Expecting Rain

This song deserves more mention, The MEZ thinks! Some may feel it may be a bit too long. All I can say is what an aura or ambiance this song has. It's unreal. Can one tell, The MEZ admires this track? Others comments, posts, dates etc etc. MEZ

Don't know if I saw you, if I would kiss you or kill you
It probably wouldn't matter to you anyhow

Who hasn't felt that after the end of a serious relationship? Brilliant stuff. One of the tracks that makes 'Time Out of Mind' great.

Those are great lines, Lone Soldier. My favorite lines from this song, simply due to the imagery they create in my mind are:

The light in this place is so bad
Making me sick in the head
All the laughter is just making me sad
The stars have turned cherry red

Holy sh$t! The stars changed colors!

The song is better than great, it is sublime. If Bob piqued with L&T, which is my personal belief, then he was certainly very close to the top of the mountain with TOOM, as this wonderful gem of a song so clearly illustrates.

Agreed with everything posted before this. Simply a beautiful song and so, so sad.

My favourite lines are:

"Last night I danced with a stranger
But she just reminded me you were the one"

Damn, that's heartbreaking.

I was lucky enough to get this at my first concert in Brisbane, Aus 2001.

I think it must have been this song that turned from 'some who thought Dylan was quite good' into ... uhm ... an admirer (?).

It's my favourite song from Time out of mind. And that's saying quite a lot if you keep in mind that that album includes such gems as 'Lovesick' and 'Not dark yet'.

An absolute masterpiece for me, period.

Two of my favourite lines there too....

Awesome you got to hear it live...

I think it may be my favourite track from Time Out Of Mind...

and i like the lines because they speak to me, about times not so merry.
they're all quite barefaced, except the cherry stars, which don't do it for me

Great song. My favourite on TOOM together with Not Dark Yet. Whenever the instrumental intro kicks in I am immediately in a sad, melancholy mood. Don't know if that's a good thing all of the time actually.

There are some great live versions of this and yet...

Time Out of Mind is the first album of songs by Dylan that he has never improved upon during the NET. Love and Theft is the only other album to share such a distinction. Again, some wonderful live performances, but never improved upon.

Standing In the Doorway is wonderful...so many great lines...so many incredible images...

Here's a great one:
http://www.humyo.com/F/164399-183782441

And I especially like the one from M&A:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXfdUGSAsP4


I would be crazy if I took you back
It would go up against every rule

easily the best song on TOOM

I just like the otherworldliness of it. There are many apocalyptic references to be found in religious texts about the moon turning red or to blood. But for Bob, even the stars get this treatment!

OMG, this song is one of my absolute favorites. It's beautiful, sad and sexy at the same time. One perfect example of Bob's genius as a songwriter. The line about dancing with a stranger is just beautifully heartbreaking.

i like the 04 versions. from Strá especially. very different, and the vocals are exceptionally soulful.
i think it's an improvement. Not Dark Yet is the one that never surpassed the studio version.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I82fG--jrZw

I am so relieved not to find everyone spouting off about how DREAMIN' OF YOU is so superior...

Best song on TOOM.

The lyrics of Dreamin' don't even make any sense, it is an intriguing sketch of a song but still a sketch.

A masterpiece of a song that quite simply bleeds the blues.

Last night I danced with a stranger
But she just reminded me you were the one
You left me standin' in the doorway cryin'
In the dark land of the sun.

Everyone relates with the coming to terms one feels at the end of a relationship as one tries to move forward. We struggle to get on with it with some degree of dignity, but ultimately can't help but replay all the mistakes or boast about our new-found strength. In the end though, all one can do is to somehow live with the memory, precious time passed. Where do we go from here? All one can really do is go for a walk...

Of course, it was bettered on the NET. Mr. Tambourine Man's version from October 2000 is as powerfully strong as it gets as are many from that month. I never liked the arrangement from 2003 on. It's too slow and awkward.
But just as strong for me is this more subdued world-weary version from 2002. Bob sounds utterly resigned here and his fantastic, blues-tinged guitar playing here only underlines and enhances the tender sadness in his voice. A heartbreaking performance.

Newcastle U.K.
May 8 2002
http://www.sendspace.com/file/0nfnjm

Good stuff. It is also my favorite off TOOM for many of the reasons listed above, and for some of those same reasons, a song that at certain times is almost unbearably hard to listen to. Heart-breakingly beautiful.

Just looked up the lyrics to this one and realized I've had one line substantially wrong:

I thought
"When the last rays of daylight go down
Buddy you'll roll no more"

were

"When the last rays of daylight go down
Another year older or more"

Okay, I've tried. It's terrible.

This is my current favorite Dylan song, actually, because of this:

Don't know if I saw you, if I would kiss you or kill you
It probably wouldn't matter to you anyhow

The saddest lyrics ever. I love this song.....

that's the palest NET-bashing long johnny didn't write!

Really?

I'd argue that Lovesick, Cold Irons Bound, Make You Feel My Love and Can't Wait have all been improved upon on the NET

Agreed. It reminds me of those godawful arrangements of MISSISSIPPI and DIGNITY he's played in the past two years. No gravity to it. Like HEAVEN'S DOOR in '78.