news worthy information, all tied together by Dylans classic imagery. I love it.
1. the book defined the beat generation (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/…) and Bob Dylan definitely had some characteristics associated with the movement.
2. Bob Dylan has said he loves the book: "It changed my life like it changed everyone else's," Dylan would say (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/…)
3. An excerpt from part 3 chapter 4 of the novel:
"What do the cards say?"
"The ace of spades is far away from him. The heart cards always surround him-the queen of hearts is never far. See this jack of spades? That's dean, he's always around."
Here's Dean's character traits: Dean Moriarty - The hero, a reckless, energetic, womanizing young man from Colorado who has been in and out of jail.
I think dean is the jack of hearts, (or in the book the jack of spades)...i could write an essay on it, but i don't have that type of time.
If you have read the book, all the verses that bob dylan describes are played out in some way.
The next day, Rosemary is on the gallows for Jim's murder, Jim is (obviously) dead, Jack and the boys are nowhere to be found, and Lily is left alone to ponder all this.