Written by Felice and Boudleaux Bryant and first a hit for the Everly Brothers, it appears on Self Portrait as a close-harmony country cover.
The words
A man locked away for his crimes asks a friend to hide the truth from the woman he loved.
The speaker is a young outlaw who has been caught and sentenced, and will not be coming home. He sends word to his sweetheart Mary, but asks that she be told a gentler story so she can forget him and go on with her life. The song is a short, story-telling ballad with a sorrowful but restrained tone. Dylan's version keeps the country harmony feel of the original, with backing singers filling out the refrain.
Words by Felice and Boudleaux Bryant
Lyrics on bobdylan.com ↗Listen
The words
A man locked away for his crimes asks a friend to hide the truth from the woman he loved.
The speaker is a young outlaw who has been caught and sentenced, and will not be coming home. He sends word to his sweetheart Mary, but asks that she be told a gentler story so she can forget him and go on with her life. The song is a short, story-telling ballad with a sorrowful but restrained tone. Dylan's version keeps the country harmony feel of the original, with backing singers filling out the refrain.
Words by Felice and Boudleaux Bryant
Lyrics on bobdylan.com ↗The same year · 1970
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