'Twas in another lifetime, one of toil and blood
When blackness was a virtue the road was full of mud
I came in from the wilderness, a creature void of form
Come in, she said
I'll give ya shelter from the storm
And if I pass this way again, you can rest assured
I'll always do my best for her, on that I give my word
In a world of steel-eyed death, and men who are fighting to be warm
Come in, she said
I'll give ya shelter from the storm
Not a word was spoke between us, there was little risk involved
Everything up to that point had been left unresolved
Try imagining a place where it's always safe and warm
Come in, she said
I'll give ya shelter from the storm
I was burned out from exhaustion, buried in the hail
Poisoned in the bushes an' blown out on the trail
Hunted like a crocodile, ravaged in the corn
Come in, she said
I'll give ya shelter from the storm
Suddenly I turned around and she was standin' there
With silver bracelets on her wrists and flowers in her hair
She walked up to me so gracefully and took my crown of thorns
Come in, she said
I'll give ya shelter from the storm
Now there's a wall between us, somethin' there's been lost
I took too much for granted, I got my signals crossed
Just to think that it all began on an uneventful morn
Come in, she said
I'll give ya shelter from the storm
Well, the deputy walks on hard nails and the preacher rides a mount
But nothing really matters much, it's doom alone that counts
And the one-eyed undertaker, he blows a futile horn
Come in, she said
I'll give ya shelter from the storm
I've heard newborn babies wailin' like a mournin' dove
And old men with broken teeth stranded without love
Do I understand your question, man, is it hopeless and forlorn
Come in, she said
I'll give ya shelter from the storm
In a little hilltop village, they gambled for my clothes
I bargained for salvation and she gave me a lethal dose
I offered up my innocence I got repaid with scorn
Come in, she said
I'll give ya shelter from the storm
Well, I'm livin' in a foreign country but I'm bound to cross the line
Beauty walks a razor's edge, someday I'll make it mine
If I could only turn back the clock to when God and her were born
Come in, she said
I'll give ya shelter from the storm
When blackness was a virtue the road was full of mud
I came in from the wilderness, a creature void of form
Come in, she said
I'll give ya shelter from the storm
And if I pass this way again, you can rest assured
I'll always do my best for her, on that I give my word
In a world of steel-eyed death, and men who are fighting to be warm
Come in, she said
I'll give ya shelter from the storm
Not a word was spoke between us, there was little risk involved
Everything up to that point had been left unresolved
Try imagining a place where it's always safe and warm
Come in, she said
I'll give ya shelter from the storm
I was burned out from exhaustion, buried in the hail
Poisoned in the bushes an' blown out on the trail
Hunted like a crocodile, ravaged in the corn
Come in, she said
I'll give ya shelter from the storm
Suddenly I turned around and she was standin' there
With silver bracelets on her wrists and flowers in her hair
She walked up to me so gracefully and took my crown of thorns
Come in, she said
I'll give ya shelter from the storm
Now there's a wall between us, somethin' there's been lost
I took too much for granted, I got my signals crossed
Just to think that it all began on an uneventful morn
Come in, she said
I'll give ya shelter from the storm
Well, the deputy walks on hard nails and the preacher rides a mount
But nothing really matters much, it's doom alone that counts
And the one-eyed undertaker, he blows a futile horn
Come in, she said
I'll give ya shelter from the storm
I've heard newborn babies wailin' like a mournin' dove
And old men with broken teeth stranded without love
Do I understand your question, man, is it hopeless and forlorn
Come in, she said
I'll give ya shelter from the storm
In a little hilltop village, they gambled for my clothes
I bargained for salvation and she gave me a lethal dose
I offered up my innocence I got repaid with scorn
Come in, she said
I'll give ya shelter from the storm
Well, I'm livin' in a foreign country but I'm bound to cross the line
Beauty walks a razor's edge, someday I'll make it mine
If I could only turn back the clock to when God and her were born
Come in, she said
I'll give ya shelter from the storm
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haha.. i don't think bob was a christian when "shelter" was released, so i wouldn't think it was about Jesus anyway. what i love about bob dylan is his use of metaphors in songs (edge of the world). lines like "she took my crown of thorns" doesn't mean Jesus-- i would guess he means he's been suffering and she helped him, took away some of his pain.
now there's a wall between us, something has been lost i took too much for granted, i got my signals crossed ... great line
I agree great line but u guys are making things to complicated this song is simple shelter is comfort and a crown of thorns is pain (emotional mental physical whatever its pain). Also the storm is life.
Bob Dylan was jewish.. duh.
He was a Jew. That doesn't mean he was jewish. It was his race, not his religion.<br /> <br /> And how about this line:<br /> "In a little hilltop village they gambled for my clothes"<br /> <br /> Matthew 27:35:<br /> "Then they crucified him, and divided his garments, casting lots..."
yall all have this all wrong. What was going on when Dylan wrote the song in 74'? The veitnam war. The first stanza says “I was in another lifetime” which represents Dylan being a solider of the war “one of toil and blood” a fierce harsh life. “The road was full of mud” a picture of Vietnam because the roads there were dirt and it always rained there. The chorus is repeated at the end of each stanza “Come in, ‘she said, ‘I’ll give you shelter from the storm” The storm is the war and shelter just means protection in this case. The second stanza third line down “In a world of steel-eyed death, and men who are fighting to be warm” represents the guns and men are fighting to be safe mot just warm. Dylan puts in many hidden lyrics in the song which are broad but have strong meanings. The whole fifth stanza is about a girl at home in which the speaker is having relationship with. The silver bracelets mean she is from the US and flowers in her hair represent the hippies in the 70’s and 60’s. Dylan refers to Christ and the bible “She….took my crown of thorns.” This represents when the speaker is back home and the girlfriend forgives him for his sins of killing the “crown of thorns.” Dylan’s seventh stanza is rich with history. “Well, the deputy walks on hard nails and the preacher rides the mount” Dylan refers to Lyndon B Johnson, the president at the time, who is under pressure to bring troops home. Secondly Dylan refers to Martin Luther king Jr. being assassinated. The 2nd to last stanza refers has a biblical reffrence and then refers to pot, "lethal dose" many soilders cam back from the war addicted to drugs. <br />