Written by Bob Dylan
Released on The Bootleg Series 1-3 (1991)
in a live version from Carnegie Hall, New York City, Oct 26, 1963
Tabbed by Eyolf Østrem
Standard Talkin' Blues pattern
[this is called: Talkin' John Birch Blues. And there ain't nothing wrong with this song]
G C
Well, I was feelin' sad and kind'a blue,
D
I didn't know what I was a-gonna do,
G C
Them Communists wus a-comin' around,
D
They wus in the air,
They wus on the ground.
G . C . D . . G . . .
They wus all over.
So I run down most hurriedly
And joined the John Birch Society,
got me a secret membership card
And went back home to the yard,
Started lookin' on the sidewalk,
under the hedges.
Well, I got up in the mornin' 'n' looked under my bed,
I wus lookin' every place for them gol-darned Reds.
Looked behind the sink, and under the floor,
Looked in the glove compartment of my car.
Couldn't find any . . .
Looked behind the clothes, behind my chair
lookin' for them reds everywhere
looked up my chimney hole,
even deep down inside my toilet bowl,
They got away . . .
I heard some foot-steps by the front porch door,
so I grabbed my shot-gun from the floor.
Snuck around the house with a huff and a hiss,
saying "Hands up, you communist!"
It was the mailman.
He punched me out.
Well, I wus sittin' home alone an' started to sweat, Figured they wus in my T.V. set. I peeked behind the picture frame, Got a shock from my feet that hit my brain. Them Reds did it! Hootenanny Television . . . Well, I quit my job so I could work alone, got a magnifying glass like Sherlock Holmes. Followed some clues from my detective bag And discovered: red stripes on the American flag! Betsy Ross . . . Now Eisenhower, he's a Russian spy, Lincoln, Jefferson and that Roosevelt guy. To my knowledge there's just one man That's really a true American: That's George Lincoln Rockwell. I know for a fact he hates Commies cus he picketed the movie Exodus. Well, I fin'ly started thinkin' straight When I run outa things to investigate. Couldn't imagine nothing else, So now I'm home investigatin' myself! Hope I don't find out too much . . . Good God!
Verses not sung in the released version:
Now we all agree with Hitlers' views, Although he killed six million Jews. It don't matter too much that he was a Fascist, At least you can't say he was a Communist! That's to say like if you got a cold you take a shot of malaria.
Well, I investigated all the books in the library, Ninety percent of 'em gotta be burned away. I investigated all the people that I knowed, Ninety-eight percent of them gotta go. The other two percent are fellow Birchers . . . just like me.