Recorded July 1984 and released on Real Live.
Early one mornin' the sun was shinin'
He was layin' in bed
Wond'rin' if she'd changed at all
If her hair was still red.
Her folks they said that their lives together
Sure was gonna be rough
They never did like Mama's homemade dress
Papa's bankbook wasn't big enough.
And he was standin' on the side of the road
Rain fallin' on his shoes
Heading out for the old East Coast
Radio blastin' the news straight on through
Tangled up in blue.
She was married when they first met,
to a man four times her age.
He left her penniless, in the state of regret,
it was time to bust out of the cage.
They drove that car as far as they could,
abandoned it out west.
splitting up on a dark, sad night,
both agreeing that it was best.
And she turned around to look at him
as he was walking away.
She said I wish I could tell you all the things
that I never learned how to say.
He said thats alright babe I love you too,
but we were tangled up in blue.
He had a steady job and a pretty face,
and everything seemed to fit.
One day he could just feel the waste,
he put it all down and split.
And he headed down to New Orleans,
where they treated him like a boy.
He nearly went mad in Baton Rouge,
he nearly drowned in Delacroix.
And all the time he was alone,
the past was close behind.
he had one too many lovers then,
and none of them were too refined,
all except for you,
but you were tangled up in blue.
She was working in the blinding light,
and I stopped in for a drink.
I just kept looking at her face so white,
I didn't know what to think.
Later on as the crowd thinned out,
I was getting ready to leave.
She was standing there, beside my chair,
saying "What's that you got up your sleeve?"
I said "nothing baby, and that's for sure"
She leaned down into my face.
I could feel the heat and the pulse of her
as she bent down to tie the laces
of my shoe,
Tangled up in blue.
I lived with them on Montague street
in a basement down the stairs.
There was snow all winter and no heat,
revolution was in the air.
Then one day all his slaves ran free,
and something inside of him died.
The only thing I could do was be me,
and get on that train and ride.
And when it all came crashing down,
I was already south.
I didn't know whether the world was flat or round,
I had the worst taste in my mouth,
that I ever knew,
Tangled up in blue.
Now I'm going back again,
maybe tomorrow, maybe next year.
I've got to find someone among the women and men
whose destiny is unclear.
Some are masters of illusion,
some are ministers of the trade.
All under strong delusion,
all of their beds unmade.
Me I'm heading toward the sun,
trying to stay out of the joint.
We always did love the very same one.
We just saw her from a different point
of view,
Tangled up in blue.
CeaFLl_2Pp4
