When I Paint My Masterpiece

The Band

About When I Paint My Masterpiece

"When I Paint My Masterpiece" is a 1971 song written by Bob Dylan. It was first released by The Band, who recorded the song for their album Cahoots which was released on September 15, 1971. Dylan himself recorded the song at New York's Blue Rock Studio when he was backed by Leon Russell and session musicians, including Jesse Ed Davis on lead guitar. The recording sessions lasted from March 16 to 19, 1971, and also saw the recording of the 45 RPM single "Watching the River Flow", released by CBS Records on June 3, 1971. Both songs appeared on Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits Vol. II, released November 17, 1971, with Russell credited as the producer of the two songs. During the March 1971 sessions at Blue Rock Studio, Dylan also recorded a solo version with slightly different lyrics, accompanying himself on piano. This version was released in 2013 on The Bootleg Series Vol. 10: Another Self Portrait (1969–1971). Dylan and The Band performed the song together live, in the early hours of January 1, 1972, at a New Year's Eve concert by The Band; a recording was released as a bonus track on the 2001 CD reissue of The Band's live album Rock of Ages. 


Year:
1972
4:17
112 
#1

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Oh, the streets of Rome are filled with rubble
Ancient footprints are everywhere
You can almost think that you’re seein’ double
On a cold, dark night on the Spanish Stairs
Got to hurry on back to my hotel room
Where I’ve got me a date with Botticelli’s niece
She promised that she’d be right there with me
When I paint my masterpiece

Oh, the hours I’ve spent inside the Coliseum
Dodging lions and wastin’ time
Oh, those mighty kings of the jungle, I could hardly stand to see ’em
Yes, it sure has been a long, hard climb
Train wheels runnin’ through the back of my memory
When I ran on the hilltop following a pack of wild geese
Someday, everything is gonna be smooth like a rhapsody
When I paint my masterpiece

Sailin’ round the world in a dirty gondola
Oh, to be back in the land of Coca-Cola

I left Rome and landed in Brussels
On a plane ride so bumpy that I almost cried
Clergymen in uniform and young girls pullin’ muscles
Everyone was there to greet me when I stepped inside
Newspapermen eating candy
Had to be held down by big police
Someday, everything is gonna be diff’rent
When I paint my masterpiece

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The Band

The Band were a Canadian-American roots rock group that originally consisted of Rick Danko (bass guitar, double bass, fiddle, trombone, vocals), Levon Helm (drums, mandolin, guitar, vocals), Garth Hudson (keyboard instruments, saxophones, trumpet), Richard Manuel (piano, drums, baritone saxophone, vocals) and Robbie Robertson (guitar, vocals). The members of the Band first came together as they joined rockabilly singer Ronnie Hawkins's backing group, The Hawks, one by one between 1958 and 1963. more »

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Written by: Bob Dylan

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind


6 facts about this song

I. Songwriting & Release
1. "When I Paint My Masterpiece" was written by the iconic American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan in 1971. 2. The song was first released by the Canadian-American rock group The Band on their album "Cahoots" in the same year, even before Dylan's own version came out. 3. Dylan himself released his version officially in 1972, on the compilation album "Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits Vol. II."
II. Song Interpretation
4. The song has been interpreted as representing Dylan's struggles with adjusting to fame and stardom. 5. It's also believed the "masterpiece" Dylan refers to is not a painting, but a perfect song or performance that he is longing to create.
III. Lyrics & Composition
6. The song's evocative lyrics describe a journey through Europe, with references to Rome’s fabled Coliseum, the city of Brussels, and the gondolas in Venice. 7. "When I Paint My Masterpiece" is relatively compact and melodic for a Dylan song, featuring piano, acoustic guitar, and soft drumming.
IV. Covers & Performances
8. The song has been covered by multiple artists including The Grateful Dead, George Harrison, The Allman Brothers, and Emmylou Harris. 9. Dylan performed this song during The Concert for Bangladesh in 1971, a benefit concert organised by George Harrison and Ravi Shankar.
V. Reception & Legacy
10. "When I Paint My Masterpiece" is recognized as one of Dylan's classics though not a commercial hit. 11. American musicologist Tim Riley praised the song's "grace under pressure" and its portrayal of a "rich, traveling allegory" in his book "Hard Rain."
VI. Film Appearances
12. A live version of this song, performed by The Band, features in Martin Scorsese's 1978 documentary "The Last Waltz," which documented The Band's farewell concert in 1976.

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