Black Rider

The words

A man speaks to a dark, shadowy rider who stalks him and tells him to keep his distance.

The singer addresses a mysterious black rider who has been following him, a figure who reads as death, temptation or a darker side of himself. He warns the rider off, mixing defiance with weariness and the odd flash of dry humour. The song moves slowly and quietly, never raising its voice, which makes it all the more menacing. Its sound is hushed and bare, with gentle guitar and soft accompaniment around Dylan's close, low vocal.