Johnny's in the basement
Mixing up the medicine,
I'm on the pavement
Looking 'bout the government,
The man in the trench-coat,
Badge out, laid off,
Says he's got a bad bill,
Wants to get it paid off.
Look out, kid,
It's something you did
God knows when,
But you're doing it again,
You better duck down the alleyway,
Looking for a new friend.
Man in the coon-skin cap
In the pigpen
Wants eleven dollar bills
And you only got ten.
Maggie comes fleet-foot,
Face full of black soot,
Talking that the heat put
Plants in the bed, but
The phone's tapped anyway,
Maggie says that many say
They must bust in early May,
Orders from the D.A.
Look out, kid,
It don't matter what you did,
Don't walk on your tip-toes,
Don't tie no bows,
Better stay away from those
That carry 'round a fire-hose,
Keep a clean nose,
Be careful of the clean clothes,
You don't need a weatherman
To know which way the wind blows.
Well, get sick, get well,
Hang around the ink-well,
Ring bar, hard to tell
If anything is gonna sell,
Try hard, get barred,
Get back, write Braille,
Join the army if you fail.
Look out, kid,
You're gonna get hit
By users, cheaters,
Six-time losers
Hanging 'round the theaters,
A girl by the whirlpool
Is looking for a new fool,
Don't follow leaders
And watch the parking meters.
Get born, keep warm,
Short pants, romance, learn to dance,
Get dressed, get blessed,
Try to be a success,
Please her, please him, buy gifts,
Don't steal, don't lift,
Twenty years of schooling and they put you on the day shift.
Look out, kid,
They keep it all hid,
Better jump down the manhole,
Light yourself a candle,
Don't wear sandals,
Try to avoid the scandals.
If you don't wanna be a bum,
You better not chew gum
And the pump don't work 'cause the vandals took the handles.
1
Dylan seems to slip up, anticipating "join" and saying something that sounds like "join" and "jump" combined.