About the song
“Like a Rolling Stone” stands as an iconic masterpiece by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, released on July 20, 1965, through Columbia Records. This seminal track emerged from a lengthy piece of prose that Dylan penned in June 1965, following an exhausting concert tour in England. Distilling this raw material into four stanzas and a chorus, Dylan recorded “Like a Rolling Stone” several weeks later during sessions for the upcoming album “Highway 61 Revisited.”
The song’s inception was fraught with challenges. Dylan, grappling with its essence over two intense days of preparation, initially struggled to find its musical form, experimenting unsuccessfully with different arrangements. A breakthrough came when it was recast in a rock music format, with session musician Al Kooper improvising the now-iconic Hammond B2 organ riff. Despite Columbia Records’ reservations about its length (over six minutes) and heavy electric sound, hesitation over releasing it was dispelled when a leaked copy reached influential DJs a month later. Despite radio reluctance due to its length, “Like a Rolling Stone” soared to number two on the Billboard Hot 100 (number one on Cashbox) and became a global hit.
Critics hailed “Like a Rolling Stone” as a revolutionary blend of musical elements, youthfulness in sound, Dylan’s enigmatic vocal delivery, and the directness of its seminal question, “How does it feel?” This track marked Dylan’s transition from a folk singer to a rock music star, standing as one of the most influential compositions in post-war popular music. Rolling Stone ranked it number one on their “500 Greatest Songs of All Time” lists in both 2004 and 2010, solidifying its place in music history.
The song’s impact transcended its initial success, inspiring numerous covers from artists like Jimi Hendrix, The Rolling Stones, and Green Day. In 2014, Dylan’s handwritten lyrics fetched a record-breaking $2 million at auction, underscoring its enduring significance. Reflecting on its creation, Dylan admitted that “Like a Rolling Stone” was a pivotal turning point in his career, revitalizing his artistic vision and reaffirming his commitment to music over other forms of expression.
“Like a Rolling Stone” remains a quintessential anthem of defiance and introspection, capturing a moment of cultural change and personal revelation that continues to resonate with audiences worldwide. Its journey from a discarded prose piece to a transformative musical work epitomizes Dylan’s ability to distill complex emotions and societal critique into enduring musical poetry.
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Lyrics
Once upon a time you dressed so fine
Threw the bums a dime in your prime, didn’t you?
People call say ‘beware doll, you’re bound to fall’
You thought they were all kidding you
You used to laugh about
Everybody that was hanging out
Now you don’t talk so loud
Now you don’t seem so proud
About having to be scrounging your next meal
How does it feel, how does it feel?
To be without a home
Like a complete unknown, like a rolling stone
Ahh you’ve gone to the finest schools, alright Miss Lonely
But you know you only used to get juiced in it
Nobody’s ever taught you how to live out on the street
And now you’re gonna have to get used to it
You say you never compromise
With the mystery tramp, but now you realize
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
A complete unknown, like a rolling stone
Ah you never turned around to see the frowns
On the jugglers and the clowns when they all did tricks for you
You never understood that it ain’t no good
You shouldn’t let other people get your kicks for you
You used to ride on a chrome horse with your diplomat
Who carried on his shoulder a Siamese cat
Ain’t it hard when you discovered that
He really wasn’t where it’s at
After he took from you everything he could steal
How does it feel, how does it feel?
To be on your own, with no direction home
Like a complete unknown, like a rolling stone
Ahh princess on a steeple and all the pretty people
They’re all drinking, thinking that they’ve got it made
Exchanging all precious gifts
But you better take your diamond ring, you better pawn it babe
You used to be so amused
At Napoleon in rags and the language that he used
Go to him he calls you, you can’t refuse
When you ain’t got nothing, you got nothing to lose
You’re invisible now, you’ve got no secrets to conceal
How does it feel, ah how does it feel?
To be on your own, with no direction home
Like a complete unknown, like a rolling stone