Lyrics Ballad Of a Thin Man

This song, penned by Bob Dylan, mirrors his experience and frustration with the celebrity culture and music industry. The character Mister Jones stands for the individuals who are out of touch with the countercultural movement of the 60s, failing to grasp what was happening around them.

 You walk into the room with your pencil in your hand
You see somebody naked and you you say who is that man?
You try so hard but you Don't understand
Just what you will say when you get home Be-
-cause something is happening here but you don't know what it is
Do you? Mister Jones

You raise up your head and you ask "is this where it is?"
And somebody points to you and Says, "It's his"
And you say "what's mine" and somebody else says "well, what is?" and you
Say, "Oh my god am I here all a - lone?" But
Something is happening and you don't know what it is
Do you? Mister Jones

You hand in your ticket and you go watch the geek
Who immediately walks up to you when he hears you speak
and says, "how does it feel to be such a freak?" and you say "im-
-possible" as he hands you a bone And
something is happening here but you don't know what it is
do you? Mister Jones

You have many contacts Among the lumberjacks to
Get you facts when someone attacks your imagination
But nobody has any respect Anyway they already expect you
To all give a check to Tax-deductible charity organi-
-zations Ahhhhhh..........

You've been with the professors and they've all liked your looks
With great lawyers you have dis - cussed lepers and crooks
You've been through all of F. Scott Fitzgerald's books
You're very well read it's well known But
something is happening here and ya don't know what it is
do you? Mister Jones
Well the

sword swallower he comes up to you and then he kneels
He crosses himself and then he clicks his high heels and
without further notice he asks you how it feels and he says
Here is your throat back thanks for the loan
and you know something is happening but you don't know what it is
do you? Mister Jones

you see this one-eyed midget shouting the word "now"
and you say "for what reason" and he says "how?"
and you say "what does this mean?" and he screams back "you're a cow"
Give me some milk or else go home and you
know something's happening but you don't know what it is
do you? Mister Jones
Well...

You walk into the room like a camel and then you frown
You put your eyes in your pocket and your nose on the ground
There oughtta be a law a - gainst you comin' around You
Should be made to wear ear phones
Cause something is happening and you don't know what it is
do you? Mister Jones

Whoaaaaaoooooh!