Written by Jerry Jeff Walker and later a hit for the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, it was released on "Dylan", the album Columbia assembled from outtakes.
The words
A narrator remembers meeting an old wandering dancer in a jail cell who told the story of his life.
The narrator recalls a night in jail spent with an aging street performer, a dancer who has travelled the South for decades. The old man talks about his life, the dog he lost, and the drinking that keeps landing him in cells, then dances to lift the room. The song is tender and rueful, built on a gentle waltz feel. Dylan's version, cut in his 1970 sessions with backing singers, is looser and rougher than the well-known recordings.
Words by Jerry Jeff Walker
Lyrics on bobdylan.com ↗Listen and watch
The words
A narrator remembers meeting an old wandering dancer in a jail cell who told the story of his life.
The narrator recalls a night in jail spent with an aging street performer, a dancer who has travelled the South for decades. The old man talks about his life, the dog he lost, and the drinking that keeps landing him in cells, then dances to lift the room. The song is tender and rueful, built on a gentle waltz feel. Dylan's version, cut in his 1970 sessions with backing singers, is looser and rougher than the well-known recordings.
Words by Jerry Jeff Walker
Lyrics on bobdylan.com ↗The same year · 1973
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