He Was a Friend of Mine Lyrics
He was a friend of mine
Every time I think about him now
Lord I just can't keep from cryin'
'Cause he was a friend of mine
He died on the road
He never had enough money
To pay his room or board
And he was a friend of mine
I stole away and cried
'Cause I never had too much money
And I never been quite satisfied
And he was a friend of mine
He never done no wrong
A thousand miles from home
And he never harmed no one
And he was a friend of mine
He was a friend of mine
Every time I hear his name
Lord I just can't keep from cryin'
'Cause he was a friend of mine.
i was initially very upset when i read the poster's suggestion that this song concerns the life of jesus christ.
the lyrics of a song always seemed to be about a man, down on his luck but fundamentally good, who died. whilst the jesus parallel might be obvious to some, to me, the lyrics concerned the author's bewilderment at a god who would take away a person with no justification and with no explanation - take away a good man and leave his friends at a loss.
for me, this song has always been about how cold-hearted a potential god would be. and so to equate it to the hardships of a religion is painful. i love the idea of jesus christ and i think that his story portrays a virtuous man who we should all strive to emulate.. but still, this is the closest i've been to taking offence for years.
i like your comment a lot. seriously, i will approach similar situations on this subject in the same manner next time
i like your comment a lot. seriously, i will approach similar situations on this subject in the same manner next time
Another great song from the Bootleg series Volume 1, It sounds very sad, especially the way he sings it. Im guessing that he is crying because of the Death or loss of a friend. Or maybe its some kind of Tribute to Woody Guthrie or other.
Dylan didn't write this one but he does sing it with alot of emotion. It's a traditional so i think it was probably around before Woody Guthrie, and i don't really see the Jesus Christ reference, i think the meaning is straight forward - not many hidden metaphors
rather, the bewilderment of a god who would allow a good man to die a meaningless and untimely death.
Maybe I'm wrong but I think he talks about Hank Williams Sr. coz Williams died on the road
It definitly alludes to Jesus Christ.