Rough And Rowdy Ways

Title: My Own Version Of You
Artist: Bob Dylan
Album: Rough And Rowdy Ways (Track #3)
Duration: 06:41
Label: Columbia

All through the summers, into January I've been visiting morgues and monasteries Looking for the necessary body parts Limbs and livers and brains and hearts I'll bring someone to life, is what I wanna do I wanna create my own?version?of?you Well, it must?be the winter?of my discontent I wish you'd've taken me with you wherever you went They talk all night and they talk all day Not for a minute do I believe anything they say I'm gon' bring someone to life, someone I've never seen You know what I mean, you know exactly what I mean I'll take the Scarface Pacino and The Godfather Brando Mix it up in a tank and get a robot commando If I do it upright and put the head on straight I'll be saved by the creature that I create I'll get blood from a cactus, gunpowder from ice I don't gamble with cards and I don't shoot no dice Can you look at my face with your sightless eyes? Can you cross your heart and hope to die? I'll bring someone to life, someone for real Someone who feels the way that I feel I study Sanskrit and Arabic to improve my mind I wanna do things for the benefit of all mankind I say to the willow tree, "Don't weep for me" I'm saying to hell to all things that I used to be Well, I get into trouble, then I hit the wall No place to turn, no place at all I'll pick a number between a-one and two And I ask myself, "What would Julius Caesar do?" I will bring someone to life in more ways than one Don't matter how long it takes, it'll be done when it's done I'm gonna make you play the piano like Leon Russell Like Liberace, like St. John the Apostle I'll play every number that I can play I'll see you maybe on Judgment Day After midnight, if you still wanna meet I'll be at the Black Horse Tavern on Armageddon Street Two doors down, not that far a walk I'll hear your footsteps, you won't have to knock I'll bring someone to life, balance the scales I'm not gonna get involved any insignificant details You can bring it to St. Peter You can bring it to Jerome You can bring it all the way over Bring it all the way home Bring it to the corner where the children play You can bring it to me on a silver tray I'll bring someone to life, spare no expense Do it with decency and common sense Can you tell me what it means, to be or not to be? You won't get away with fooling me Can you help me walk that moonlight mile? Can you give me the blessings of your smile? I'll bring someone to life, use all of my powers Do it in the dark, in the wee, small hours I can see the history of the whole human race It's all right there, it's carved into your face Should I break it all down? Should I fall on my knees? Is there light at the end of the tunnel, can you tell me, please? Stand over there by the cypress tree Where the Trojan women and children were sold into slavery Long before the first Crusade Way back before England or America were made Step right into the burning hell Where some of the best-known enemies of mankind dwell Mr. Freud with his dreams, Mr. Marx with his ax See the raw hide lash rip the skin from their backs Got the right spirit, you can feel it, you can hear it You've got what they call the immortal spirit You can feel it all night, you can feel it in the morn' It creeps in your body the day you were born One strike of lightning is all that I need And a blast of electricity that runs at top speed Shimmy your ribs, I'll stick in the knife Gonna jumpstart my creation to life I wanna bring someone to life, turn back the years Do it with laughter and do it with tears