See copyright notice at
 http://www.expectingrain.com/dok/div/copyright.html

Ford, Robert

Outlaw Blues / Bringing It All Back Home / 1967

Ain't gonna hang no picture 
ain't gonna hang no picture frame
Ain't gonna hang no picture 
or hang no picture frame
Well I  might look like Robert Ford 
but I feel just like Jesse James

Timothy J Lundgren, tlundgre@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu:

The entries on FORD, ROBERT and JAMES, JESSE were blank, so I thought I'd provide some info. Robert Ford was a young member of the American outlaw Jesse James' gang. Ford killed Jesse James using a revolver given to him by Jesse. He was reportedly motivated by the reward on James (alias Thomas Howard). Thanks to the famous "Ballad of Jesse James" (the tune of which was used by Woody Guthrie for his song "Jesus Christ") Robert Ford has gone down in history as "that dirty little coward that shot Mr. Howard." Dylan plays off of this history in his lyric "I may look like Robert Ford, but I feel just like Jesse James."

prokopy@sage.cc.purdue.edu (dave "protosz-barkopy" prokopy ):

Also, I believe James was shot by Ford in the back while he (James) was hanging a picture. Hence the preceeding line in "Outlaw Blues" about hanging a picture frame.

eddie@edlis.org (Ed Ricardo):

Great! That is the whole point of KarlErik's list. Anyone you see missing in it you should provide. And the thumbnail sketch by Timothy and the follow-up by dave are just the right length and conciseness. Now if every reader provided one Dylan-related character not in KarlErik's list just think how fast it would grow! And everyone knows something about someone...


Who's Who