Lyr Req: Lily Rosemary & the Jack of Hearts (Dylan

Subject: Lily, Rosemary & the Jack of Hearts
From: Lin in Kansas
Date: 02 Dec 99 - 01:12 AM

Hi 'Catters--Am hoping somebody out there can help me with this one.

Many moons ago, in the days of my youth (sometime back before dirt or thereabouts), I had this by Joan Baez on vinyl, which I've subsequently lost. I think (but can't swear to it) that it was written by Bob Dylan. Any information you can come up with would be much appreciated (name of album, where I might find the lyrics, etc.)

As I recall, it was an entire Western movie in about 12 verses...Lily was the saloon girl, Rosemary was the local Big Shot's wife, and the Jack was the cowboy who was just in town to rob the bank--

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Lily, Rosemary & the Jack of Hearts
From: Chris/Darwin
Date: 02 Dec 99 - 03:18 AM

JL - this is on Dylan's "Blood on the Tracks" album, and is one of my favourites. There are about 2000 verses, so I suggest you borrow a copy!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Lily, Rosemary & the Jack of Hearts
From: catspaw49
Date: 02 Dec 99 - 06:38 AM

Hey JL....For all of your Dylan "One Stop Shopping" for lyrics, CLICK HERE (I hope)

Spaw

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Lily, Rosemary & the Jack of Hearts
From: Steve Latimer
Date: 02 Dec 99 - 10:03 AM

One of my all time favourite Dylan songs from my favourite Dylan album. I can never listen to it without thinking of making a movie out of it. I've even gone so far as to cast it. Jack Nicholson the Jack of Hearts, Dabney Coleman as Big Jim, Susan Sarandon as Lilly, not sure about Rosemary, Danny Devito as the back stage manager, Jack Palance as the Hangin Judge. Would wlcome any other thoughts on this one.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Lily, Rosemary & the Jack of Hearts
From: Caitrin
Date: 02 Dec 99 - 10:19 PM

Jack of Hearts as a movie...interesting. Susan Sarandon's an interesting choice for Lily...I always pictured Lily as younger. *shrug* Hm.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Lily, Rosemary & the Jack of Hearts
From: catspaw49
Date: 02 Dec 99 - 10:37 PM

Yeah Caitrin, but to guys like Steve and I, she still looks good!!! What about we reunite her with Geena Davis and they swap the roles?

Spaw

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Lily, Rosemary & the Jack of Hearts
From: Amos
Date: 02 Dec 99 - 10:43 PM

Just please use the original soundtrack!

A

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Lily, Rosemary & the Jack of Hearts
From: Easy Rider
Date: 03 Dec 99 - 01:28 PM

W. C. Fields as the Hangin' Judge. Bette Davis as Rosemary.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Lily, Rosemary & the Jack of Hearts
From: Steve Latimer
Date: 03 Dec 99 - 01:50 PM

Easy,

I like W.C. as the hangin' Judge.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Lily, Rosemary & the Jack of Hearts
From: Easy Rider
Date: 03 Dec 99 - 02:54 PM

NO, BUT HE WAS DRUNK ALL THE TIME.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Lily, Rosemary & the Jack of Hearts
From: Caitrin
Date: 04 Dec 99 - 10:44 AM

Spaw, I never meant to imply that Susan Sarandon isn't a beautiful woman. I've always thought it sad that women generally can't get away with the Sean Connery/Harrison Ford thing (older but still considered hot stuff).

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Lily, Rosemary & the Jack of Hearts
From: Lin in Kansas
Date: 06 Dec 99 - 03:43 AM

Sorry to take so long to respond to this--we had a "small" snowstorm and blew a transformer--my system was down for two days and is just now back on line.

'Spaw--many thanks for the blue clicky thing!! I got a printout and have been humming the blasted thing ever since!

And as far as I'm concerned, Susan Sarandon could play Lily AND her mother (whoever she was)--the woman's timeless. Nicholson as the Jack? Perfect!

Appreciate the help, you guys.

Subject: Lyr Add: LILY, ROSEMARY AND THE JACK OF HEARTS
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 05 Jan 12 - 10:35 AM

I found these lyrics at Sing365.com and tweaked them a bit to agree with what I hear in the recording:


LILY, ROSEMARY AND THE JACK OF HEARTS
Written by Bob Dylan
As sung by Joan Baez on "From Every Stage" (1976)

1. The festival was over and the boys were all planning for a fall.
The cabaret was quiet except for the drilling in the wall.
Curfew had been lifted and the gambling wheel shut down.
Anyone with any sense had already left town.
He was standing in the doorway lookin' like the Jack of Hearts.

2. He moved across the mirrored room; "Set 'em up for everyone," he said.
Then everyone commenced to do what they'd been doin' before he moved their heads.
He walked up to a stranger and he asked him with a grin,
"Would you kindly tell me, mister, what time the show begins?"
He moved into the corner, face down like the Jack of Hearts.

3. Backstage, the girls were playin' five-card stud by the stairs.
Lily had two queens and she was hopin' for a third to match her pairs.
Outside, the streets were fillin' up and the window was open wide.
A gentle breeze was blowin'; you could feel it from inside.
Lily called another bet and drew up the Jack of Hearts.

4. Big Jim was no one's fool; he owned the town's only diamond mine.
He made his usual entrance lookin' oh so dandy and so fine.
With his bodyguards and his silver cane and every hair in place,
He took whatever he wanted to and he laid it all to waste.
But his bodyguards and his silver cane they were no match for the Jack of Hearts.

5. Rosemary combed her hair and took a carriage into town.
She slipped into the side door lookin' like a queen without a crown.
She fluttered her false eyelashes and whispered in his ear,
"I'm sorry, darlin', that I'm late," but he didn't seem to hear.
He was staring into space over at the Jack of Hearts.

6. "Well, I know I've seen that face somewhere," Big Jim was thinkin' to himself.
"Maybe down in Mexico or a picture up on somebody's shelf."
But then the crowd began to stamp their feet and the house lights did dim,
And in the darkness of the room, there was only Jim and him,
Staring at the butterfly who just drew up the Jack of Hearts.

7. Lily was a princess; she was fair-skinned and precious as a child.
She had that certain something; it was a kind of a flash every time she smiled.
She'd come away from a broken home, had lots of strange affairs
With men in every walk of life who took her everywhere,
But she'd never met anyone quite like the Jack of Hearts.

8. The hangin' judge came in unnoticed and was bein' wined and dined.
The drillin' in the wall kept up but no one seemed to pay it any mind.
It was known all around that Lily had Jim's ring,
And nothin' could ever come between Lily and the king.
No, nothing ever could except maybe the Jack of Hearts.

9. Rosemary started drinkin' hard and seein' her reflection in the knife.
She was tired o' the attention, tired o' playin' the role o' Big Jim's wife.
She'd done a lot o' bad things, even once tried suicide,
Was lookin' to do just one good deed before she died.
She was gazin' to the future, riding on the Jack of Hearts.

10. Lily took her dress off, buried it away.
"Has your luck run out?" she laughed at him. "I guess you must 'a' known it would someday.
Be careful not to touch the wall; there's a brand-new coat o' paint.
I'm glad to see you're still alive and you're lookin' like a saint."
Down the hallway footsteps were comin' for the Jack of Hearts.

11. The backstage manager was pacing all around by his chair.
"There's something funny goin' on, I know; I can just feel it in the air."
He went to get the hangin' judge, but the hangin' judge was drunk,
And the leading actor hurried by in the costume of a monk,
But there was no actor anywhere better than the Jack of Hearts.

12. Lily's had her arms around the man she dearly loved to touch.
She forgot all about the man she hated who hounded her so much.
"I've missed you so," she said to him, and he thought she was sincere,
But in the hallway he felt jealousy and fear—
Just another night in the life of the Jack of Hearts.

13. Well, no one knew the circumstance but they say it happened pretty quick.
The door to the dressing room burst open and a cold revolver clicked,
And Big Jim was standin' there, you couldn't say surprised,
Rosemary right beside him, steady in her eyes.
She was with Big Jim but she was leaning to the Jack of Hearts.

14. Two doors down and the boys finally made it through the wall,
Cleaned out the bank safe; it's said they got off with quite a haul.
And in the darkness of the riverbed they waited on the ground
For one more member who had business back in town,
But they couldn't go no further without the Jack of Hearts.

15. Well, the next day was hangin' day, and the sky was overcast and black.
Big Jim lay covered up, killed by a penknife in the back.
And Rosemary on the gallows, Lord, she didn't even blink,
And the hangin' judge was sober; Lord, he hadn't had a drink.
The only person on the scene missing was the Jack of Hearts.

16. Well, the cabaret was quiet now and a sign said, "Closed for repair."
Lily had already taken all of the dye out of her hair.
She was thinkin' about her father, whom she very rarely saw,
Thinkin' about Rosemary, and thinkin' about the law,
But most of all, she was thinkin' about the Jack of Hearts.


[Dylan originally recorded this on "Blood on the Tracks" (1975). Tom Russell also sings this on his album "Indians Cowboys Horses Dogs" (2004).]

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Lily Rosemary & the Jack of Hearts (Dylan
From: michaelr
Date: 05 Jan 12 - 07:02 PM

I believe verse 13 should read:

...The door to the dressing room burst open and a Colt revolver clicked,
And Big Jim was standin' there, you couldn't say surprised,
Rosemary right beside him, studying her eyes...


I've never heard verse 12; it's not on the Blood on the Tracks version.

Some clunky versifying going on, as well:
The only person on the scene missing was the Jack of Hearts- ouch.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Lily Rosemary & the Jack of Hearts (Dylan
From: catspaw49
Date: 05 Jan 12 - 10:37 PM

I agree on "Colt" but steady seems more sensible than studying but I suppose either would work. I always thought it was steady.

Verse 12 is in the Baez recording.


Spaw

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Lily Rosemary & the Jack of Hearts (Dylan
From: Dave Sutherland
Date: 06 Jan 12 - 03:18 AM

I originally thought that it was Colt revolver but later read, in one of the many books on Dylan so I can't remember which, that it should be "cold" as in unloaded.
Verse 12 features the printed lyric collections of Dylan songs.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Lily Rosemary & the Jack of Hearts (Dylan
From: cetmst
Date: 06 Jan 12 - 09:10 AM

Bob Dylan Lyrics 1962-2001, Simon and Schuster @ 2004

Verse 12
Lily's arms were locked around the man she dearly loved to touch
She forgot all about the man she couldn't stand who hounded her so much
Ï've missed you so," she said to him, and he felt she was sincere
But just beyond the door he felt jealousy and fear
Just another night in the life of the Jack of Hearts

Verse 13
No one knew the circumstances but they say that it happened pretty quick
The door to the dressing room burst open and a cold revolver clicked
And Big Jim was standin' there, ya couldn't say surprised
Rosemary right beside him, steady in her eyes
She was with Big Jim but she was leanin' to the Jack of Hearts

Some other differences in other verses, mostly punctuation

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Lily Rosemary & the Jack of Hearts (Dylan
From: GUEST,michaelr
Date: 06 Jan 12 - 01:11 PM

I stand corrected.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Lily Rosemary & the Jack of Hearts (Dylan
From: catspaw49
Date: 06 Jan 12 - 04:42 PM

I stand flat-footed..................


Spaw