"Like A Rolling Stone" by Bob Dylan appears on his album 'Highway 61 Revisited' - 1965. It was covered by the Rolling Stones and appears on their album, 'Stripped' - 1995. Dylan based the lyrics on a short story he had written about a debutante who becomes a loner when she falls out of high society. He condensed the story into the lyrics for this song. It's often rumored that the story was written about one time debutante Edie Sedgwick, who was part of Andy Warhol's crowd. She became a Warhol protege, but fell out of favor and drifted into a semi-relationship with Dylan.
It's doubtful this song is written specifically about Sedgwick; more likely a generalization about the circumstances, motivations and emotions of a fictional character, though the similarities are amazing. For his part, Dylan has repeatedly denied he and Sedgwick had any relationship, only admitting that he knew her.
The song is written in the first person, active voice. via georgeplant061
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Once upon a time you dressed so fine
Threw the bums a dime in your prime, didn't you?
People'd call, say, "Beware doll, you're bound to fall,"
You thought they were all a'kiddin' you
You used to laugh about
Everybody that was hangin' out
Now you don't talk so loud
Now you don't seem so proud
About having to be scrounging your next meal
How does it feel?
How does it feel?
To be without a home?
Like a complete unknown?
Like a rolling stone?
Aw, you've gone to the finest school all right, Miss Lonely
But you know you only used to get “juiced” in it
Nobody's ever taught you how to live out on the street
And now you're gonna have to get used to it
You say you never compromise
With a mystery tramp, but now you realize
He's not selling any alibis
As you stare into the vacuum of his eyes
And say, “Do you want to make a deal?
How does it feel?
How does it feel?
To be on your own?
With no direction home?
A complete unknown?
Like a rolling stone?
Aw, you never turned around to see the frowns
On the jugglers and the clowns
When they all did tricks for you
You never understood that it ain't no good
You shouldn't let other people get your kicks for you
You used to ride on a chrome horse with your diplomat
Who carried on his shoulder a Siamese cat
Ain't it hard when you discover that
He really wasn't where it's at
After he took from you everything he could steal?
How does it feel?
How does it feel?
To have ya' on your own ?
With no direction home ?
Like a complete unknown ?
Like a rolling stone ?
Aw, princess on the steeple and all the pretty people
They're all drinkin', thinkin' that they've got it made
Exchanging all precious gifts
But you'd better take your diamond ring, you'd better pawn it babe
You used to be so amused
At Napoleon in rags and the language that he used
Go to him now, he calls you, you can't refuse
When you ain't got nothing, you've got nothing to lose
You're invisible now, you've got no secrets to conceal
How does it feel?
Aw, how does it feel?
To be on your own?
With no direction home?
Like a complete unknown?
Like a rolling stone?
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Bob Dylan Like a Rolling Stone lyrics added on 11th Jul 2012
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