I was riding on the Mayflower
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When I thought I spied some land
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I yelled for Captain Arab
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I have yuh understand
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Who came running to the deck
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Said, "Boys, forget the whale
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Look on over yonder
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Cut the engines
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Change the sail
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Haul on the bowline"
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We sang that melody
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Like all tough sailors do
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When they are far away at sea.
|
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"I think I'll call it America"
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I said as we hit the land
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I took a deep breath
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I fell down, I could not stand
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Captain Arab he started
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Writing up some deeds
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He said, "Let's set up a fort
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And start buying the place with beads"
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Just then this cop comes down the street
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Crazy as a loon
|
He throw us all in jail
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For carryin' harpoons.
|
|
Ah me I busted out
|
Don't even ask me how
|
I went to get some help
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I walked by a Guernsey cow
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Who directed me down
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To the Bowery slums
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Where people carried signs around
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Saying, "Ban the bums"
|
I jumped right into line
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Sayin' "I hope that I'm not late"
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When I realized I hadn't eaten
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For five days straight.
|
|
I went into a restaurant
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Lookin' for the cook
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I told him I was the editor
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Of a famous etiquette book
|
The waitress he was handsome
|
He wore a powder blue cape
|
I ordered some suzette, I said
|
"Could you please make that crepe"
|
Just then the whole kitchen exploded
|
From boillin' fat
|
Food was flying anywhere
|
And I left without my had.
|
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Now, I didn't mean to be nosy
|
But I went into a bank
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To get some bail for Arab
|
And all the boys back in the tank
|
They asked me for some collateral
|
And I pulled down my pants
|
They threw me in the alley
|
When up comes this girl from France
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Who invited me to her house
|
I went, but she had a friend
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Who knocked me out
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And robbed my boots
|
And I was on the street again.
|
|
Well, I rapped upon a house
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With the US flag upon display
|
I said, "Could you help me out
|
I got some friends down the way
|
" The man says, "Get out of here
|
I'll tear you limp from limb"
|
I said, "You know they refused Jesus, too"
|
He said, "You're not Him
|
Get out of here before I break your bones
|
I ain't your pop"
|
I decided to have him arrested
|
And I went lookin for a cop.
|
|
I ran right outside
|
And I hopped inside a cab
|
I went out the other door
|
This Englishman said, "Fab"
|
As he saw me leap a hot dog stand
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And a chariot that stood
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Parked across from a building
|
Advertising brotherhood
|
I ran right through the front door
|
Like a hobo sailor does
|
But it was just a funeral parlor
|
And the man asked me who I was.
|
|
I repeated that my friends
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Where all in jail, with a sigh
|
He gave me his card
|
He said, "Call me if they die"
|
I shook his hand and said goodbye
|
Ran out to the street
|
When a bowling ball came down the road
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And knocked me off my feet
|
A pay phone was ringing
|
It just about blew my mind
|
When I picked it up and said hello
|
This foot came through the line.
|
|
Well, by this time I was feed up
|
At tryin'g to make a stab
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At bringin' back any help
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For my friends and captain Arab
|
I decided to flip a coin
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Like either heads or tails
|
Would let me know if I should go
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Back to the ship or back to jail
|
So I hooked my sailor suit
|
And I got a coin to flip
|
It came up tails
|
It rhymed with sails
|
So I made it back to the ship.
|
|
Well, I got back and took
|
The parkin' ticket off the mast
|
I was ripping it to shreds
|
When this coastguard boat went past
|
They asked me my name
|
And I said, "Captain Kidd"
|
They believed me but
|
They wanted to know
|
What exactly that I did
|
I said for the Pope of Eruke
|
I was employed
|
They let me go right away
|
They were very paranoid.
|
|
Well, the last I heard of Arab
|
He was stuck on a whale
|
That was married to the deputy
|
Sheriff of the jail
|
But the funniest thing was
|
When I was leavin' the bay
|
I saw three ships a-sailin'
|
There were all heading my way
|
I asked the captain what his name was
|
And how come he didn't drive a truck
|
He said his name was Columbus
|
I just said, "Good luck".
|
|
-----------------
|
Bob Dylan's 115th Dream
|
| Bob Dylan |
