The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #56668   Message #887214
Posted By: Haruo
10-Feb-03 - 08:26 PM
Thread Name: Tune Req: I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine (B Dylan)
Subject: Lyr Add: I DREAMED I SAW ST. AUGUSTINE (Bob Dylan)
Bob Dylan's song "I dreamed I saw St. Augustine" has been the occasion of recent discussion on Ishmail (the Melville Society's email list) — apparently Dylan once dedicated the song to Herman Melville FWIW — and I have had to admit I don't know the tune. The first line sounds like Joe Hill, but then the first line of the second verse sounds like Mary Hamilton... Anybody have a MIDI or online sheet music for it (or ABC or whatever)? I can't get the RealAudio at bobdylan.com to open (probably this computer's fault, not Zimmerman's)... Here are the lyrics as referred to on Ishmail:

I DREAMED I SAW ST. AUGUSTINE

I dreamed I saw St. Augustine,
Alive as you or me,
Tearing through these quarters
In the utmost misery,
With a blanket underneath his arm
And a coat of solid gold,
Searching for the very souls
Whom [sic] already have been sold.

"Arise, arise," he cried so loud,
In a voice without restraint,
"Come out, ye gifted kings and queens
And hear my sad complaint.
No martyr is among ye now
whom you can call your own,
So go on your way accordingly
But know you're not alone."

I dreamed I saw St. Augustine,
Alive with fiery breath,
And I dreamed I was amongst the ones
That put him out to death.
Oh, I awoke in anger,
So alone and terrified,
I put my fingers against the glass
And bowed my head and cried.

Haruo