Roll on John

The words

A farewell that traces a fellow musician's life from his early days to his violent death.

Dylan speaks directly to John Lennon, following him from his youth in Liverpool through the clubs of Hamburg, worldwide fame and his later life in New York, up to his sudden death. The verses mix scenes from Lennon's life with echoes of his own songs and of older poetry, while the refrain keeps urging him onward into whatever lies beyond. The tone is tender and mournful, set to a slow, hymn-like accompaniment that closes the album.