Well, I see you got your brand new leopard-skin pill-box hat
Yes, I see you got your brand new leopard-skin pill-box hat
Well, you must tell me, baby
How your head feels under somethin' like that
Under your brand new leopard-skin pill-box hat

Well, you look so pretty in it
Honey, can I jump on it sometime?
Yes, I just wanna see
If it's really that expensive kind
You know it balances on your head
Just like a mattress balances
On a bottle of wine
Your brand new leopard-skin pill-box hat

Well, if you wanna see the sun rise
Honey, I know where
We'll go out and see it sometime
We'll both just sit there and stare
Me with my belt
Wrapped around my head
And you just sittin' there
In your brand new leopard-skin pill-box hat

Well, I asked the doctor if I could see you
It's bad for your health, he said
Yes, I disobeyed his orders
I came to see you
But I found him there instead
You know, I don't mind him cheatin' on me
But I sure wish he'd take that off his head
Your brand new leopard-skin pill-box hat

Well, I see you got a new boyfriend
You know, I never seen him before
Well, I saw him
Makin' love to you
You forgot to close the garage door
You might think he loves you for your money
But I know what he really loves you for
It's your brand new leopard-skin pill-box hat



Lyrics submitted by ZinbobDan

Track duration: 03:56


Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat song meanings
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23 Comments

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  • 0
    General Comment:It's just about a hat and the pretentious girl wearing it. This line had me in stitches

    "You know it balances on your head
    Just like a mattress balances on a bottle of wine"

    What a rinse!
    Flag spinnacton October 09, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:haha its just about a hat man....so true ..so true.

    A very out of fashion hat.
    Flag EchoesVoiceson November 30, 2009   Link
  • 0
    Song Meaning:I think that you have come closer to beginning to interpret the song lyrics than anyone else. I think it's a metaphor for the gal changing - it's a BRAND NEW leopard-skin pillbox hat.

    Of course the metaphor and lyrics are couched in sexual innuendos. That's cool for a dude to be able to sit back, be aloof/sarcastic and poke fun intellectually at the target of his ??? (disapproval, ire aroused, rejection, loss, etc.) How better for a male to do this than to objectify her and her snob hat sexually. And then let her know that for all her high class, she left the garage door open where she was getting it on (more meaning there re garage door, most likely, as well.)

    The female could be a real female OR a composite.

    Since people always want to play super-sleuth, Dylan just gives minimal info ("It's just about a hat, man"...) That keeps the mystery alive. Why de-mystify the lyrics and spoil the fun?

    I think that musicians start with an impulse from real life, but they merge that into something that works to create a song. It doesn't have to stay true to the original meaning, UNLESS the purpose is solely a slam. Like the "You're So Vain" song by Carly Simon...
    Flag parismatchon July 11, 2009   Link
  • 0
    Memory:i can remeber being a kid and thinking this was the most hilarious song ever!!! especially the part where the doctor had her hat on his head!! like i still think it's funny i mean come on... it's a song about a hat.. but it really is a great song anyone who can't appreciate a little sarcasm needs to loosen up.
    Flag sourire0947on January 23, 2009   Link
  • -1
    General Comment:In my opinion it's about Edie Sedgwick.... It's extremely likely that the baby that she was forced to abort when she was hospitalized was Dylan's and, to me, it's about him seeing her afterwoods, looking the same and dressing in her usual style. The line about asking the doctor might be him telling her that he did try and see her at this time but she had already moved on....
    However, Dylan denies any relationship with Edie... probably because of the abortion and abandonment.
    Flag LaBelleEtLaBeteon September 25, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:He sure had love for her, but now it`s over as he found that she was lying to him. He`s not angry but sarcastic - she`s gonna lie to her new boyfriend, too. That hat really doesn`t matter!
    Flag Keithrockson September 12, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:the part about the garage door is genious. i have no background on this song but i'd say its about his ex-girlfriend who moved up from the ramblin guitar player to a high class worker and bob is making fun of her classy hat that she got afterwards
    Flag dylanandeadiskilleron October 31, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I think this song is a metaphor for someone changing. The girl brought the hat and it wasn't really something she would usually wear. Her old boyfriend loved the old her, the new boyfriend only liked the new her, "the leopard skin pill box hat". I feel a bit stupid reading into it like this if it really is just a sarcastic song about a hat, though.
    Flag ---twigs---on October 10, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I think this song is a metaphor for someone changing. The girl brought the hat and it wasn't really something she would usually wear. Her old boyfriend loved the old her, the new boyfriend only liked the new her, "the leopard skin pill box hat". I feel a bit stupid reading into it like this if it really is just a sarcastic song about a hat, though.
    Flag ---twigs---on October 10, 2007   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:Like A Rolling Stone isnt about Edie, they didn't meet until 1966 after Highway 61 had been written and released. [check out wikipedia!]
    Flag dan105on July 20, 2007   Link

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