I Want You

Gypsy undertaker sighs, the lonesome-organ grinder cries,

The silver saxophones say I should refuse you.

The cracked bells and washed-out horns blow into my face with scorn,

But it's not that way, I wasn't born to lose you.

I want you,

I want you,

I want you so bad,

Honey, I want you.

Drunken politician leaps upon the street where mothers weep,

Saviors are fast asleep, wait for you.

Wait for them to interrupt me drinking from this broken cup

And ask me to open up the gate for you.

I want you,

I want you,

I want you so bad,

Honey, I want you.

All my fathers, they've gone down,

True love, they've been without it,

All their daughters put me down

'Cause I don't think about it.

I return to the Queen of Spades, talk a-with the chambermaid,

She knows I'm not afraid to look at her.

She is good to me, there's a-nothing she doesn't see,

She knows where I'd like to be, but it doesn't matter.

I want you,

I want you,

I want you so bad,

Honey, I want you.

Oh, all my fathers, they've gone down,

True love, they've been without it,

All their daughters put me down

'Cause I don't think about it.

I return to the Chinese flute¹ – touching me, it wasn't cute –

No, I wasn't very cute to him, was I?

I did it for – because he lied, 'cause he took you for a ride,

'Cause time was on his side and because I

Want you,

I want you,

Want you so bad,

I want you,

I want you,

I want you.

¹ Having perhaps mistakenly sung the bridge for a second time after the third verse leads Dylan to believe that he is beginning the third verse again and so begins with "I return..." before stumbling back into the fourth verse.