Songwriter: Bob Dylan
Producer: Jack Frost (Bob Dylan)
I cross the green mountain, I slept by the stream
Heaven blazin' in my head, I dreamt a monstrous dream
Somethin' came up out of the sea
Swept through the land of the rich and the free
I look into the eyes of my merciful friend
And then I ask myself, is this the end?
Memories linger, sad yet sweet
And I think of the souls in heaven who will meet
Altars are burnin' with flames far and wide
The foe has crossed over from the other side
They tip their caps from the top of the hill
You can feel them come, more brave blood to spill
Along the dim Atlantic line
The ravaged land lies for miles behind
The light's comin' forward and the streets are broad
All must yield to the avengin' God
The world is old, the world is gray
Lessons of life can't be learned in a day
I watch and I wait and I listen while I stand
To the music that comes from a far better land
Close the eyes of our captain, peace may he know
His long night is done, the great leader is laid low
He was ready to fall, he was quick to defend
Killed outright he was, by his own men
It's the last day's last hour of the last happy year
I feel that the unknown world is so near
Pride will vanish and glory will rot
But virtue lives and cannot be forgot
The bells of the evening have rung
There's blasphemy on every tongue
Let 'em say that I walked in fair nature's light
And that I was loyal to truth and to right
Serve God and be cheerful, look upward, beyond
Beyond the darkness of masks, the surprises of dawn
In the deep green grasses of the blood stained wood
They never dreamed of surrenderin', they fell where they stood
Stars fell over Alabama, I saw each star
You're walkin' in dreams, whoever you are
Chilled are the skies, keen is the frost
The grounds froze hard and the morning is lost
A letter to mother came today
Gun shot wound to the breast is what it did say
But he'll be better soon, he's in a hospital bed
But he'll never be better, he's already dead
I'm ten miles outside the city and I'm lifted away
In an ancient light that is not of day
They were calm, they were blunt, we knew 'em all too well
We loved each other more than we ever dared to tell
Heaven blazin' in my head, I dreamt a monstrous dream
Somethin' came up out of the sea
Swept through the land of the rich and the free
I look into the eyes of my merciful friend
And then I ask myself, is this the end?
Memories linger, sad yet sweet
And I think of the souls in heaven who will meet
Altars are burnin' with flames far and wide
The foe has crossed over from the other side
They tip their caps from the top of the hill
You can feel them come, more brave blood to spill
Along the dim Atlantic line
The ravaged land lies for miles behind
The light's comin' forward and the streets are broad
All must yield to the avengin' God
The world is old, the world is gray
Lessons of life can't be learned in a day
I watch and I wait and I listen while I stand
To the music that comes from a far better land
Close the eyes of our captain, peace may he know
His long night is done, the great leader is laid low
He was ready to fall, he was quick to defend
Killed outright he was, by his own men
It's the last day's last hour of the last happy year
I feel that the unknown world is so near
Pride will vanish and glory will rot
But virtue lives and cannot be forgot
The bells of the evening have rung
There's blasphemy on every tongue
Let 'em say that I walked in fair nature's light
And that I was loyal to truth and to right
Serve God and be cheerful, look upward, beyond
Beyond the darkness of masks, the surprises of dawn
In the deep green grasses of the blood stained wood
They never dreamed of surrenderin', they fell where they stood
Stars fell over Alabama, I saw each star
You're walkin' in dreams, whoever you are
Chilled are the skies, keen is the frost
The grounds froze hard and the morning is lost
A letter to mother came today
Gun shot wound to the breast is what it did say
But he'll be better soon, he's in a hospital bed
But he'll never be better, he's already dead
I'm ten miles outside the city and I'm lifted away
In an ancient light that is not of day
They were calm, they were blunt, we knew 'em all too well
We loved each other more than we ever dared to tell
The Bootleg Series Vol. 8: Tell Tale Signs: Rare and Unreleased 1989–2006
- Mississippi
- The Girl on the Greenbriar Shore (live)
- Mary and the Soldier
- Miss the Mississippi
- High Water (For Charley Patton)
- Mississippi (Alternate Version #3)
- Can’t Escape from You
- ’Cross the Green Mountain
- Duncan and Brady
- Cocaine Blues
- 32-20 Blues
- Can’t Wait (Alternate version #2)
- Marchin’ to the City (Unreleased version #2)
- Born in Time (Unreleased version #2)
- Red River Shore (Unreleased version #2)
- Most of the Time (Alternate version)
- Dignity (Piano Demo)
- Tell Ol’ Bill (Alternate Version, North Country Soundtrack)
- The Lonesome River
- Marchin’ to the City
- Mississippi (version #2)
- Love Sick
- Series of Dreams
- God Knows
- Born in Time
- Most of the Time
- Ring Them Bells
- Everything Is Broken
- Dignity
- Tryin’ to Get to Heaven
- Cold Irons Bound
- Red River Shore
- Huck’s Tune
- Dreamin’ of You
- Ain’t Talkin’
- Someday Baby
- Things Have Changed
- Lonesome Day Blues
- Can’t Wait
- Mississippi (Outtake)
- 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