Once upon a time you dressed so fine
You threw the bums a dime in your prime,
Didn't you?

People'd call, say "Beware doll, you're bound to fall"
They thought they were all kiddin' you

You used to laugh about
Everybody that was hangin' out
Now you don't walk so proud
Now you don't talk so loud
About having to be scrounging
For your next meal

How does it feel
How does it feel
To be on your own
With no direction home
A complete unknown
Just like a rolling stone?

You've went to the finest school all right, Miss Lonely
But you know you only used to get juiced in it
Nobody has ever taught you how to live on the street
But now you're gonna have to get
Used to it
They said you'd never compromise
With the mystery tramp, but now you
Realize
That he's not selling any alibis
As you stare into the vacuum of his eyes
And say do you want to make a deal?

How does it feel
How does it feel
To be on your own
With no direction home
Like a complete unknown
Just like a rolling stone?

How does it feel
How does it feel
To be on your own
With no direction home
A complete unknown
Just like a rolling stone?

Princess on the steeple and all the pretty people
They're drinkin', thinkin' that they
Got it made
Exchanging all kinds of precious gifts
You'd better take your diamond ring,
You'd better pawn it babe
You used to be so amused
At Napoleon in rags with the language that he used
Go to him now, he calls you, you can't refuse
When you got nothing, you got nothing to lose
You're invisible now, you got no secrets to conceal

How does it feel
How does it feel
To be on your own
With no direction home
Like a complete unknown
Just like a rolling stone?


Lyrics submitted by oofus

Like a Rolling Stone Lyrics as written by Bob Dylan

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

Like a Rolling Stone (Bob Dylan cover) song meanings
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9 Comments

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  • 0
    General Comment

    This is a Bob Dylan song, and i don't think the Stones ever did a cover of this, so if the mods could remove this song somehow, that would probably best

    Grimsonon March 08, 2003   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Actually the Stones DID cover this song. I can't remember what album it's on or if it's even on an album, but they covered it. In fact when I saw the Stones a couple months ago, they played it.

    Buffy5x5on April 05, 2003   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    It was on the album Stripped...

    "As you stare into the vacuum of his eyes And ask him do you want to make a deal?"

    The song is about making a deal with the devil I think.

    A_Page06on June 30, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    of course the stones covered this song !!! what are you talking about?! and you MUST watch the video, everything you need to understand is in it.

    .aaa.on January 22, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Not sure why they covered this. Not that it's a bad song--just a little too obvious. I think it's about a spoiled little rich debutante whose pampered way of living crumbles when reality sets in. So, in that way it does fit in with the attitude Mick Jagger had towards these brats back in the 60s. Dylan once told Keith "I could've written 'Satisfaction' but you guys couldn't have written 'Like a Rolling Stone'. Keith's response while telling the story was "he was lucky he walked away with all of his teeth still in his head. He was right--but lucky"

    JumpyJackon May 28, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    The song has been covered by the Stones for years, even before the release of Stripped. Mick Jagger usually introduces the song with "This is a song Bob Dylan wrote for us." It's one of the Stones' best covers to be added to their live sets.

    derekwm2001on June 10, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I'm gonna say this is a song about how you can be livin large one day and the next, be on the streets.In your prime you threw the bums a dime, when you're on top. Now you don't walk so proud now you don't talk so loud. About scrounging for your next meal. When your not doin so hot.

    staremastrtohevn320on December 23, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    some of the official video for the song seems to be eluding to Edie Sedgwick. People say Dylan originally wrote the song about her, but that's not true because he hadn't met her until after the song was released. But anyway in the video for the Stones' cover, there's the blonde girl. Being followed around by a tall white blond guy with thick rimmed glasses. When she's riding in the convertible and on the bed, it's very similar to scenes in Ciao Manhattan. Just thought i'd mention it =p

    kelsauron December 02, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Picking the obvious choice is... obvious. Why not? Love this song. It's message is only perceptible through life experience. No other medium can truly convey its meaning. Live 20-30 years (or 20-30 years worth of life in a briefer epoch) and you can then analyze this song.

    Buddha108on June 10, 2013   Link

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