[ti:John Brown (Live at Town Hall, New York, NY - April 1963)] [ar:Bob Dylan] [al:Live 1962-1966 - Rare Performances From The Copyright Collections] [by:] [offset:0] [00:00.00]John Brown (Live at Town Hall, New York, NY - April 1963) - Bob Dylan [00:08.96]Lyrics by:Bob Dylan [00:17.93]Composed by:Bob Dylan [00:26.89]When John Brown went off [00:28.20]To war to fight on a foreign shore [00:32.71]His mama sure was proud of him [00:36.91]He stood straight and tall in his uniform and all [00:42.38]His mama's face broke out all to a grin [00:47.63]Oh son you look so fine [00:49.66]I'm glad you're a son of mine [00:54.08]You make me proud to know you hold a gun [00:58.71]Do you what the captain says [01:00.53]Lots of medals you will get [01:03.77]And we'll put them on the wall when you come home [01:10.01]When that old train pulled out [01:11.99]John's ma began to shout [01:15.94]Tellin' ev'rybody in the neighborhood [01:19.63]That's my son that's about to go [01:21.61]He's a stranger [01:22.61]He is soldier now you know [01:25.04]She made well sure her neighbors understood [01:33.22]She got a letter once in a while [01:35.32]And her face broke into a smile [01:37.39]As she showed them to the people from next door [01:41.86]And she bragged about her son with his uniform and gun [01:47.10]And these things you called a good old-fashioned war [01:51.83]Now good old-fashioned war [02:01.83]Then the letters ceased to come [02:03.76]For a long time they did not come [02:07.44]They ceased to come for about ten months or more [02:11.42]When a letter finally came saying [02:13.55]Go down and meet the train [02:16.78]Your son's a-coming home from the war [02:23.08]She smiled and went right down [02:24.99]She looked everywhere around [02:28.20]But she did not see her soldier son in sight [02:32.30]But as all the people passed [02:34.64]She saw her son at last [02:36.57]When she did she could hardly believe her eyes [02:40.72]Oh his face was all shot up [02:42.60]And his hand was all blown off [02:44.75]As he wore a metal brace around his waist [02:49.38]He whispered kind of slow [02:51.14]In a voice she did not know [02:53.04]While she couldn't even recognize his face [02:57.97]Not recognize his face [03:09.04]Tell me [03:09.50]My darling son [03:11.04]Pray tell me what they done [03:14.25]How is it you come to be this way [03:19.22]As he tried his best to talk [03:21.27]But his mouth could hardly move [03:23.25]And his mother had to turn her face away [03:28.82]Don't you remember ma when I went off to war [03:32.84]You thought it was the best thing I could do [03:36.77]I was on the battleground [03:38.88]You were home acting proud [03:41.08]And got you wasn't standing in my shoes [03:45.02]And I thought when I was there [03:47.19]God what am I doing here [03:50.43]I'm a-tryin' to kill somebody or die tryin' [03:55.53]But the thing that scared me most was [03:57.45]When my enemy came close [04:00.41]And I saw that his face looked just like mine [04:05.34]Oh Lord just like mine [04:16.18]And I couldn't help but think [04:17.96]Through the thunder rolling and stink [04:20.07]That I was just a puppet in a play [04:24.49]And through the roar and smoke [04:26.62]This string is finally broke [04:28.52]And a cannonball blew my eyes away [04:36.60]As he turned away to walk [04:38.82]His ma was still in shock [04:41.38]Seein' the metal brace that helped him stand [04:46.25]But as he turned to go [04:48.41]He called his mother close [04:51.32]And he dropped his medals down into her hand [04:56.05]Lord Lord down into her hand