Page type: lyric reference
Artist: Bob Dylan
Canonical path: /bob-dylan/changing-of-the-guards
Related lyric paths: 6
Video embedded: yes
Lyric guide
Changing Of The Guards
Read Changing Of The Guards lyrics by Bob Dylan on LyroVerse, with linked artist context and related song paths.
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Curated by Ethan Walker
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Lyrics
Changing Of The Guards
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Sixteen years
Sixteen banners united over the field
Where the good shepherd grieves
Desperate men, desperate women divided
Spreading their wings 'neath the falling leaves
Fortune calls
I stepped forth from the shadows, to the marketplace
Merchants and thieves, hungry for power, my last deal gone down
She's smelling sweet like the meadows where she was born
On midsummer's eve, near the tower
The cold-blooded moon
The captain waits above the celebration
Sending his thoughts to a beloved maid
Whose ebony face is beyond communication
The captain is down but still believing that his love will be repaid
They shaved her head
She was torn between Jupiter and Apollo
A messenger arrived with a black nightingale
I seen her on the stairs and I couldn't help but follow
Follow her down past the fountain where they lifted her veil
I stumbled to my feet
I rode past destruction in the ditches
With the stitches still mending 'neath a heart-shaped tattoo
Renegade priests and treacherous young witches
Were handing out the flowers that I'd given to you
The palace of mirrors
Where dog soldiers are reflected
The endless road and the wailing of chimes
The empty rooms where her memory is protected
Where the angels' voices whisper to the souls of previous times
She wakes him up
Forty-eight hours later, the sun is breaking
Near broken chains, mountain laurel and rolling rocks
She's begging to know what measures he now will be taking
He's pulling her down and she's clutching on to his long golden locks
Gentlemen, he said
I don't need your organization, I've shined your shoes
I've moved your mountains and marked your cards
But Eden is burning, either brace yourself for elimination
Or else your hearts must have the courage for the changing of the guards
Peace will come
With tranquility and splendor on the wheels of fire
But will bring us no reward when her false idols fall
And cruel death surrenders with its pale ghost retreating
Between the King and the Queen of Swords
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Who performs "Changing Of The Guards"?
Bob Dylan performs "Changing Of The Guards", and this lyric page sits inside the Bob Dylan catalog on LyroVerse.
Are there related songs to explore after "Changing Of The Guards"?
Yes. The related section below points to Little Maggie and One More Cup Of Coffee with a short reason for opening each page next.
Where can I find more songs by Bob Dylan?
Use the artist link near the top of the page or the related paths section below to keep moving through Bob Dylan's lyric pages.
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