Dylan has written over 500 songs over 60 years, performed by over 2,000 artists. Why not write a 45 verse ballad of poetic mastery. Who else can do that?
I can’t stop listening to this song. The poetry, imagery, lilt, tempo…absolutely hauntingly brilliant! They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Well, Bob’s words are worth a thousand pictures!
LYRICS: The pale moon rose in its glory Out on the Western town She told a sad, sad story Of the great ship that went down It was the fourteenth day of April Over the waves she rode Sailing into tomorrow To a golden age foretold The night was black with starlight The seas were sharp and clear Moving through the shadows The promised hour was near Lights were holding steady Gliding over the foam All the lords and ladies Heading for their eternal home The chandeliers were swaying From the balustrades above The orchestra was playing Songs of faded love The watchman, he lay dreaming As the ballroom dancers twirled He dreamed the Titanic was sinking Into the underworld Leo took his sketchbook He was often so inclined He closed his eyes and painted The scenery in his mind Cupid struck his bosom And broke it with a snap The closest woman to him He fell into her lap He heard a loud commotion Something sounded wrong His inner spirit was saying That he couldn't stand here long He staggered to the quarterdeck No time now to sleep Water on the quarterdeck Already three foot deep Smokestack was leaning sideways Heavy feet began to pound He walked into the whirlwind Sky splitting all around The ship was going under The universe had opened wide The roll was called up yonder The angels turned aside Lights down in the hallway Flickering dim and dull Dead bodies already floating In the double bottom hull The engines then exploded Propellers they failed to start The boilers overloaded The ship's bow split apart Passengers were flying Backward, forward, far and fast They mumbled, fumbled, and tumbled Each one more weary than the last The veil was torn asunder 'Tween the hours of twelve and one No change, no sudden wonder Could undo what had been done The watchman lay there dreaming At forty five degrees He dreamed that the Titanic was sinking Dropping to her knees Wellington he was sleeping His bed began to slide His valiant heart was beating He pushed the tables aside Glass of shattered crystal Lay scattered roundabout He strapped on both his pistols How long could he hold out? His men and his companions Were nowhere to be seen In silence there he waited for Time and space to intervene The passageway was narrow There was blackness in the air He saw every kind of sorrow Heard voices everywhere Alarm-bells were ringing To hold back the swelling tide Friends and lovers clinging To each other side by side Mothers and their daughters Descending down the stairs Jumped into the icy waters Love and pity sent their prayers The rich man, Mister Astor Kissed his darling wife He had no way of knowing It'd be the last trip of his life Calvin, Blake and Wilson Gambled in the dark Not one of them would ever live to Tell the tale on the disembark Brother rose up 'gainst brother In every circumstance They fought and slaughtered each other In a deadly dance They lowered down the lifeboats From the sinking wreck There were traitors, there were turncoats Broken backs and broken necks The bishop left his cabin To help others in need Turned his eyes up to the heavens Said, "The poor are yours to feed" Davey the brothel-keeper Came out dismissed his girls Saw the water getting deeper Saw the changing of his world Jim Dandy smiled He never learned to swim Saw the little crippled child And he gave his seat to him He saw the starlight shining Streaming from the East Death was on the rampage But his heart was now at peace They battened down the hatches But the hatches wouldn't hold They drowned upon the staircase Of brass and polished gold Leo said to Cleo I think I'm going mad But he'd lost his mind already Whatever mind he had He tried to block the doorway To save all those from harm Blood from an open wound Pouring down his arm Petals fell from flowers 'Til all of them were gone In the long and dreadful hours The wizard's curse played on The host was pouring brandy He was going down slow He stayed right to the end and he Was the last to go There were many, many others Nameless here forever more They never sailed the ocean Or left their homes before The watchman, he lay dreaming The damage had been done He dreamed the Titanic was sinking And he tried to tell someone The captain, barely breathing Kneeling at the wheel Above him and beneath him Fifty thousand tons of steel He looked over at his compass And he gazed into its face Needle pointing downward He knew he'd lost the race In the dark illumination He remembered bygone years He read the Book of Revelation And he filled his cup with tears When the Reaper's task had ended Sixteen hundred had gone to rest The good, the bad, the rich, the poor The loveliest and the best They waited at the landing And they tried to understand But there is no understanding On the judgment of God's hand The news came over the wires And struck with deadly force Love had lost its fires All things had run their course The watchman he lay dreaming Of all the things that can be He dreamed the Titanic was sinking Into the deep blue sea
Totally brilliant, a masterpiece. Incredible use of the English language. Nobody has ever deserved the Nobel Prize for Literature more than this genius. Downunder, South Australia
True Bro 😎 ! I dare to say Bob’s command of the English language, has not been surpassed. He is a genius, a savant, an autodidact.I’ve read a lot of old literature and Bob is supreme amidst them. Perhaps this is reflected in Hamlet’s words to Horacio : “there are more things in heaven and earth, than are dreamt of in your philosophy”.
Agreed, there’s nobody that compares to Bob’s mastery of some 280, thousand English words! A total savant ! It has to be God given as no mortal is competition ❤️😎
I love the subtle percussion near the end. It was a great idea to keep the arrangement simple and not overwhelm the lyrics. Bob is the master, I don't think anyone is even in second place.
My Dad doesn't comment on UA-cam, but here are his thoughts via an e-mail he sent me: "I had never heard this song - didn't know it existed. The music is Celtic. It must be his regular band - they never miss a beat. Bob's voice is terrific: passionate, grim, and empathetic. It's a great story, of course, and he just couldn't resist giving us his take. The rhymes are simple and confident, and the beat is as certain as doom. Thanks."
I can't believe I'm just now listening to this for the first time. It is not only beautiful, but it also takes you along an incredible journey. I love it, Bobby. Thank you so much! ❤🚢💧
A masterpiece by a master of poetry and song writing Bob Dylan. It is simply a very true tale by a true artist and wordsmith. A tale of historical meaning
A remarkable, gentil song refined with a star gazer's gallant image of the sinking Titanic. Lauded for the marvel of steel, best of the world class fineries, passengers of the highest and lowest stations, they danced to their final hour, submerged in the deepest iceberg dorries, thrashing to and fro, haunted by the orchestral notes which foretold a grim, shadow of premature death on a clear frosty night of no return. Bonny enough for the solemn coronation of King Charles III who indeed resurrected the wreckage out of Atlantis. This is your finest masterpiece, Master of Ceremonies - Mr. Bob Dylan! ♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️
You're so good sins 80's And special in last 20 years... It's so hurt that it so touching... I think about you every day and afried from the day that you'll not be here Hope you live long... Erik, from israel
I needed an antidote from the endless articles about Taylor Swift, so I listened to a few songs from Tempest. This song never fails to bring tears. Makes me feel like I was on the deck.
You can dance to it.. that's really great - Like the ballroom dancers. dance to the end of time into the Underground..into the big blue sea..great dark humor..Bob you're a real nobel-prize winner!!!
Après avoir écouté un tel chef d'œuvre maintenant je suis aux anges, et dire qu'il y en encore qui demande pourquoi Dylan s'est ramasser le prix Nobel de littérature !
Had a blast @Radio City with a young couple from Perth I believe Aussies they we're buying drinks went back , fro with em what a night gave away back stage passes ahh so enjoyed it course Bob did acoustic watchtower with some other favorites time's changing countless hits that evening blends into Princeton NJ shows that whole tour Spot On!!!
I love this tune I listen to it all the time I also use it as a timer if I have to be somewhere I know I can listen to it four times because by then I’ll be dressed and ready to go
youtake almost much time to get ready and head out the door as i do myself, I also love this song, yet it is a masterpiece, another one of Bob's great works and he has got many
I love u bob Zimmerman dylan like I said it does not get better than u your talented smart and I've been privileged to listen to u im not worthy I play the piano but I never got my dream but I hope you have all musicians have a destiny a dream I got to meet u yrs ago it was the best night of my life I know u were singing to me thanks
I love Bob Dylan and I love this epic song. Fan since hearing Positively 4rth St on Chicago 'underground' radio in '68. Saw Mr. Dylan and Band in Seattle and Bend, Oregon on my birthday this '22 tour. Never heard this song though til recently. Feel like that old crazy TV preacher: "Play it again!" Commiting this song to memory may help prevent dementia...just saying. Shakespeare, Homer and Bob Dylan will trade chops in eternity.
Who am I to review the shows but both were as good as it gets. Bob and Band. Never before heard his piano (nice upright) so consistently present and leading ike Count Basie if you will. Tony Garnier never sounded better or looked more relaxed and having fun. New drummer Charlie Drayton is amazing. Donnie Herring is back. Europeans go.
When it comes to Rms Titanic I have a very special connection to that ship,cause I had a lots of dreams about that night,after seeing a night to remember filmed after the book from Walther Lord..Later I found out that a part of my family in 1912 wanted to immigrant to America and bought a ticket for the third class on Titanic...The world is a village,idn't it ? Anyway_God Moves On The Water.........Great song🙏
I have just got to hear Bob Dylan's music for the first time in my long life of living would in what some people call the wild out back where no electricity poles stand, I believe this man is something special, he is a great storyteller, his words floats like a Kite as it reaches great heights high up in the sky I feel he has a great connection to God, William Butler Yeats and my long ago distant cousin William Shakespeare.
Not an illusion been saying fore yrs not since the Bard has any had/has such ... My other favorites Tolstoy Bobbys all of em and bag of chips/trix since/ before Bangladesh in NYC loved , admired astonished by his writings Dylan Thomas should be honored he chose namesake suggest you sir start listening from very beginning it each verse song even has or takes in more meaning if that's possible bobby romantic humorists @Heart & I'm barley stracthing the surface.! Or could leave best comment No Words description))) my man caught him few times Radio City & Princeton was a hoot still my best concert ever was 30 anniversary show Columbia records put on for him wooo yeah
My dad from Denmark b -29 never learned english but he loved country happy merry country music and he loved walz, schottis, tango an excellent dancer + 85 . Singing in his trucks he rode around all Sweden, and singing was his only company in his life at work. And he loved fairy tales and old ships especially sailing ships, and his brothers during and after WWII were all to sea as sailors , But my dad was grieving all his life his elder brothers never brought him to travel at sea as real sailors, so he collected paintings of sail ships, and he learned play accordeon and knew as Danish better Swedish trad. poet Evert Taube, than any of the Swedish people around him, all his songs a couple of hundereds and never missed one verse and Taube often composed in walz, and about his adventures in Argentina and Cuba and dramas far away at sea and lost ships and sailors . I translated a few of Dylans songs, but it was uncertain if he apprecieted them. BUT THIS LOVELY LOVELY WALZ AND STORY ---OHHH HOW I WISHED HE WOULD SHARE TEMPEST WITH ME, AND MAYBE HE FINALLY WOULD UNDERSTAND WHO I REALLY WAS ABOUT PREFERENCES , AND I WISH WISH IN VAIN HE WOULD HAVE SHARED THIS WITH ME I AM SURE HE WOULD HAVE NAMED IT THE BEST HE EVER HEARD Dylan sings with power and force in a way when as never any others of his song - perfect for the dramas sailors experience.
He heard a loud commotion Something sounded wrong His inner spirit was saying That he couldn't stand here long this is the key - another song about his career. He heard people booing his music sounded like rock not folk but he had with folk
A person almost has to respect not only that you're still living, but that you're still harassing and obsessed with Bob Dylan more than half a century later.
UNOFFICIAL LYRICS: On April 10th, 1912 A story began for which we must delve Out of the Port of South Hampton, the liner did leave On a cruise to Manhattan or so they believed It was the largest boat that man ever built Born from men who had breathed in the dust and the silt Ain’t a boat, they told us, couldn’t have been sunk Whoever promised that must have been drunk [Chorus] Ooooh Titanic How could you let us down? Ooooh Titanic You’re lying on the bottom of the water just waiting to be found Now Edward John Smith was the man in command It was his vessel when it wasn’t on land Murdoch at his side, his crew was the best Handpicked for the cruise above all the rest Harland and Wolff had built the ship strong To sail for many years and last very long But when it came to lifeboats, they could’ve used more Well, they just couldn’t imagine what they’d be needed for [Chorus] And the ship was cruising straight to New York While the millionaires ate caviar from the tip of a fork And the immigrants huddled down in the hull That big ol’ boat was certainly full Yes, the White Star Line was known for its greed Never tolerated stowaways or people in need The dining rooms decked out in silver and gold While the tramps in steerage, shivering and cold [Chorus] Up in the crow’s nest, Fleet was perched His duty was clear, he just had to search For an iceberg or anything that was clear But the only trouble was it was already too near Well, the iceberg it torn into the side and caused a gash While the people, long dead, were having a bash The bow listed back and the people screamed The impossible had happened or so it had seemed [Chorus] So many people plunged right into the waters Many husbands and wives and sons and daughters There were lifeboats for some who were lucky or greedy To die cold and alone was the fate for the needy The mast rose high and then sunk down Just to disappear without a sound Called the Carpathia, she eventually arrived But it was much too late, so many already had died [Chorus] [Harmonica solo] [Chorus] The director Cameron on the set of True Lies As the scene played out, he closed his eyes A vision of his next film was becoming clear A story of a shipwreck for all to hear Soon DiCaprio was cast and Winslet as well Little did they know that the shoot would be hell Ol’ Cameron pushed the limits of CGI All the special effects really defied the eyes [Chorus] When the filmed premiered, it blew the roof off the place All the executives watching there had smiles on their face It went on to gross more than a movie ever had For a flick about a shipwreck, man, that ain’t bad It was a lock for the Oscar. It just couldn’t lose The Academy never even had to choose And when Cameron took the prize, his head must’ve swirled Up at the podium, he said, “I’m the King of the World” [Chorus] Ooooh Titanic How could you let us down? Ooooh Titanic You’re lying at the bottom of the water just waiting to be found Then some years later, when the timing was right Cameron dusted off his treasure like we thought he might No, the story hadn’t changed nor either the cast But options for Cameron still were vast See, the original had always seemed kinda flat to me So the master upgraded it to be seen in 3D [Final chorus] Ooooh Titanic How could you let us down? Ooooh Titanic You’re lying on the bottom of the water just waiting to be found Oh waiting to be found Ooooh Titanic How could you let us down?
The pale moon rose in it's glory Out on the Western town She told a sad, sad story Of the great ship that went down T'was the fourteenth day of April Over the waves she rode Sailing into tomorrow To a golden age foretold The night was black with starlight The seas were sharp and clear Moving through the shadows The promised hour was near Lights were holding steady Gliding over the foam All the lords and ladies Heading for their eternal home The chandeliers were swaying From the balustrades above The orchestra was playing Songs of faded love The watchman, he lay dreaming As the ballroom dancers twirled He dreamed the Titanic was sinking Into the underworld 🎵🎶🎵🎶 Leo took his sketchbook He was often so inclined He closed his eyes and painted The scenery in his mind Cupid struck his bosom And broke it with a snap The closest woman to him He fell into her lap He heard a loud commotion Something sounded wrong His inner spirit was saying That he couldn't stand here long He staggered to the quarterdeck No time now to sleep Water on the quarterdeck Already three foot deep Smokestack was leaning sideways Heavy feet began to pound He walked into the whirlwind Sky splitting all around The ship was going under The universe had opened wide The roll was called up yonder The angels turned aside Lights down in the hallway Flickering dim and dull Dead bodies already floating In the double bottom hull The engines then exploded Propellers they failed to start The boilers overloaded The ship's bow split apart Passengers were flying Backward, forward, far and fast They mumbled, fumbled, and tumbled Each one more weary than the last The veil was torn asunder 'Tween the hours of twelve and one No change, no sudden wonder Could undo what had been done The watchman lay there dreaming At fourty five degrees He dreamed that the Titanic was sinking Dropping to her knees 🎵🎶🎵🎶 Wellington he was sleeping His bed began to slide His valiant heart was beating He pushed the tables aside Glass of shattered crystal Lay scattered roundabout He strapped on both his pistols How long could he hold out? His men and his companions Were nowhere to be seen In silence there he waited for Time and space to intervene The passageway was narrow There was blackness in the air He saw every kind of sorrow Heard voices everywhere Alarm-bells were ringing To hold back the swelling tide Friends and lovers clinging To each other side by side Mothers and their daughters Descending down the stairs Jumped into the icy waters Love and pity sent their prayers The rich man, Mister Astor Kissed his darling wife He had no way of knowing It'd be the last trip of his life Calvin, Blake and Wilson Gambled in the dark Not one of them would ever live to Tell the tale on the disembark Brother rose up 'gainst brother In every circumstance They fought and slaughtered each other In a deadly dance They lowered down the lifeboats From the sinking wreck There were traitors, there were turncoats Broken backs and broken necks The bishop left his cabin To help others in need Turned his eyes up to the heavens Said, "The poor are yours to feed" Davey the brothel-keeper Came out dismissed his girls Saw the water getting deeper Saw the changing of his world Jim Dandy smiled He never learned to swim Saw the little crippled child And he gave his seat to him He saw the starlight shining Streaming from the East Death was on the rampage But his heart was now at peace They battened down the hatches But the hatches wouldn't hold They drowned upon the staircase Of brass and polished gold Leo said to Cleo I think I'm going mad But he'd lost his mind already Whatever mind he had He tried to block the doorway To save all those from harm Blood from an open wound Pouring down his arm Petals fell from flowers 'Til all of them were gone In the long and dreadful hours The wizard's curse played on The host was pouring brandy He was going down slow He stayed right to the end and he Was the last to go There were many, many others Nameless here forever more They never sailed the ocean Or left their homes before The watchman, he lay dreaming The damage had been done He dreamed the Titanic was sinking And he tried to tell someone 🎵🎶🎵🎶 The captain, barely breathing Kneeling at the wheel Above him and beneath him Fifty thousand tons of steel He looked over at his compass And he gazed into its face Needle pointing downward He knew he lost the race In the dark illumination He remembered bygone years He read the Book of Revelation And he filled his cup with tears When the Reaper's task had ended Sixteen hundred had gone to rest The good, the bad, the rich, the poor The loveliest and the best They waited at the landing And they tried to understand But there is no understanding On the judgement of God's hand The news came over the wires And struck with deadly force Love had lost its fires All things had run their course The watchman he lay dreaming Of all the things that can be He dreamed the Titanic was sinking Into the deep blue sea
Tempest is not a retelling of the sinking of the Titanic. The Titanic did not sink in a storm, but hit an iceberg. Tempest may be reminiscent of Shakespeare, but different from what most people think.The Titanic was considered unsinkable, as was our culture, but it happened because the Watchman was dreaming.." the watchman/ he lay dreaming / As the ballroom dancers twirled/ He dreamed the Titanic was sinking/ Into the underworld". It's a wake-up call, an artistically sophisticated wake-up call. We are the watchman and we are dreaming, Like in Shakespeare' s Tempest: "We are such stuff/ As dreams are made on/ and our little life / is rounded with a sleep" and Bob: The watchman he lay dreaming/ in the Things that can be/ he dreamed the Titanic was sinking into the deep blue sea
While I agree that this could be a metaphor for a wake up call for us because Bob has been known to do such with his songs. But it’s definitely a retelling of the Titanic. He even says, He dreamed the Titanic was sinking also with references to J.J. Astor, the ship’s double hull and it being the 14th day of April. The Titanic sank April 14, 1912. Not sure where you got that the ship in this song was in a storm when neither a storm or iceberg either one are mentioned or alluded to.
@@TeamTaylor1114 exactly! And also... we should mind that Tempest (the Bob Dylan album on which this song appears) was released in 2012... So it's a straight forward reference - Dylan sort of released this album on the anniversary day of sinking of the Titanic; to be precise 100 years later, so it was Titanic's sinking 100th anniversary. We just can't ignore this obvious reference!
Listening to this for the ~250th time I amstill feeling it to be a milestone in the history of coivilization. Panoramic, in the tradtion og It’s Alright Ma, Chjimes of Freedom, Hard Rain, Shelter From the Storm, Thunder on the Mountain, Every Grain pf Sand, Forever Young, Changing of the Guard. And so many others.
@@thomasperry1838 I think so too. It tells the story of humanity in very clear, true, dynamic terms. An iceberg took them down but humanity's spiritual tempest swallowed them up.
![Lp. Сердце Вселенной #60 РОЖДЕНИЕ ЛОЛОЛОШКИ [Финал] • Майнкрафт](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/YoR0pAV9FVQ/mqdefault.jpg)
Dylan has written over 500 songs over 60 years, performed by over 2,000 artists. Why not write a 45 verse ballad of poetic mastery. Who else can do that?
Samuel Taylor Coleridge!
Nobody. Dylan is the ultimate living poet laureate, Dylan is a genius. Take care.
@@gerrycurran8966 you got that right . Who besides Dylan and Shakespeare have been studied in University ?
@@nancyrobinson7764 Perhaps Edgar Allen Poe
Hail Lucifer!!!
I can’t stop listening to this song. The poetry, imagery, lilt, tempo…absolutely hauntingly brilliant! They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Well, Bob’s words are worth a thousand pictures!
Yep
Yes!
i would say a billion pictures
Magia
Vedo il paradiso
LYRICS:
The pale moon rose in its glory
Out on the Western town
She told a sad, sad story
Of the great ship that went down
It was the fourteenth day of April
Over the waves she rode
Sailing into tomorrow
To a golden age foretold
The night was black with starlight
The seas were sharp and clear
Moving through the shadows
The promised hour was near
Lights were holding steady
Gliding over the foam
All the lords and ladies
Heading for their eternal home
The chandeliers were swaying
From the balustrades above
The orchestra was playing
Songs of faded love
The watchman, he lay dreaming
As the ballroom dancers twirled
He dreamed the Titanic was sinking
Into the underworld
Leo took his sketchbook
He was often so inclined
He closed his eyes and painted
The scenery in his mind
Cupid struck his bosom
And broke it with a snap
The closest woman to him
He fell into her lap
He heard a loud commotion
Something sounded wrong
His inner spirit was saying
That he couldn't stand here long
He staggered to the quarterdeck
No time now to sleep
Water on the quarterdeck
Already three foot deep
Smokestack was leaning sideways
Heavy feet began to pound
He walked into the whirlwind
Sky splitting all around
The ship was going under
The universe had opened wide
The roll was called up yonder
The angels turned aside
Lights down in the hallway
Flickering dim and dull
Dead bodies already floating
In the double bottom hull
The engines then exploded
Propellers they failed to start
The boilers overloaded
The ship's bow split apart
Passengers were flying
Backward, forward, far and fast
They mumbled, fumbled, and tumbled
Each one more weary than the last
The veil was torn asunder
'Tween the hours of twelve and one
No change, no sudden wonder
Could undo what had been done
The watchman lay there dreaming
At forty five degrees
He dreamed that the Titanic was sinking
Dropping to her knees
Wellington he was sleeping
His bed began to slide
His valiant heart was beating
He pushed the tables aside
Glass of shattered crystal
Lay scattered roundabout
He strapped on both his pistols
How long could he hold out?
His men and his companions
Were nowhere to be seen
In silence there he waited for
Time and space to intervene
The passageway was narrow
There was blackness in the air
He saw every kind of sorrow
Heard voices everywhere
Alarm-bells were ringing
To hold back the swelling tide
Friends and lovers clinging
To each other side by side
Mothers and their daughters
Descending down the stairs
Jumped into the icy waters
Love and pity sent their prayers
The rich man, Mister Astor
Kissed his darling wife
He had no way of knowing
It'd be the last trip of his life
Calvin, Blake and Wilson
Gambled in the dark
Not one of them would ever live to
Tell the tale on the disembark
Brother rose up 'gainst brother
In every circumstance
They fought and slaughtered each other
In a deadly dance
They lowered down the lifeboats
From the sinking wreck
There were traitors, there were turncoats
Broken backs and broken necks
The bishop left his cabin
To help others in need
Turned his eyes up to the heavens
Said, "The poor are yours to feed"
Davey the brothel-keeper
Came out dismissed his girls
Saw the water getting deeper
Saw the changing of his world
Jim Dandy smiled
He never learned to swim
Saw the little crippled child
And he gave his seat to him
He saw the starlight shining
Streaming from the East
Death was on the rampage
But his heart was now at peace
They battened down the hatches
But the hatches wouldn't hold
They drowned upon the staircase
Of brass and polished gold
Leo said to Cleo
I think I'm going mad
But he'd lost his mind already
Whatever mind he had
He tried to block the doorway
To save all those from harm
Blood from an open wound
Pouring down his arm
Petals fell from flowers
'Til all of them were gone
In the long and dreadful hours
The wizard's curse played on
The host was pouring brandy
He was going down slow
He stayed right to the end and he
Was the last to go
There were many, many others
Nameless here forever more
They never sailed the ocean
Or left their homes before
The watchman, he lay dreaming
The damage had been done
He dreamed the Titanic was sinking
And he tried to tell someone
The captain, barely breathing
Kneeling at the wheel
Above him and beneath him
Fifty thousand tons of steel
He looked over at his compass
And he gazed into its face
Needle pointing downward
He knew he'd lost the race
In the dark illumination
He remembered bygone years
He read the Book of Revelation
And he filled his cup with tears
When the Reaper's task had ended
Sixteen hundred had gone to rest
The good, the bad, the rich, the poor
The loveliest and the best
They waited at the landing
And they tried to understand
But there is no understanding
On the judgment of God's hand
The news came over the wires
And struck with deadly force
Love had lost its fires
All things had run their course
The watchman he lay dreaming
Of all the things that can be
He dreamed the Titanic was sinking
Into the deep blue sea
Genius
Thanks ❣
Genius
This is prose most beautiful
😲😱 I LOVE YOUR PROSE. Thank you Bob Dylan. Will listen to your songs for the rest of my days. 💘
I can’t count the number of times I’ve listened to this. I will never stop. Dylan has a way with words.
Genius. God bless Bob.
He surely has!!!
Me as well! Bob’s command of the English language is unsurpassed. Stand aside Shakespeare.
@@nancyrobinson7764 Dylan has the ability to paint a masterpiece in a persons mind. Look at anything, and he will tell you, what you see.
Whiskey and smoke of his voice 😊 What a master! Amen.🇬🇧🏴
And that walz never seems to be too long
Totally brilliant, a masterpiece. Incredible use of the English language. Nobody has ever deserved the Nobel Prize for Literature more than this genius. Downunder, South Australia
Dude u are spot on✌🏻😎
True Bro 😎 ! I dare to say Bob’s command of the English language, has not been surpassed. He is a genius, a savant, an autodidact.I’ve read a lot of old literature and Bob is supreme amidst them. Perhaps this is reflected in Hamlet’s words to Horacio : “there are more things in heaven and earth, than are dreamt of in your philosophy”.
I’ve just re read Chronicles! Brilliant.🇬🇧🏴
Totally agree, Cheers
The fiddle 🎻 solo @10:46, even though it was only a 15 second riff, is just a masterpiece
If writing and performing were an Olympic sport, Bob Dylan has been winning gold for more than 60 years.
Totally agree.
Amen!
Beautifully said. He truly is a gift
Mind is officially blown. What song writing
This song is PURE art.
Such a severe and brutal song.
Agreed, I know of none that surpass Bob’s skill for such brilliant deep lyrics. Only Shakespeare and Bob are studied in university.
Agreed, I know of none that surpass Bob’s skill for such brilliant deep lyrics. Only Shakespeare and Bob are studied in university.
The voice is magic...
Bob you are a wonder, that we are blessed with.
The song evokes the ocean's roll within the tale. Beautiful.
I believe this is one of the most layered, complex songs Bob has ever written. 60+ years after he began he gave us this. I mean.
Agreed, there’s nobody that compares to Bob’s mastery of some 280, thousand English words! A total savant ! It has to be God given as no mortal is competition ❤️😎
Excellent but I slightly prefer Murder Most Foul.
Never ceases to make tears fall.
I love the subtle percussion near the end.
It was a great idea to keep the arrangement
simple and not overwhelm the lyrics.
Bob is the master, I don't think anyone is even in second place.
Apparently he once said that Leonard Cohen was #1. Asked "so what position are you?", he responded "Oh, I'm zero". Deliciously ambiguous.
@@patrickthomas3633 He was an album titled, _Various Positions_ (1984) that's where, "Hallelujah" comes from. ☺
@@GordonCaledonia I know that but I don't see the relevance?
@@patrickthomas3633 Deliciously ambiguous! 😶
daylight is second...
My Dad doesn't comment on UA-cam, but here are his thoughts via an e-mail he sent me:
"I had never heard this song - didn't know it existed. The music is Celtic. It must be his regular band - they never miss a beat. Bob's voice is terrific: passionate, grim, and empathetic. It's a great story, of course, and he just couldn't resist giving us his take. The rhymes are simple and confident, and the beat is as certain as doom. Thanks."
Thanks for saying what I was trying to❤you Pops
A beautiful ballad of Bob, with many Celtic airs...
Celtic airs - ??? That is so funny.
incredible masterpiece the song is loaded it is a huge boat full of majesty & characters like the titanic
I can't believe I'm just now listening to this for the first time. It is not only beautiful, but it also takes you along an incredible journey. I love it, Bobby. Thank you so much! ❤🚢💧
Really folk Singer in 50 years❤
Tempest by Bob Dylan must be one of the most remarkable folk songs ever composed! Well done Bob!
Larry Davies
Absolute Prophet and Genius!!🇨🇦
Best Dylan poem ever!!!
Brilliant genius lyrics
A masterpiece by a master of poetry and song writing Bob Dylan. It is simply a very true tale by a true artist and wordsmith. A tale of historical meaning
God has blessed this man. This song is brilliant. But his highlights were slow train and saved
Thank you for all your hard work, I love you and thank The Lord for you
Just beautiful.
A remarkable, gentil song refined with a star gazer's gallant image of the sinking Titanic. Lauded for the marvel of steel, best of the world class fineries, passengers of the highest and lowest stations, they danced to their final hour, submerged in the deepest iceberg dorries, thrashing to and fro, haunted by the orchestral notes which foretold a grim, shadow of premature death on a clear frosty night of no return. Bonny enough for the solemn coronation of King Charles III who indeed resurrected the wreckage out of Atlantis. This is your finest masterpiece, Master of Ceremonies - Mr. Bob Dylan! ♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️
You're so good sins 80's
And special in last 20 years...
It's so hurt that it so touching...
I think about you every day and afried from the day that you'll not be here
Hope you live long...
Erik, from israel
I needed an antidote from the endless articles about Taylor Swift, so I listened to a few songs from Tempest. This song never fails to bring tears. Makes me feel like I was on the deck.
We're all on the deck, but only a few people see the iceberg that's looming in the fog.
I heard the song today that Dylan wrote about The loss of the Titanic. Another Remarkable Bob Dylan!
Larry Davies
Eccezionale
You can dance to it.. that's really great - Like the ballroom dancers. dance to the end of time into the Underground..into the big blue sea..great dark humor..Bob you're a real nobel-prize winner!!!
True. Like at a ball out of time and space! Only Mr. Dylan can do this!
@@_fabio1978
Jackson Browne comes very close...
@yama penny nobody asked
You can dance to it? About Bob dying from AIDS related histoplasmosis?
Après avoir écouté un tel chef d'œuvre maintenant je suis aux anges, et dire qu'il y en encore qui demande pourquoi Dylan s'est ramasser le prix Nobel de littérature !
An amazing song
Had a blast @Radio City with a young couple from Perth I believe Aussies they we're buying drinks went back , fro with em what a night gave away back stage passes ahh so enjoyed it course Bob did acoustic watchtower with some other favorites time's changing countless hits that evening blends into Princeton NJ shows that whole tour Spot On!!!
Grande e grazie Signor Dylan.
unbelievebale Dylan Thank God or his talent!!!
One More Great Masterpiece!!!...
Well stated concerning not being able to stop listening. Agreed 💯
Nice work Bob love it.
Love the music of Bob Dylan ♥️♥️🎤🎸♥️🌟♥️🌟♥️🌟⭐️💫
I love this tune I listen to it all the time I also use it as a timer if I have to be somewhere I know I can listen to it four times because by then I’ll be dressed and ready to go
Hello Dear, It’s nice meeting you on here
youtake almost much time to get ready and head out the door as i do myself, I also love this song, yet it is a masterpiece, another one of Bob's great works and he has got many
I love u bob Zimmerman dylan like I said it does not get better than u your talented smart and I've been privileged to listen to u im not worthy I play the piano but I never got my dream but I hope you have all musicians have a destiny a dream I got to meet u yrs ago it was the best night of my life I know u were singing to me thanks
Love this👍👍👍👍👍👍💙💙💙💙💙💙
Thanks Bob.. 👍
I love Bob Dylan and I love this epic song. Fan since hearing Positively 4rth St on Chicago 'underground' radio in '68.
Saw Mr. Dylan and Band in Seattle and Bend, Oregon on my birthday this '22 tour. Never heard this song though til recently. Feel like that old crazy TV preacher:
"Play it again!" Commiting this song to memory may help prevent dementia...just saying. Shakespeare, Homer and
Bob Dylan will trade chops in eternity.
Who am I to review the shows but both were as good as it gets.
Bob and Band. Never before heard his piano (nice upright)
so consistently present and leading ike Count Basie if you will. Tony Garnier never sounded better or looked more relaxed and having fun. New drummer Charlie Drayton is amazing. Donnie Herring is back. Europeans go.
Herron
Maestro
One of the best.
Brilliant ! Thank you so much to Mr Dylan.
Superlative!
Brilliant 💎💙
When it comes to Rms Titanic I have a very special connection to that ship,cause I had a lots of dreams about that night,after seeing a night to remember filmed after the book from Walther Lord..Later I found out that a part of my family in 1912 wanted to immigrant to America and bought a ticket for the third class on Titanic...The world is a village,idn't it ? Anyway_God Moves On The Water.........Great song🙏
Such a gr8 song lyrically of such torrid events, again a master at his best 👌 .
He ages like a fine wine. Drink deep🎉❤ and realize this vlntage will never come again. Enjoy😊
Una tempesta di emozioni
Love it even i do not understand anythink 😃
Love it!
Thank you..
Titanic ride with Bob... This guy is so different I can't get out of the song...
Tempest is a most remarkable song.Bob Dylan shows what a talent he has!
Larry Davies
BOB, I 💜 U
Belíssima.
Tanks bob is Biutifol song god bless yuo
I have just got to hear Bob Dylan's music for the first time in my long life of living would in what some people call the wild out back where no electricity poles stand, I believe this man is something special, he is a great storyteller, his words floats like a Kite as it reaches great heights high up in the sky I feel he has a great connection to God, William Butler Yeats and my long ago distant cousin William Shakespeare.
Wow it’s never to late to be exposed to THE MAN😎enjoy it😘
Not an illusion been saying fore yrs not since the Bard has any had/has such ... My other favorites Tolstoy Bobbys all of em and bag of chips/trix since/ before Bangladesh in NYC loved , admired astonished by his writings Dylan Thomas should be honored he chose namesake suggest you sir start listening from very beginning it each verse song even has or takes in more meaning if that's possible bobby romantic humorists @Heart & I'm barley stracthing the surface.! Or could leave best comment No Words description))) my man caught him few times Radio City & Princeton was a hoot still my best concert ever was 30 anniversary show Columbia records put on for him wooo yeah
@@chrismaloney7073 Thanks Chris for the information
@@martinboersma763, I fully agree with you.
When the Holy Spirit wants to talk, He does.
❤🍇 thanks
one of my favorite songs , comment from china
Dylan wrote a song about the titanic in 13 min that would fill a book of 300 pages.
Vida longa a Bob Dylan
My dad from Denmark b -29 never learned english but he loved country happy merry country music and he loved walz, schottis, tango an excellent dancer + 85 . Singing in his trucks he rode around all Sweden, and singing was his only company in his life at work. And he loved fairy tales and old ships especially sailing ships, and his brothers during and after WWII were all to sea as sailors ,
But my dad was grieving all his life his elder brothers never brought him to travel at sea as real sailors, so he collected paintings of sail ships, and he learned play accordeon and knew as Danish better Swedish trad. poet Evert Taube, than any of the Swedish people around him, all his songs a couple of hundereds and never missed one verse and Taube often composed in walz, and about his adventures in Argentina and Cuba and dramas far away at sea and lost ships and sailors . I translated a few of Dylans songs, but it was uncertain if he apprecieted them. BUT THIS LOVELY LOVELY WALZ AND STORY ---OHHH HOW I WISHED HE WOULD SHARE TEMPEST WITH ME, AND MAYBE HE FINALLY WOULD UNDERSTAND WHO I REALLY WAS ABOUT PREFERENCES , AND I WISH WISH IN VAIN HE WOULD HAVE SHARED THIS WITH ME I AM SURE HE WOULD HAVE NAMED IT THE BEST HE EVER HEARD Dylan sings with power and force in a way when as never any others of his song - perfect for the dramas sailors experience.
In memory of the
Great Ship TITANIC
Zimmerman is a talkin fotograph❤
El maestro de todo esto.
No one better than Dylan. A good
companion piece to The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald
And now, with the tragedy of those searching for the Titanic's wreck behind us, the song takes on a prophetic edge.
The Titanic is a metaphor for Earth, the passengers for Mankind, the sinking for the End Times, the watchman is Dylan.
Oh, and Leo is Jesus LOL
That’s one way of looking at it ✌🏻
And the final judgement is God's.......Biblical references are everywhere in this poetry
He just Sing & Dance!!!
greatest bobpoem
Almost perfect. Almost.
Why isnt it?
Because it reminds me of Camerons crappy Titanic movie especially a naked Winslet as "Leo took his sketchbook" 😂
💖💖💖💖
the chandeliers were swaying from the balustrades above - Gaslight - Basement venue
A song for lost children please you can do this maybe it's just you Bob
He heard a loud commotion
Something sounded wrong
His inner spirit was saying
That he couldn't stand here long this is the key - another song about his career. He heard people booing his music sounded like rock not folk but he had with folk
A person almost has to respect not only that you're still living, but that you're still harassing and obsessed with Bob Dylan more than half a century later.
@@whiskeycitydiggers You are practicing garbology without a license!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Boa, boa gosto.
I never give my life to this country again
I forgot about this one
The history of humanity.
Epifânia experiência
UNOFFICIAL LYRICS:
On April 10th, 1912
A story began for which we must delve
Out of the Port of South Hampton, the liner did leave
On a cruise to Manhattan or so they believed
It was the largest boat that man ever built
Born from men who had breathed in the dust and the silt
Ain’t a boat, they told us, couldn’t have been sunk
Whoever promised that must have been drunk
[Chorus]
Ooooh Titanic
How could you let us down?
Ooooh Titanic
You’re lying on the bottom of the water just waiting to be found
Now Edward John Smith was the man in command
It was his vessel when it wasn’t on land
Murdoch at his side, his crew was the best
Handpicked for the cruise above all the rest
Harland and Wolff had built the ship strong
To sail for many years and last very long
But when it came to lifeboats, they could’ve used more
Well, they just couldn’t imagine what they’d be needed for
[Chorus]
And the ship was cruising straight to New York
While the millionaires ate caviar from the tip of a fork
And the immigrants huddled down in the hull
That big ol’ boat was certainly full
Yes, the White Star Line was known for its greed
Never tolerated stowaways or people in need
The dining rooms decked out in silver and gold
While the tramps in steerage, shivering and cold
[Chorus]
Up in the crow’s nest, Fleet was perched
His duty was clear, he just had to search
For an iceberg or anything that was clear
But the only trouble was it was already too near
Well, the iceberg it torn into the side and caused a gash
While the people, long dead, were having a bash
The bow listed back and the people screamed
The impossible had happened or so it had seemed
[Chorus]
So many people plunged right into the waters
Many husbands and wives and sons and daughters
There were lifeboats for some who were lucky or greedy
To die cold and alone was the fate for the needy
The mast rose high and then sunk down
Just to disappear without a sound
Called the Carpathia, she eventually arrived
But it was much too late, so many already had died
[Chorus]
[Harmonica solo]
[Chorus]
The director Cameron on the set of True Lies
As the scene played out, he closed his eyes
A vision of his next film was becoming clear
A story of a shipwreck for all to hear
Soon DiCaprio was cast and Winslet as well
Little did they know that the shoot would be hell
Ol’ Cameron pushed the limits of CGI
All the special effects really defied the eyes
[Chorus]
When the filmed premiered, it blew the roof off the place
All the executives watching there had smiles on their face
It went on to gross more than a movie ever had
For a flick about a shipwreck, man, that ain’t bad
It was a lock for the Oscar. It just couldn’t lose
The Academy never even had to choose
And when Cameron took the prize, his head must’ve swirled
Up at the podium, he said, “I’m the King of the World”
[Chorus]
Ooooh Titanic
How could you let us down?
Ooooh Titanic
You’re lying at the bottom of the water just waiting to be found
Then some years later, when the timing was right
Cameron dusted off his treasure like we thought he might
No, the story hadn’t changed nor either the cast
But options for Cameron still were vast
See, the original had always seemed kinda flat to me
So the master upgraded it to be seen in 3D
[Final chorus]
Ooooh Titanic
How could you let us down?
Ooooh Titanic
You’re lying on the bottom of the water just waiting to be found
Oh waiting to be found
Ooooh Titanic
How could you let us down?
The pale moon rose in it's glory
Out on the Western town
She told a sad, sad story
Of the great ship that went down
T'was the fourteenth day of April
Over the waves she rode
Sailing into tomorrow
To a golden age foretold
The night was black with starlight
The seas were sharp and clear
Moving through the shadows
The promised hour was near
Lights were holding steady
Gliding over the foam
All the lords and ladies
Heading for their eternal home
The chandeliers were swaying
From the balustrades above
The orchestra was playing
Songs of faded love
The watchman, he lay dreaming
As the ballroom dancers twirled
He dreamed the Titanic was sinking
Into the underworld
🎵🎶🎵🎶
Leo took his sketchbook
He was often so inclined
He closed his eyes and painted
The scenery in his mind
Cupid struck his bosom
And broke it with a snap
The closest woman to him
He fell into her lap
He heard a loud commotion
Something sounded wrong
His inner spirit was saying
That he couldn't stand here long
He staggered to the quarterdeck
No time now to sleep
Water on the quarterdeck
Already three foot deep
Smokestack was leaning sideways
Heavy feet began to pound
He walked into the whirlwind
Sky splitting all around
The ship was going under
The universe had opened wide
The roll was called up yonder
The angels turned aside
Lights down in the hallway
Flickering dim and dull
Dead bodies already floating
In the double bottom hull
The engines then exploded
Propellers they failed to start
The boilers overloaded
The ship's bow split apart
Passengers were flying
Backward, forward, far and fast
They mumbled, fumbled, and tumbled
Each one more weary than the last
The veil was torn asunder
'Tween the hours of twelve and one
No change, no sudden wonder
Could undo what had been done
The watchman lay there dreaming
At fourty five degrees
He dreamed that the Titanic was sinking
Dropping to her knees
🎵🎶🎵🎶
Wellington he was sleeping
His bed began to slide
His valiant heart was beating
He pushed the tables aside
Glass of shattered crystal
Lay scattered roundabout
He strapped on both his pistols
How long could he hold out?
His men and his companions
Were nowhere to be seen
In silence there he waited for
Time and space to intervene
The passageway was narrow
There was blackness in the air
He saw every kind of sorrow
Heard voices everywhere
Alarm-bells were ringing
To hold back the swelling tide
Friends and lovers clinging
To each other side by side
Mothers and their daughters
Descending down the stairs
Jumped into the icy waters
Love and pity sent their prayers
The rich man, Mister Astor
Kissed his darling wife
He had no way of knowing
It'd be the last trip of his life
Calvin, Blake and Wilson
Gambled in the dark
Not one of them would ever live to
Tell the tale on the disembark
Brother rose up 'gainst brother
In every circumstance
They fought and slaughtered each other
In a deadly dance
They lowered down the lifeboats
From the sinking wreck
There were traitors, there were turncoats
Broken backs and broken necks
The bishop left his cabin
To help others in need
Turned his eyes up to the heavens
Said, "The poor are yours to feed"
Davey the brothel-keeper
Came out dismissed his girls
Saw the water getting deeper
Saw the changing of his world
Jim Dandy smiled
He never learned to swim
Saw the little crippled child
And he gave his seat to him
He saw the starlight shining
Streaming from the East
Death was on the rampage
But his heart was now at peace
They battened down the hatches
But the hatches wouldn't hold
They drowned upon the staircase
Of brass and polished gold
Leo said to Cleo
I think I'm going mad
But he'd lost his mind already
Whatever mind he had
He tried to block the doorway
To save all those from harm
Blood from an open wound
Pouring down his arm
Petals fell from flowers
'Til all of them were gone
In the long and dreadful hours
The wizard's curse played on
The host was pouring brandy
He was going down slow
He stayed right to the end and he
Was the last to go
There were many, many others
Nameless here forever more
They never sailed the ocean
Or left their homes before
The watchman, he lay dreaming
The damage had been done
He dreamed the Titanic was sinking
And he tried to tell someone
🎵🎶🎵🎶
The captain, barely breathing
Kneeling at the wheel
Above him and beneath him
Fifty thousand tons of steel
He looked over at his compass
And he gazed into its face
Needle pointing downward
He knew he lost the race
In the dark illumination
He remembered bygone years
He read the Book of Revelation
And he filled his cup with tears
When the Reaper's task had ended
Sixteen hundred had gone to rest
The good, the bad, the rich, the poor
The loveliest and the best
They waited at the landing
And they tried to understand
But there is no understanding
On the judgement of God's hand
The news came over the wires
And struck with deadly force
Love had lost its fires
All things had run their course
The watchman he lay dreaming
Of all the things that can be
He dreamed the Titanic was sinking
Into the deep blue sea
Thsnks
👌👌😎
No change no sudden wonder can undo what had been done....no cure - still no cure
Tribute to HMS Titanic... Let her RIP
I get IT!!!
Hello Dear, it’s nice meeting you on here!
But there is no understanding
On the judgment of God's hand
🌊🌊🌊
Tempest by Bob Dylan must be the most rem
Tempest is not a retelling of the sinking of the Titanic. The Titanic did not sink in a storm, but hit an iceberg. Tempest may be reminiscent of Shakespeare, but different from what most people think.The Titanic was considered unsinkable, as was our culture, but it happened because the Watchman was dreaming.." the watchman/ he lay dreaming / As the ballroom dancers twirled/ He dreamed the Titanic was sinking/ Into the underworld".
It's a wake-up call, an artistically sophisticated wake-up call. We are the watchman and we are dreaming, Like in Shakespeare' s Tempest:
"We are such stuff/ As dreams are made on/ and our little life / is rounded with a sleep"
and Bob:
The watchman he lay dreaming/ in the Things that can be/ he dreamed the Titanic was sinking into the deep blue sea
What?! Here you are making yet another brilliant comment.
It depends on interpretation. It could be about the real Titanic, just told as a song in a more metaphorical way, and not straight forward facts.
While I agree that this could be a metaphor for a wake up call for us because Bob has been known to do such with his songs. But it’s definitely a retelling of the Titanic. He even says, He dreamed the Titanic was sinking also with references to J.J. Astor, the ship’s double hull and it being the 14th day of April. The Titanic sank April 14, 1912. Not sure where you got that the ship in this song was in a storm when neither a storm or iceberg either one are mentioned or alluded to.
@@TeamTaylor1114 exactly! And also... we should mind that Tempest (the Bob Dylan album on which this song appears) was released in 2012... So it's a straight forward reference - Dylan sort of released this album on the anniversary day of sinking of the Titanic; to be precise 100 years later, so it was Titanic's sinking 100th anniversary. We just can't ignore this obvious reference!
Storyteller Bob has some things to say to you.
Listening to this for the ~250th time I amstill feeling it to be a milestone in the history of coivilization. Panoramic, in the tradtion og It’s Alright Ma, Chjimes of Freedom, Hard Rain, Shelter From the Storm, Thunder on the Mountain, Every Grain pf Sand, Forever Young, Changing of the Guard.
And so many others.
@@thomasperry1838 I think so too. It tells the story of humanity in very clear, true, dynamic terms. An iceberg took them down but humanity's spiritual tempest swallowed them up.
@@thomasperry1838 Yes!!
Jim Bacus or Jim Dandy? 8:29