Nothing was delivered
And I tell this truth to you
Not out of spite or anger
But simply because it's true
Now, I hope you won't object to this
Giving back all of what you owe
The fewer words you have to waste on this
The sooner you can go

Nothing is better, nothing is best
Take care of yourself, get plenty of rest

Nothing was delivered
But I can't say I sympathize
With what your fate is going to be
Yes, for telling all those lies
Now you must provide some answers
For what you sold that's not been received
And the sooner you come up with them
The sooner you can leave

Nothing is better, nothing is best
Take care of yourself, get plenty of rest

Now you know nothing was delivered
And it's up to you to say
Just what you had in mind
When you made everybody pay
No, nothing was delivered
Yes, and someone must explain
And as long as it takes to do this
Then that's as long that you'll remain

Nothing is better, nothing is best
Take care of yourself, get plenty of rest


Lyrics submitted by BraveSirRobin

Nothing Was Delivered Lyrics as written by Bob Dylan

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

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Nothing Was Delivered song meanings
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  • +2
    General Comment

    Sounds like a very threatening, ominous song: seems to have nothing to do with love or a romantic attachment gone bad. Sounds rather like a drug deal gone bad: someone who got burned by a dealer is now holding that dealer hostage until either his money is returned or "the goods" are delivered. Dylan had monkeyed around with heroin previously (he was quite obviously on it during at least parts of his spring '66 tour of England- see the video of him riding in the back of a limo with John Lennon early one morning, on route from Lennon's suburban house (St. John's Wood) to Dylan's hotel after a post-gig all night party featuring lots of alcohol and lots of drugs- the documentary makers stop the taping after 10-15 minutes as Dylan gets ready to vomit on the inside of the limo). My guess was that during his subsequent retreat from the public eye following his motorcycle accident (summer '66) when he was holed up for much of the time with The Band at Big Pink, he was still messing with hard drugs. Dylan reemerged at the end of '67 with "John Wesley Harding" and, a few months later, of course, came The Band's album debut ("Music From Big Pink"). The Byrds also had a version of this song during this period on their Gram Parsons-influenced hard-right turn into country music, "Sweetheart of the Rodeo."

    mbrachmanon May 02, 2012   Link

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