Mr. Tambourine Man

The Byrds

About Mr. Tambourine Man

"Mr. Tambourine Man" is a song written by Bob Dylan, released as the first track of the acoustic side of his March 1965 album Bringing It All Back Home. The song's popularity led to Dylan recording it live many times, and it has been included in multiple compilation albums. It has been translated into other languages, and has been used or referenced in television shows, films, and books. The song has been performed and recorded by many artists, including the Byrds, Judy Collins, Melanie, Odetta, and Stevie Wonder among others. The Byrds version was released in April 1965 as their first single on Columbia Records, reaching number 1 on both the Billboard Hot 100 chart and the UK Singles Chart, as well as being the title track of their debut album, Mr. Tambourine Man. The Byrds' recording of the song was influential in popularizing the musical subgenres of folk rock and jangle pop, leading many contemporary bands to mimic its fusion of jangly guitars and intellectual lyrics in the wake of the single's success. 


Year:
2001
2:32
#2

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Now there's a backseat, lover
That's always undercover
And I talk 'til my daddy say
Said you ain't seen, nothin'
Til you're down on the muffin
And there's sure to be a change in ways
Now there's a cheer, leader
That's a real big, pleaser
As far as I can reminisce
But the best thing, love it
Was her sister and her, cousin
And it started with a little kiss, like this

She starts, swingin'
With the boys in, tune
And her feet just fly up in the air
Singin' hey diddle diddle with a kitty in the middle
And they swingin' like it just don't care
So I took a big, chance
At the high school, dance
With a lady who was ready to play
It wasn't me she was, foolin
'Cause she knew what was she was, doin'
When she told me how to walk this way

She told me to
Walk this way!
Talk this way!
Walk this way!
Talk this way!

She told me to
Walk this way!
Talk this way!
Walk this way!
Talk this way!

Well just gimme a kiss!
Ooh, a-like this!

School girl, sleazy
With a, classy kind of sassy
Little skirt hangin' way up her knee
There were three young ladies
In the school gym, locker
And they find they were lookin' D
I was high school, loser
Never made it with a, lady
Til a boy told me somethin' I missed
That my next door, neighbor
Had a daughter, had a favor
And I gave the girl a little kiss, like this

She starts swingin' with the boys in the school
With her feet flyin' up in the air
Singing hey diddle diddle with a kitty in the middle
I was swingin' like I didn't care
So I took a big chance at the high school dance
With a miss who was ready to play
Wasn't me she was foolin' 'cause she knew what she was doin'
When she told me how to walk this way

She told me to
Walk this way!
Talk this way!
Walk this way!
Talk this way!

She told me to
Walk this way!
Talk this way!
Walk this way!
Talk this way!

Well just gimme some head!
Like this

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The Byrds

The Byrds ( /ˈbɜrdz/) were an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles, California in 1964. The band underwent multiple line-up changes throughout its existence, with frontman Roger McGuinn (aka Jim McGuinn) remaining the sole consistent member, until the group disbanded in 1973. Although they only managed to attain the huge commercial success of contemporaries like The Beatles, The Beach Boys, and The Rolling Stones for a short period of time (1965–66), The Byrds are today considered by critics to be one of the most influential bands of the 1960s. Initially, they pioneered the musical genre of folk rock, melding the influence of The Beatles and other British Invasion bands with contemporary and traditional folk music. As the 1960s progressed, the band was a… more »

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Written by: Joe Perry, Steven Tyler

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind


4 facts about this song

Songwriting and Composition
1. "Mr. Tambourine Man" was written and composed by Bob Dylan in early 1964. 2. The song's recurring theme involves a request for respite from the hardships of life. However, Dylan has been noted by critics for his ambiguity in the lyrics. 3. Many interpretations proposed for the song suggest it's about drugs, mainly LSD, but Dylan has consistently denied these claims. 4. William Blake's poetry particularly "Songs of Innocence and Experience" reportedly influenced Dylan in writing this song.
Performance and Release
5. Originally, the song was first publicly performed by Bob Dylan on April 24, 1964, at the Royal Festival Hall in London. 6. Bob Dylan's version was not released until June 22, 1965, as part of his "Bringing It All Back Home" album. 7. The Byrds' version of "Mr. Tambourine Man" was released on April 12, 1965, before Dylan's official release. 8. Roger McGuinn of The Byrds simplified and altered some of Dylan's verses and put the song in a beat structure to make it suitable for radio airplay. 9. Melanie, the American folk singer, released her version of "Mr. Tambourine Man" in 1970 on her album "Candles in the Rain".
Popularity and Reception
10. The Byrds' version of the song reached the number one spot on both the Billboard Hot 100 chart and the UK Singles Chart. 11. The song is considered a pivotal moment in the history of rock and roll, marking a shift from Beatlemania and the British Invasion to the folk-rock movement. 12. Both Bob Dylan's and The Byrds' interpretations of this song have been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. 13. In 2004, it was ranked #79 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. 14. On the website Acclaimed Music, which statistically aggregates hundreds of critics' lists, "Mr. Tambourine Man" is listed as the 31st most acclaimed song in history.
Legacy
15. The song has been covered by many artists, including Judy Collins, Odetta, Stevie Wonder, and William Shatner. 16. "Mr. Tambourine Man" played a big role in popularizing the musical genre of folk-rock, combining elements of rock and folk music. 17. The song is considered one of the first successful attempts at psychedelia. 18. The song presented Dylan's work to a wider audience who was not familiar with his previous acoustic/folk works. 19. The success of "Mr. Tambourine Man" led to a surge in Dylan’s popularity and has continued to be an important part of his concert repertoire.

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    Mr. Tambourine Man

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    Top Hot 100 Songs 1965

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