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Twas a dark day in Dallas, November '63 00:11

00:15

A day that will live on in infamy 00:17

00:21

President Kennedy was a-ridin' high 00:23

Good day to be livin' and a good day to die 00:27

Being led to the slaughter like a sacrificial lamb 00:31

He said, "Wait a minute, boys, you know who I am?" 00:35

"Of course we do. We know who you are" 00:41

Then they blew off his head while he was still in the car 00:44

Shot down like a dog in broad daylight 00:51

Was a matter of timing and the timing was right 00:56

You got unpaid debts we've come to collect 01:00

We're gonna kill you with hatred, without any respect 01:05

01:11

We'll mock you and shock you and we'll put it in your face 01:14

We've already got someone here to take your place 01:20

01:24

The day they blew out the brains of the king 01:28

Thousands were watching, no one saw a thing 01:32

It happened so quickly, so quick, by surprise 01:37

Right there in front of everyone's eyes 01:42

Greatest magic trick ever under the sun 01:47

Perfectly executed, skillfully done 01:51

Wolfman, oh wolfman, oh wolfman howl 01:55

Rub-a-dub-dub, it's a murder most foul 02:00

02:07

Hush, little children, you'll understand 02:12

The Beatles are comin', they're gonna hold your hand 02:17

Slide down the banister, go get your coat 02:21

Ferry 'cross the Mersey and go for the throat 02:26

02:31

There's three bums comin' all dressed in rags 02:33

Pick up the pieces and lower the flags 02:37

I'm going to Woodstock, it's the Aquarian Age 02:41

Then I'll go to Altamont and sit near the stage 02:45

Put your head out the window, let the good times roll 02:50

02:53

There's a party going on behind the Grassy Knoll 02:56

Stack up the bricks, pour the cement 03:03

Don't say Dallas don't love you, Mr. President 03:08

Put your foot in the tank and step on the gas 03:14

Try to make it to the triple underpass 03:18

Blackface singer, whiteface clown 03:21

Better not show your faces after the sun goes down 03:25

Up in the red light district, like a cop on the beat 03:29

Living in a nightmare on Elm Street 03:36

When you're down in Deep Ellum, put your money in your shoe 03:42

Don't ask what your country can do for you 03:50

Cash on the ballot, money to burn 03:57

Dealey Plaza, make a left-hand turn 04:04

I'm going down to the crossroads, gonna flag a ride 04:09

04:12

The place where faith, hope, and charity died 04:15

04:19

Shoot him while he runs, boy, shoot him while you can 04:22

04:25

See if you can shoot the invisible man 04:28

Goodbye, Charlie, goodbye, Uncle Sam 04:34

Frankly, Miss Scarlett, I don't give a damn 04:40

04:45

What is the truth, and where did it go? 04:47

Ask Oswald and Ruby, they oughta know 04:53

"Shut your mouth," said the wise old owl 04:59

Business is business, and it's a murder most foul 05:04

05:19

Tommy, can you hear me? I'm the Acid Queen 05:25

I'm riding in a long, black Lincoln limousine 05:31

Riding in the backseat next to my wife 05:38

Heading straight on in to the afterlife 05:43

I'm leaning to the left, I've got my head in her lap 05:49

Hold on, I've been led into some kind of a trap 05:55

Where we ask no quarter, and no quarter do we give 06:00

We're right down the street from the street where you live 06:06

They mutilated his body, and they took out his brain 06:14

What more could they do? They piled on the pain 06:19

But his soul was not there where it was supposed to be at 06:24

For the last fifty years they've been searchin' for that 06:30

06:34

Freedom, oh freedom, freedom over me 06:37

06:41

I hate to tell you, mister, but only dead men are free 06:43

Send me some lovin', tell me no lie 06:49

06:54

Throw the gun in the gutter and walk on by 06:58

07:02

Wake up, little Susie, let's go for a drive 07:06

Cross the Trinity River, let's keep hope alive 07:11

07:16

Turn the radio on, don't touch the dials 07:18

Parkland hospital, only six more miles 07:23

You got me dizzy, Miss Lizzy, you filled me with lead 07:29

That magic bullet of yours has gone to my head 07:35

I'm just a patsy like Patsy Cline 07:42

Never shot anyone from in front or behind 07:48

I've blood in my eye, got blood in my ear 07:54

I'm never gonna make it to the new frontier 07:59

Zapruder's film I seen night before 08:06

Seen it 33 times, maybe more 08:11

It's vile and deceitful, it's cruel and it's mean 08:17

Ugliest thing that you ever have seen 08:24

They killed him once and they killed him twice 08:30

Killed him like a human sacrifice 08:35

The day that they killed him, someone said to me, "Son 08:43

The age of the Antichrist has just only begun" 08:48

Air Force One coming in through the gate 08:55

Johnson sworn in at 2:38 09:00

Let me know when you decide to throw in the towel 09:06

It is what it is, and it's murder most foul 09:12

What's new, pussycat? What'd I say? 09:32

I said the soul of a nation been torn away 09:39

And it's beginning to go into a slow decay 09:45

09:50

And that it's 36 hours past Judgment Day 09:53

Wolfman Jack, he's speaking in tongues 10:00

He's going on and on at the top of his lungs 10:06

Play me a song, Mr. Wolfman Jack 10:13

Play it for me in my long Cadillac 10:18

Play me that "Only the Good Die Young" 10:22

Take me to the place Tom Dooley was hung 10:27

Play St. James Infirmary and the Court of King James 10:33

If you want to remember, you better write down the names 10:40

Play Etta James, too, play "I'd Rather Go Blind" 10:46

Play it for the man with the telepathic mind 10:51

Play John Lee Hooker, play "Scratch My Back" 10:58

Play it for that strip club owner named Jack 11:03

11:07

Guitar Slim going down slow 11:09

Play it for me and for Marilyn Monroe 11:13

11:18

Play, "Please Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" 11:27

Play it for the First Lady, she ain't feeling any good 11:32

Play Don Henley, play Glenn Frey 11:37

Take it to the limit and let it go by 11:41

Play it for Karl Wirsum, too 11:45

Looking far, far away at Down Gallow Avenue 11:48

Play tragedy, play "Twilight Time" 11:53

Take me back to Tulsa to the scene of the crime 11:57

Play another one and "Another One Bites the Dust" 12:01

Play "The Old Rugged Cross" and "In God We Trust" 12:05

Ride the pink horse down that long, lonesome road 12:09

Stand there and wait for his head to explode 12:12

Play "Mystery Train" for Mr. Mystery 12:16

The man who fell down dead like a rootless tree 12:21

Play it for the Reverend, play it for the Pastor 12:28

Play it for the dog that got no master 12:31

12:36

Play Oscar Peterson, play Stan Getz 12:39

Play "Blue Sky", play Dickey Betts 12:44

12:49

Play Art Pepper, Thelonious Monk 12:51

Charlie Parker and all that junk 12:55

All that junk and "All That Jazz" 13:00

Play something for the Birdman of Alcatraz 13:06

Play Buster Keaton, play Harold Lloyd 13:13

Play Bugsy Siegel, play Pretty Boy Floyd 13:17

Play the numbers, play the odds 13:23

Play "Cry Me A River" for the Lord of the gods 13:29

Play Number 9, play Number 6 13:35

Play it for Lindsey and Stevie Nicks 13:41

Play Nat King Cole, play "Nature Boy" 13:47

Play "Down In The Boondocks" for Terry Malloy 13:54

Play "It Happened One Night" and "One Night of Sin" 14:00

There's twelve million souls that are listening in 14:06

Play "Merchant of Venice", play "Merchants of Death" 14:13

Play "Stella by Starlight" for Lady Macbeth 14:19

Don't worry, Mr. President, help's on the way 14:26

Your brothers are coming, there'll be hell to pay 14:31

Brothers? What brothers? What's this about hell? 14:36

Tell them, "We're waiting. Keep coming," we'll get them as well 14:42

14:48

Love Field is where his plane touched down 14:50

But it never did get back up off the ground 14:55

Was a hard act to follow, second to none 15:00

They killed him on the altar of the rising sun 15:07

Play "Misty" for me and "That Old Devil Moon" 15:13

Play "Anything Goes" and "Memphis in June" 15:18

Play "Lonely At the Top" and "Lonely Are the Brave" 15:23

Play it for Houdini spinning around in his grave 15:30

Play Jelly Roll Morton, play "Lucille" 15:36

Play "Deep In a Dream", and play "Driving Wheel" 15:43

Play "Moonlight Sonata" in F-sharp 15:48

And "A Key to the Highway" for the king on the harp 15:54

Play "Marching Through Georgia" and "Dumbarton's Drums" 16:00

Play darkness, and death will come when it comes 16:06

Play "Love Me Or Leave Me" by the great Bud Powell 16:12

Play "The Blood-stained Banner", play "Murder Most Foul" 16:19

16:27

Murder Most Foul

Bob Dylan

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Lyrics:

[English]

Twas a dark day in Dallas, November '63

...

A day that will live on in infamy

...

President Kennedy was a-ridin' high

Good day to be livin' and a good day to die

Being led to the slaughter like a sacrificial lamb

He said, "Wait a minute, boys, you know who I am?"

"Of course we do. We know who you are"

Then they blew off his head while he was still in the car

Shot down like a dog in broad daylight

Was a matter of timing and the timing was right

You got unpaid debts we've come to collect

We're gonna kill you with hatred, without any respect

...

We'll mock you and shock you and we'll put it in your face

We've already got someone here to take your place

...

The day they blew out the brains of the king

Thousands were watching, no one saw a thing

It happened so quickly, so quick, by surprise

Right there in front of everyone's eyes

Greatest magic trick ever under the sun

Perfectly executed, skillfully done

Wolfman, oh wolfman, oh wolfman howl

Rub-a-dub-dub, it's a murder most foul

...

Hush, little children, you'll understand

The Beatles are comin', they're gonna hold your hand

Slide down the banister, go get your coat

Ferry 'cross the Mersey and go for the throat

...

There's three bums comin' all dressed in rags

Pick up the pieces and lower the flags

I'm going to Woodstock, it's the Aquarian Age

Then I'll go to Altamont and sit near the stage

Put your head out the window, let the good times roll

...

There's a party going on behind the Grassy Knoll

Stack up the bricks, pour the cement

Don't say Dallas don't love you, Mr. President

Put your foot in the tank and step on the gas

Try to make it to the triple underpass

Blackface singer, whiteface clown

Better not show your faces after the sun goes down

Up in the red light district, like a cop on the beat

Living in a nightmare on Elm Street

When you're down in Deep Ellum, put your money in your shoe

Don't ask what your country can do for you

Cash on the ballot, money to burn

Dealey Plaza, make a left-hand turn

I'm going down to the crossroads, gonna flag a ride

...

The place where faith, hope, and charity died

...

Shoot him while he runs, boy, shoot him while you can

...

See if you can shoot the invisible man

Goodbye, Charlie, goodbye, Uncle Sam

Frankly, Miss Scarlett, I don't give a damn

...

What is the truth, and where did it go?

Ask Oswald and Ruby, they oughta know

"Shut your mouth," said the wise old owl

Business is business, and it's a murder most foul

...

Tommy, can you hear me? I'm the Acid Queen

I'm riding in a long, black Lincoln limousine

Riding in the backseat next to my wife

Heading straight on in to the afterlife

I'm leaning to the left, I've got my head in her lap

Hold on, I've been led into some kind of a trap

Where we ask no quarter, and no quarter do we give

We're right down the street from the street where you live

They mutilated his body, and they took out his brain

What more could they do? They piled on the pain

But his soul was not there where it was supposed to be at

For the last fifty years they've been searchin' for that

...

Freedom, oh freedom, freedom over me

...

I hate to tell you, mister, but only dead men are free

Send me some lovin', tell me no lie

...

Throw the gun in the gutter and walk on by

...

Wake up, little Susie, let's go for a drive

Cross the Trinity River, let's keep hope alive

...

Turn the radio on, don't touch the dials

Parkland hospital, only six more miles

You got me dizzy, Miss Lizzy, you filled me with lead

That magic bullet of yours has gone to my head

I'm just a patsy like Patsy Cline

Never shot anyone from in front or behind

I've blood in my eye, got blood in my ear

I'm never gonna make it to the new frontier

Zapruder's film I seen night before

Seen it 33 times, maybe more

It's vile and deceitful, it's cruel and it's mean

Ugliest thing that you ever have seen

They killed him once and they killed him twice

Killed him like a human sacrifice

The day that they killed him, someone said to me, "Son

The age of the Antichrist has just only begun"

Air Force One coming in through the gate

Johnson sworn in at 2:38

Let me know when you decide to throw in the towel

It is what it is, and it's murder most foul

What's new, pussycat? What'd I say?

I said the soul of a nation been torn away

And it's beginning to go into a slow decay

...

And that it's 36 hours past Judgment Day

Wolfman Jack, he's speaking in tongues

He's going on and on at the top of his lungs

Play me a song, Mr. Wolfman Jack

Play it for me in my long Cadillac

Play me that "Only the Good Die Young"

Take me to the place Tom Dooley was hung

Play St. James Infirmary and the Court of King James

If you want to remember, you better write down the names

Play Etta James, too, play "I'd Rather Go Blind"

Play it for the man with the telepathic mind

Play John Lee Hooker, play "Scratch My Back"

Play it for that strip club owner named Jack

...

Guitar Slim going down slow

Play it for me and for Marilyn Monroe

...

Play, "Please Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood"

Play it for the First Lady, she ain't feeling any good

Play Don Henley, play Glenn Frey

Take it to the limit and let it go by

Play it for Karl Wirsum, too

Looking far, far away at Down Gallow Avenue

Play tragedy, play "Twilight Time"

Take me back to Tulsa to the scene of the crime

Play another one and "Another One Bites the Dust"

Play "The Old Rugged Cross" and "In God We Trust"

Ride the pink horse down that long, lonesome road

Stand there and wait for his head to explode

Play "Mystery Train" for Mr. Mystery

The man who fell down dead like a rootless tree

Play it for the Reverend, play it for the Pastor

Play it for the dog that got no master

...

Play Oscar Peterson, play Stan Getz

Play "Blue Sky", play Dickey Betts

...

Play Art Pepper, Thelonious Monk

Charlie Parker and all that junk

All that junk and "All That Jazz"

Play something for the Birdman of Alcatraz

Play Buster Keaton, play Harold Lloyd

Play Bugsy Siegel, play Pretty Boy Floyd

Play the numbers, play the odds

Play "Cry Me A River" for the Lord of the gods

Play Number 9, play Number 6

Play it for Lindsey and Stevie Nicks

Play Nat King Cole, play "Nature Boy"

Play "Down In The Boondocks" for Terry Malloy

Play "It Happened One Night" and "One Night of Sin"

There's twelve million souls that are listening in

Play "Merchant of Venice", play "Merchants of Death"

Play "Stella by Starlight" for Lady Macbeth

Don't worry, Mr. President, help's on the way

Your brothers are coming, there'll be hell to pay

Brothers? What brothers? What's this about hell?

Tell them, "We're waiting. Keep coming," we'll get them as well

...

Love Field is where his plane touched down

But it never did get back up off the ground

Was a hard act to follow, second to none

They killed him on the altar of the rising sun

Play "Misty" for me and "That Old Devil Moon"

Play "Anything Goes" and "Memphis in June"

Play "Lonely At the Top" and "Lonely Are the Brave"

Play it for Houdini spinning around in his grave

Play Jelly Roll Morton, play "Lucille"

Play "Deep In a Dream", and play "Driving Wheel"

Play "Moonlight Sonata" in F-sharp

And "A Key to the Highway" for the king on the harp

Play "Marching Through Georgia" and "Dumbarton's Drums"

Play darkness, and death will come when it comes

Play "Love Me Or Leave Me" by the great Bud Powell

Play "The Blood-stained Banner", play "Murder Most Foul"

...

Vocabulary in this song:

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Vocabulary	Meanings
murder /ˈmɜːrdər/ B2	noun - the unlawful premeditated killing of one human being by another verb - to kill someone unlawfully and with premeditation
freedom /ˈfriːdəm/ B2	noun - the power or right to act, speak, or think as one wants without hindrance or restraint
president /ˈprɛzɪdənt/ B1	noun - the elected head of a republican state
soul /soʊl/ B2	noun - the spiritual or immaterial part of a human being or animal, regarded as immortal
truth /truːθ/ B1	noun - the quality or state of being in accordance with fact or reality
pain /peɪn/ A2	noun - physical suffering or discomfort caused by illness or injury
nightmare /ˈnaɪtˌmɛr/ B2	noun - a frightening or unpleasant dream
blood /blʌd/ A2	noun - the red liquid that circulates in the arteries and veins of humans and other vertebrates
king /kɪŋ/ A2	noun - the male ruler of an independent state, especially one who inherits the position by right of birth
time /taɪm/ A1	noun - the indefinite continued progress of existence and events in the past, present, and future regarded as a whole
dark /dɑːrk/ A2	adjective - with little or no light
road /roʊd/ A1	noun - a wide way leading from one place to another, especially one with a specially prepared surface that vehicles can use
light /laɪt/ A2	noun - the natural agent that stimulates sight and makes things visible
age /eɪdʒ/ A1	noun - the length of time that a person has lived or a thing has existed
trap /træp/ B1	noun - a device or enclosure designed to catch and retain animals or people

Grammar:

Twas a dark day in Dallas, November '63

➔ Archaic Contraction

➔ "Twas" is an archaic contraction of "it was". It is used here to create a historical and somewhat formal tone.
A day that will live on in infamy

➔ Relative Clause with "that"

➔ The relative clause "that will live on in infamy" modifies the noun "day". "That" is a relative pronoun connecting the clause to the main sentence and acting as the subject of the verb "will live".
Being led to the slaughter like a sacrificial lamb

➔ Participial Phrase (Passive)

➔ "Being led" is a passive participial phrase functioning as an adverbial modifier describing the state of President Kennedy. It indicates that he was in the process of being led, emphasizing his lack of control.
You got unpaid debts we've come to collect

➔ Reduced Relative Clause

➔ The phrase "we've come to collect" is a reduced relative clause modifying "unpaid debts". The full clause would be "that we have come to collect". The relative pronoun "that" and the auxiliary verb "have" are omitted for brevity and a conversational tone.
We'll mock you and shock you and we'll put it in your face

➔ Parallel Structure

➔ The use of "mock you", "shock you", and "put it in your face" creates a parallel structure. This emphasizes the series of actions planned against the victim, making it more impactful and memorable.
The day they blew out the brains of the king

➔ Figurative Language (Metaphor)

➔ The phrase "blew out the brains of the king" is a metaphorical expression. It doesn't literally mean that the king (Kennedy) was a monarch, but it conveys the magnitude and significance of his assassination.
Frankly, Miss Scarlett, I don't give a damn

➔ Interjection and Allusion

➔ "Frankly" is an interjection used to emphasize the statement. The entire phrase is an allusion to the famous line from the movie "Gone with the Wind", creating a connection between historical events and popular culture.
Freedom, oh freedom, freedom over me

➔ Repetition and Interjection

➔ The repetition of "freedom" emphasizes the importance of the concept, while "oh" is an interjection expressing a strong emotion related to the desire for freedom.