I Shall Be Free - Bob Dylan (cover)

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"I Shall Be Free" is a song by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan. It was recorded on 6 December 1962 at Studio A, Columbia Recording Studios, New York, produced by John Hammond. The song was released as the closing track on The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan on 27 May 1963, and has been viewed as a comedic counterpoint to the album's more serious material. Dylan has never performed the song in concert.

Five takes were recorded on 6 December 1962 at Studio A, Columbia Recording Studios, New York, produced by John Hammond, during the last day of recordings for Dylan's second album, The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan, which was released on 27 May 1963.

Well, I took me a woman late last night
I's three-fourths drunk she looked all right
'Till she started peelin' off her onion gook
She took off her wig, said, "How do I look?"
I's high flyin', bare naked, out the window

Well, sometimes I might get drunk
Walk like a duck and smell like a skunk
Don't hurt me none, don't hurt my pride
'Cause I got my little lady right by my side
She's a-tryin' to hide
Pretendin' she don't know me

I's out there paintin' on the old wood shed
When a can o'black paint it fell on my head
I went down to scrub and rub
But I had to sit in back of the tub
Cost a quarter, Half price

Well, my telephone rang it would not stop
It's President Kennedy callin' me up
He said, My friend, Bob, what do we need to make the country grow?
I said my friend, John, Brigitte Bardot, Anita Ekberg, Sophia Loren
Country'll grow

Well, I got a woman five feet short
She yells and hollers and squeals and snorts
She tickles my nose pats me on the head
Blows me over and kicks me out of bed
She's a man eater, Meat grinder, Bad loser

Oh, there ain't no use in me workin' alla time
I got a woman who works herself blind
Works up to her britches, up to her neck
Write me letters and sends me checks
She's a humdinger, Folk singer

Late one day in the middle of the week
Eyes were closed I was half asleep
I chased me a woman up the hill
Right in the middle of an air drill
I jumped a fallout shelter
I jumped the string bean
I jumped the TV dinner
I jumped the shot gun

Now, the man on the stand he wants my vote
He's a-runnin' for office on the ballot note
He's out there preachin' in front of the steeple
Tellin' me he loves all kinds-a people
He's eatin' bagels, He's eatin' pizza, He's eatin' chitlins

Oh, set me down on a television floor
I'll flip the channel to number four
Out of the shower comes a football man
With a bottle of oil in his hand
Greasy kid stuff

What I want to know, Mr. Football Man, is
What do you do about Willy Mays, Martin Luther King, Olatunji

Well, the funniest woman I ever seen
Was the great-granddaughter of Mr. Clean
She takes about fifteen baths a day
Wants me to grow a moustache on my face
She's insane

Well, you ask me why I'm drunk all the time
It levels my head and eases my mind
I just walk along and stroll and sing
I see better days and I do better things
I catch dinosaurs
I make love to Elizabeth Taylor
Catch hell from Richard Burton