Expecting Rain

What is it about? It is fashinating and very scary at the same time. There is also a laugh in the middle of the song. It is fantacy of course. Does anybody have an opinion on this?

Is there an explanation to this song or not? What do you think of it?

Does anybody like the song? Dislike the song? A very unusual song IMO. The lyrics make you wonder I think.

The original, Willie Dixon's I Just Wanna Make Love To You as done by Muddy Waters, is brilliant. Dylan's version is just a totally unnecessary cover version with slightly embarrassing lyrics.

What exactly is the embarrassing part? I think it is full of fantacy and lots of fun. Not many people can write about such misery like he can. Very unexpected and true art IMO. You do not hear any more songs like that one and that is exactly why it catches your attention and makes it interesting. Or maybe I am the only one that think so? I mean how many songs haven't we all heard about want to make love? But this is the first time I hear a lovesong where a man has his wife in hell and even laughs about it. Only Dylan is able to get that together somehow. And that to me is amazing.

There's waaay too much "Only Bob could that" on this forum...which BTW...doesn't make something good. This song isn't particularly well played or sung, and the lyrics are uninspired, at best. Using the refrain of My wife's hometown, is cute, I guess. However, I do like the laugh, and general sinister nature of Bob's vocal.

I hear you wineman I feel the same way myself at times and then I fall into the same pattern . Shame on me.

Sorry, if it appeared that I was knocking you. I'm sure you're not alone in enjoying the song...and there is a certain charm to it. I just think that sometime's the case is that "Only Dylan "would" do that. Instead of "could" do that. And those are two very different things.

You have a very interesting approach to it wineman. Just now I am feeling relaxed and very low key so I can't be bothered to analyze the difference between the two. I appreciate your post very much though. I only listened to the song once or twice and in the beginning I thought it was a very strange song. When I think about it now so long after listening to it, I get more perspective on it and it grows on me.

Well, I didn't come here to deal with a doggone thing
I just came here to hear the drummer's cymbal ring
There ain't no way you can put me down
I just wanna say that hell's my wife's home town

Well, there's reasons for that and reasons for this
I can't think of any just now but I know they exist
I'm sittin' in the sun 'til my skin turns brown
I just wanna say that hell's my wife's home town
Home town, home town

She can make you steal, make you rob
Give you the hives, make you lose your job
Make things bad, she can make things worse
She got stuff more potent than a gypsy curse

One of these days I'll end up on the run
I'm pretty sure she'll make me kill someone
I'm goin' inside, roll the shutters down
I just wanna say that hell's my wife's home town

Well, there's plenty to remember, plenty to forget
I still can remember the day we met
I lost my reasons a long ago
My love for her is all I know

State gone broke, the county's dry
Don't be lookin' at me with that evil eye
Keep on walkin', don't be hangin' around
I'm tellin' you again that hell's my wife's home town
Home town, home town

Songwriters: Dixon, Bob Dylan, Robert Hunter

I always enjoyed this song. Actually it's the most played on TTL for me.
"Well, there's reasons for that and reasons for this
I can't think of any just now but I know they exist" is an awesome lyric.

Not sure what it's about. But the chorus is pretty hilarious. Bobby himself in an interview said it's a positive song.

I like it. Some great delivery by Bob on a few lines. It is to TTL what Lonesome Day Blues is to L&T. Not quite as good of course but still worthy. Might have done with one more take and a bit of tightening up here and there but overall not bad at all...

but kind of strange? Nobody wonder why his wife in in hell and he is laughing? I don't get that part? I wish somebody could shed some light on that, but I guess that is a hard nut to crack?

The lyrics are okay--I think Hunter is a good collaborator for Dylan, less satisfied with cliches than Bob. But the music is snoriffic and prevents the song from realizing its potential. Has he done it live with a better arrangement? Hope so.

who says doggone in songs nowadays... cute...really

They probably were fighting 'cause he left his socks on the floor again.

or she's pissed b/c he used doggone...

Love it! Doggone it all! (I still say it because it makes me feel like I'm not swearing, though I am kidding myself because it's just a substitute)

substitute swears are not swears you son of a biscuit eater you...

Oh, fudge. I always thought they were.

You must have tried marriage Bostonareabobfan. You came up with the right answer so quickly. He threw the socks on the floor again and she had to pick them up, and she started to yell at him and he just wrote the song and laughed. Ha he's probably divorced since then again ha ha ha.
Clever Boston. Why didn't I come up with that? I guess it was just too simple. Ha ha ha. Well now we all know the answer ha ha ha. Great. No worries no more.

hahaha

I enjoy the song, I wish Bob played this and This Dream of You more in concert.

I'm going to quote myself like a jerk from the other thread to try and answer your original question about the meaning.

"maybe hell is his wifes hometown, not becuase of the family memebers nagging you that are left behind (which is what i thought at first) but because all the memories it stirs up of her at an early age, of him, or them at an early stage together. and he just feels dumb about it all."

....and IFACCO.