Bob Dylan
Lyric guide

Highwater (For Charlie Patton)

Read Highwater (For Charlie Patton) lyrics by Bob Dylan on LyroVerse, with linked artist context and related song paths.

Bob Dylan visibility1 visits Video on page
person Curated by Ethan Walker LyroVerse team
Reference snapshot

The page facts to cite before the commentary

Use this page for the lyric text, linked artist context, and any LyroVerse editor's note attached to the song. Listener comments remain user-generated and should not be treated as the primary source.

Page type: lyric reference Artist: Bob Dylan Canonical path: /bob-dylan/highwater-for-charlie-patton Related lyric paths: 6 Video embedded: yes
Lyrics

Highwater (For Charlie Patton)

The lyric stays readable and compact here; the note and related paths sit nearby so you do not lose the song while looking for context.

Highwater risin', rising night and day

All the gold and silver are being stolen away

Big Joe Turner looking east and west from the dark room of his mind

He made it to Kansas City, Twelfth Street and Vine

Nothin' standing there

Highwater everywhere

Highwater rising the shacks are sliding down

Folks lose their possessions, the folks are leaving town

Reformation shook it, broke it, then she hung it on the wall

Say you dancin' with whom they tell you to or you don't dance at all

It's tough out there

Highwater everywhere

I got a craven love for blazin' speed

I got a hopped up Mustang Ford

Jump into the wagon, love

Throw your panties overboard

I can write you poems, make a strong man lose his mind

I'm no pig without a wig, I hope you treat me kind

Things are breakin' up out there

Highwater everywhere

Highwater rising, six inches above my head

Coffins droppin' in the street like balloons made out of lead

Water poured into Vicksburg, don't know what I'm gonna do

Don't reach out for me, she said, can't you see I'm drowning too

It's rough out there

Highwater everywhere

Well, George Lewes told the Englishman, the Italian and the Jew

You can't open up your mind, boys, to every conceivable point of view

They got Charles Darwin trapped out there on Highway 5

Judge says to the High Sheriff, I want them dead or alive

Either one, I don't care

Highwater everywhere

Well, the cuckoo is a pretty bird, she warbles as she flies

I'm preachin' the word of God, I'm puttin' out your eyes

I asked Fat Nancy for someth'n' to eat, she said take it off the shelf

As great as you are man, you'll never be greater than yourself

I told her I didn't really care

Highwater everywhere

I get up in the mornin', I believe I'll dust my broom

Keepin' away from the women, I'm givin' them lots of room

Thunder rollin' over Clarksdale, everythin' a-lookin' blue

I just can't be happy, love, unless you're happy too

It's bad out there

Highwater everywhere

Quick answers

What this page can answer fast

Who performs "Highwater (For Charlie Patton)"?

Bob Dylan performs "Highwater (For Charlie Patton)", and this lyric page sits inside the Bob Dylan catalog on LyroVerse.

Are there related songs to explore after "Highwater (For Charlie Patton)"?

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.

Song Room

Interpretations, questions, and corrections for this song

Interpretations, questions, memories, and correction notes live together here. The room stays noindex while the best insights are reviewed.

Open Song Room
0 followers Selected insights only surface after moderation
Listener comments

What people are saying

0 comments
Add a short interpretation or memory

A strong comment here is specific: the phrase you keep hearing, the mood you come back for, or the reason this song stays in rotation.

Sign in to post the first listener note. Reporting stays open to everyone.

No listener comments on Highwater (For Charlie Patton) yet.