Chimes of Freedom
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7TfXqLjzdA
Chimes of Freedom (Bob Dylan)
Far between sundown's finish an' midnight's broken toll
We ducked inside the doorway, thunder crashing
As majestic bells of bolts struck shadows in the sounds
Seeming to be the chimes of freedom flashing
Flashing for the warriors whose strength is not to fight
Flashing for the refugees on the unarmed road of flight
An' for each an' ev'ry underdog soldier in the night
An' we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing.
In the city's melted furnace, unexpectedly we watched
With faces hidden as the walls were tightening
As the echo of the wedding bells before the blowin' rain
Dissolved into the bells of the lightning
Tolling for the rebel, tolling for the rake
Tolling for the luckless, the abandoned an' forsaked
Tolling for the outcast, burnin' constantly at stake
An' we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing.
Through the mad mystic hammering of the wild ripping hail
The sky cracked its poems in naked wonder
That the clinging of the church bells blew far into the breeze
Leaving only bells of lightning and its thunder
Striking for the gentle, striking for the kind
Striking for the guardians and protectors of the mind
An' the poet an the painter far behind his rightful time
An' we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing.
In the wild cathedral evening the rain unraveled tales
For the disrobed faceless forms of no position
Tolling for the tongues with no place to bring their thoughts
All down in taken-for granted situations
Tolling for the deaf an' blind, tolling for the mute
For the mistreated, mateless mother, the mistitled prostitute
For the misdemeanor'd outlaw, chased an' cheated by pursuit
An' we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing.
Even though a clouds's white curtain in a far-off corner flashed
An' the hypnotic splattered mist was slowly lifting
Electric light still struck like arrows, fired but for the ones
Condemned to drift or else be kept from drifting
Tolling for the searching ones, on their speechless, seeking trail
For the lonesome-hearted lovers with too personal a tale
An' for each unharmfull, gentle soul misplaced inside a jail
An' we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing.
Starry-eyed an' laughing as I recall when we were caught
Trapped by no track of hours for they hanged suspended
As we listened one last time an' we watched with one last look
Spellbound an' swallowed 'til the tolling ended
Tolling for the aching whose wounds cannot be nursed
For the countless confused, accused, misused, strung-out ones an' worse
An' for every hung-up person in the whole wide universe
An' we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing.
Youssou N'Dour - Chimes of Freedom
This section is for all other music-related topics
Jump to
- News
- General
- ↳ THE FLAME - news and information
- ↳ Montreal Memorial Week, November 2017
- ↳ Leonard Cohen 80 years on September 21, 2014
- ↳ Comments & Questions
- ↳ Tribute concerts, Cover versions & Soundtracks
- ↳ Collectors' and Traders' Corner
- ↳ Leonard Cohen 75 years (September 21, 2009)
- The Music Place
- ↳ Thanks for the Dance
- ↳ You Want It Darker
- ↳ 2015 Release: Can't Forget
- ↳ 2014 releases: Popular Problems & Live in Dublin
- ↳ OLD IDEAS
- ↳ Leonard Cohen's music
- ↳ Live performances & YouTube clips
- ↳ New Songs & Rarities
- ↳ Live in London, Dear Heather, The Essential Leonard Cohen, Ten New Songs
- ↳ Blue Alert
- ↳ Related Artists
- ↳ Adam Cohen
- ↳ Other music
- The Poetry Place
- ↳ Book of Longing
- ↳ Leonard Cohen's poetry and novels
- ↳ Writing, Music and Art by the Forum members
- ↳ Other Writers and Writing
- World Tours 2008-2010 & 2012-2013
- ↳ TOUR 2013 IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND
- ↳ THE SUMMER 2013 TOUR IN EUROPE
- ↳ THE SPRING 2013 TOUR IN NORTH AMERICA
- ↳ USA & CANADA 2012 / CONCERT REPORTS & MEET-UPS
- ↳ Old Ideas World Tour 2012 / Europe
- ↳ EUROPE 2012 / CONCERT REPORTS & MEET-UPS
- ↳ Old Ideas World Tour 2012 / USA and Canada
- ↳ The World Tour 2010
- ↳ The World Tour 2010 Meetups
- ↳ The Fall 2009 Tour in USA
- ↳ The Summer Tour in Europe 2009
- ↳ The North American Tour 2009
- ↳ The Pacific Tour 2009
- ↳ The Fall Tour in Europe 2008
- ↳ The Summer Tour 2008
- The Leonard Cohen Events
- ↳ The Leonard Cohen Event in Copenhagen in 2024
- ↳ Hydra Meetups 2023, 2019, 2017, 2015, 2013, 2011, 2009, 2007, 2005 & The Event in 2002
- ↳ The Leonard Cohen Event in Ghent 2022
- ↳ The Leonard Cohen Event 2020 in Ghent, Belgium - RESCHEDULED TO 2022
- ↳ Walking Weekends (2009 - 2023)
- ↳ The Leonard Cohen Event in Budapest 2018
- ↳ The Leonard Cohen Event in Amsterdam 2016
- ↳ The Leonard Cohen Event in Dublin 2014
- ↳ The Leonard Cohen Event in Madison 2012
- ↳ The Leonard Cohen Event in Krakow 2010
- ↳ The Leonard Cohen Event in Edmonton 2008
- ↳ The Leonard Cohen Event in Berlin 2006
- ↳ The Leonard Cohen Event in New York 2004
- ↳ Other gatherings
- ↳ Traveling Pack
- Everything Else