Another Dylan Notebook Found


Portrait of the artist as a two-wheeled young man.
Portrait of the artist as a two-wheeled young man.

Dylanistas have rejoiced at the recent news that notebooks of Bob’s working lyrics from his “Blood on The Tracks” days have been discovered and archived in Oklahoma at a cost of an estimated $15-$20 million.

Not bad for a dude from Hibbing, MN.

Now, another Dylan notebook has been found in Woodstock, New York, where the master lived following his motorcycle accident in the summer of 1966.

“This notebook is an incredible discovery,” Dr. Kerry Hubabbabba told The Lint Screen. “It shows Dylan at his most vulnerable–– the reluctant voice of a generation who has both metaphorically and literally crashed on the road. While it may not be some of his best work, it is some of his most curious and thought-provoking. On its pages, we witness an artist obviously in search of something. What exactly? Your guess is as good as mine, maybe better because I have pretty low self-esteem since my divorce.”

Here are some excerpts from the “accidental Dylan” notebook:

ROAD BURNED
“there’s nothing here
I ain’t seen before
cuz nothing matters anymore
I think I’ll go and try to get some sleep
god, my leg burns like hell”

THE CHASE
“don’t tell you don’t think that
things couldn’t be better
we had our time
chasing the big and little hands
round the numbers
they went round an round
wish I had some more pain pills so I could get some damn sleep”

THE DOCTOR
“he comes in
an checks me out
says I’m doin well
well that I doubt
feel like hell
write me some scripts now
you damn white coat bastard you
so pain pill’s will release me
from something or other
some word that may or may not rhyme”

NO SLEEP
“four twenty-two A.M.
the clock announces
my eyelids are flappin
mouth’s yawnin exhausted
no coal in the engine
but still I can’t stop
wish had more pills
pills I could pop
crap–– think I mighta busted my shoulder too!”

I HATE MOTORCYCLES
“two wheels
tryin to kill
never gonna saddle
feel your thrills
pills are kickin in
pretty unicorns fly
got dragon airlift
take you up in the sky
rainbows and magic will be something nice to have
wonder if there’s any roast beef left
could use a sandwich
I’m starved dammit
hope Sara got something at the store
are we out of mayo?
I wonder”

For the time being, Dylan’s “Accidental Notebook” is being housed Earl’s Ace Hardware in Woodstock, by the cash register.


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