Mr. Tambourine Man – English Lyrics

• By: Bob Dylan

Lyrics & Translation

Embark on a lyrical journey with Bob Dylan's "Mr. Tambourine Man," a song that beautifully paints a world of poetic imagery and surreal landscapes. For English language learners, this song is a fantastic opportunity to explore figurative language, rich metaphors, and a narrative style that is both evocative and open to interpretation. What makes "Mr. Tambourine Man" special is its ability to transport the listener, making the process of learning English through its verses a truly magical and memorable experience.

[English]

Hey! Mr. Tambourine man, play a song for me

I'm not sleepy and there is no place I'm going to

Hey! Mr. Tambourine man, play a song for me

In the jingle jangle morning I'll come following you

Though I know that evening's empire has returned into sand

Vanished from my hand

Left me blindly here to stand but still not sleeping

My weariness amazes me, I'm branded on my feet

I have no one to meet

And the ancient empty street's too dead for dreaming

Hey! Mr. Tambourine man, play a song for me

I'm not sleepy and there is no place I'm going to

Hey! Mr. Tambourine man, play a song for me

In the jingle jangle morning I'll come following you

Take me on a trip upon your magic swirling ship

My senses have been stripped

My hands can't feel to grip

My toes too numb to step

Wait only for my boot heels to be wandering

I'm ready to go anywhere, I'm ready for to fade

Into my own parade

Cast your dancing spell my way, I promise to go under it

Hey! Mr. Tambourine man, play a song for me

I'm not sleepy and there is no place I'm going to

Hey! Mr. Tambourine man, play a song for me

In the jingle jangle morning I'll come following you

Though you might hear laughing, spinning,

swinging madly across the sun

It's not aimed at anyone

It's just escaping on the run

And but for the sky there are no fences facing

And if you hear vague traces of skipping reels of rhyme

To your tambourine in time

It's just a ragged clown behind

I wouldn't pay it any mind

It's just a shadow you're seeing that he's chasing

Hey! Mr. Tambourine man, play a song for me

I'm not sleepy and there is no place I'm going to

Hey! Mr. Tambourine man, play a song for me

In the jingle jangle morning I'll come following you

And take me disappearing

through the smoke rings of my mind

Down the foggy ruins of time

Far past the frozen leaves

The haunted frightened trees

Out to the windy beach

Far from the twisted reach of crazy sorrow

Yes, to dance beneath the diamond sky

With one hand waving free

Silhouetted by the sea

Circled by the circus sands

With all memory and fate

Driven deep beneath the waves

Let me forget about today until tomorrow

Hey! Mr. Tambourine man, play a song for me

I'm not sleepy and there is no place I'm going to

Hey! Mr. Tambourine man, play a song for me

In the jingle jangle morning I'll come following you

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
tambourine /ˌtæm.bəˈriːn/ B2	noun - a musical instrument consisting of a circular frame with pairs of small metal jingles
song /sɔːŋ/ A1	noun - a short piece of music with words that are sung
morning /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/ A1	noun - the period of time from sunrise to noon
dreaming /ˈdriːmɪŋ/ B1	verb - to experience thoughts, images, or emotions during sleep
sorrow /ˈsɔːroʊ/ B2	noun - a feeling of deep distress caused by loss, disappointment, or other misfortune
dance /dæns/ A1	verb - to move rhythmically to music
sky /skaɪ/ A1	noun - the expanse of air over the Earth
hand /hænd/ A1	noun - the end part of a person's arm
mind /maɪnd/ B1	noun - the element of a person that enables them to think, feel, and perceive
place /pleɪs/ A1	noun - a particular position or point in space
trip /trɪp/ B1	noun - a journey or excursion, especially for pleasure
shadows /ˈʃædoʊz/ B2	noun - a dark area or shape produced by a body coming between rays of light and a surface
fate /feɪt/ B2	noun - the development of events beyond a person's control, regarded as determined by a supernatural power

Key Grammar Structures

• I'm not sleepy and there is no place I'm going to

  ➔ Existential 'there is'

  ➔ Uses "there is" to express the existence of something. In this case, the narrator is emphasizing that there is "no place" they are going to. This showcases the speaker's feeling of aimlessness or being lost.

• In the jingle jangle morning I'll come following you

  ➔ Future tense with 'will' and Present Participle 'following' showing continuous action in the future

  ➔ The structure "I'll come following you" suggests not just a one-time action but continuous pursuit. "Following" as present participle adds the sense of motion and ongoing nature of the action.

• Though I know that evening's empire has returned into sand

  ➔ Subordinate Clause with "Though", Possessive ('evening's'), Present Perfect ('has returned')

  ➔ "Though" introduces a contrasting idea. "evening's empire" is a metaphorical possessive, showing evening's dominion. "Has returned" indicates an action completed in the past with relevance to the present.

• Left me blindly here to stand but still not sleeping

  ➔ Past Participle 'Left' used as a reduced relative clause, Adverb 'blindly', Infinitive of Purpose 'to stand'

  ➔ "Left" is functioning as a participle describing the state of the speaker. "Blindly" modifies how the speaker stands, emphasizing their lack of direction. "To stand" specifies the reason for being in this state.

• My weariness amazes me, I'm branded on my feet

  ➔ Subject-Verb agreement ('weariness amazes'), Passive Voice ('I'm branded')

  ➔ "Weariness amazes me" demonstrates correct subject-verb agreement in the present tense. "I'm branded on my feet" uses the passive voice to suggest a feeling of being marked or burdened by something.

• My senses have been stripped

  ➔ Present Perfect Passive ('have been stripped')

  ➔ The present perfect passive suggests that the act of stripping the senses occurred at some point in the past and has a lasting impact on the present state of the speaker. Emphasis is on the result of action.

• Cast your dancing spell my way, I promise to go under it!

  ➔ Imperative ('Cast'), Future Simple ('I promise to go')

  ➔ "Cast" is an imperative, directly commanding the Tambourine Man. "I promise to go under it" expresses a future intention, showing willingness to submit to the magic.

• It's just escaping on the run

  ➔ Present Continuous ('is escaping') used for habitual action or general truth

  ➔ While present continuous often describes actions happening now, here it describes something that happens generally and repeatedly. In other words, the laughter is always trying to escape.