Released: April 20, 1979
Songwriter: Bob Dylan
Producer: Jerry Wexler Barry Beckett
[Verse 1]
Precious angel
Under the sun
How was I to know
You'd be the one
To show me I was blinded
To show me I was gone
How weak was the foundation
I was standing upon?
Now there's spiritual warfare
And flesh and blood breaking down
You either got faith or you got unbelief
And there is no neutral ground
The enemy is subtle
How be it we are so deceived
When the truth's in our hearts
And we still don't believe?
[Chorus]
Shine your light, shine your light on me
Shine your light, shine your light on me
Shine your light, shine your light on me
You know I just couldn't make it by myself
I'm a little too blind to see
[Verse 2]
My so-called friends
Have fallen under a spell
They look me squarely in the eye
And they say, "All is well"
Can they imagine the darkness
That will fall from on high
When men will beg God to kill them
And they won't be able to die?
Sister, let me tell you
About a vision that I saw
You were drawing water for your husband
You were suffering under the law
You were telling him about Buddha
You were telling him about Mohammed, in one breath
You never mentioned one time
The Man who came and died a criminal's death
[Chorus]
Shine your light, shine your light on me
Shine your light, shine your light on me
Shine your light, shine your light on me
You know I just couldn't make it by myself
I'm a little too blind to see
[Verse 3]
Precious angel
You believe me when I say
What God has given to us
No man can take away
We are covered in blood, girl
You know both our forefathers were slaves
Let us hope they've found mercy
In their bone-filled graves
You're the queen of my flesh, girl
You're my woman, you're my delight
You're the lamp of my soul, girl
And you torch up the night
But there's violence in the eyes, girl
So let us not be enticed
On the way out of Egypt
Through Ethiopia
To the judgment hall of Christ
[Chorus]
Shine your light, shine your light on me
Shine your light, shine your light on me
Shine your light, shine your light on me
You know I just couldn't make it by myself
I'm a little too blind to see
[Outro]
(Shine your light, shine your light on me)
(Shine your light, shine your light on me)
(Shine your light, shine your light on me)
(Shine your light, shine your light on me)
(Shine your light, shine your light on me)
(Shine your light, shine your light on me)
(Shine your light, shine your light on me)
(Shine your light, shine your light on me)
Precious angel
Under the sun
How was I to know
You'd be the one
To show me I was blinded
To show me I was gone
How weak was the foundation
I was standing upon?
Now there's spiritual warfare
And flesh and blood breaking down
You either got faith or you got unbelief
And there is no neutral ground
The enemy is subtle
How be it we are so deceived
When the truth's in our hearts
And we still don't believe?
[Chorus]
Shine your light, shine your light on me
Shine your light, shine your light on me
Shine your light, shine your light on me
You know I just couldn't make it by myself
I'm a little too blind to see
[Verse 2]
My so-called friends
Have fallen under a spell
They look me squarely in the eye
And they say, "All is well"
Can they imagine the darkness
That will fall from on high
When men will beg God to kill them
And they won't be able to die?
Sister, let me tell you
About a vision that I saw
You were drawing water for your husband
You were suffering under the law
You were telling him about Buddha
You were telling him about Mohammed, in one breath
You never mentioned one time
The Man who came and died a criminal's death
[Chorus]
Shine your light, shine your light on me
Shine your light, shine your light on me
Shine your light, shine your light on me
You know I just couldn't make it by myself
I'm a little too blind to see
[Verse 3]
Precious angel
You believe me when I say
What God has given to us
No man can take away
We are covered in blood, girl
You know both our forefathers were slaves
Let us hope they've found mercy
In their bone-filled graves
You're the queen of my flesh, girl
You're my woman, you're my delight
You're the lamp of my soul, girl
And you torch up the night
But there's violence in the eyes, girl
So let us not be enticed
On the way out of Egypt
Through Ethiopia
To the judgment hall of Christ
[Chorus]
Shine your light, shine your light on me
Shine your light, shine your light on me
Shine your light, shine your light on me
You know I just couldn't make it by myself
I'm a little too blind to see
[Outro]
(Shine your light, shine your light on me)
(Shine your light, shine your light on me)
(Shine your light, shine your light on me)
(Shine your light, shine your light on me)
(Shine your light, shine your light on me)
(Shine your light, shine your light on me)
(Shine your light, shine your light on me)
(Shine your light, shine your light on me)
The Bootleg Series Vol. 13: Trouble No More 1979–1981
- Man Gave Names to All the Animals
- Covenant Woman
- What Can I Do for You?
- Solid Rock
- Pressing On
- In the Garden
- Saving Grace
- Dead Man, Dead Man
- Making a Liar Out of Me
- Saved
- Are You Ready
- Gotta Serve Somebody
- Precious Angel
- I Believe in You
- Slow Train
- Gonna Change My Way of Thinking
- Do Right to Me Baby (Do Unto Others)
- When You Gonna Wake Up
- When He Returns
- Rise Again
- Murder Most Foul
- Blowin’ in the Wind
- The Times They Are A-Changin’
- All Along the Watchtower
- Like a Rolling Stone
- Make You Feel My Love
- Hurricane
- Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right
- Mr. Tambourine Man
- A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall
- Subterranean Homesick Blues
- Desolation Row
- Tangled Up in Blue
- Masters of War
- Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door
- It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding)
- Girl from the North Country
- Tempest
- It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue
- Ballad of a Thin Man
- Visions of Johanna
- I Contain Multitudes
- To Fall in Love with You
- Shelter from the Storm