The longest song on John Wesley Harding, a parable sung over a sparse acoustic backing that ends with a plainly stated moral.
The words
Two friends, one a tempter, test each other over money and desire in a parable that ends in a death.
The song tells the story of two friends: a gambler and a cunning companion who offers him money and leads him toward a house of temptation. The gambler gives in, and his craving costs him his life, while his friend watches. It unfolds like a biblical parable or an old ballad, verse after verse without a chorus, before closing with a plainly stated lesson. Dylan sings it at a brisk, even pace over guitar, bass and drums.
Lyrics on bobdylan.com ↗Listen and watch
The words
Two friends, one a tempter, test each other over money and desire in a parable that ends in a death.
The song tells the story of two friends: a gambler and a cunning companion who offers him money and leads him toward a house of temptation. The gambler gives in, and his craving costs him his life, while his friend watches. It unfolds like a biblical parable or an old ballad, verse after verse without a chorus, before closing with a plainly stated lesson. Dylan sings it at a brisk, even pace over guitar, bass and drums.
Lyrics on bobdylan.com ↗The same year · 1967
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