Highlands
Bob Dylan
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Well my heart's in The Highlands, gentle and fair Honeysuckle blooming in the wildwood air Bluebells blazing where the Aberdeen waters flow Well my heart's in The Highlands I'm gonna go there when I feel good enough to go Windows were shaking all night in my dreams Everything was exactly the way that it seems Woke up this mornin' and I looked at the same old page Same old rat race, life in the same old cage I don't want nothin' from anyone, ain't that much to take Wouldn't know the difference between a real blonde and a fake Feel like a prisoner in a world of mystery I wish someone'd come and push back the clock for me Well my heart's in The Highlands wherever I roam That's where I'll be when I get called home The wind it whispers to the buckeye trees of rhyme Well, my heart's in The Highlands I can only get there one step at a time I'm listening to Neil Young, I gotta turn up the sound Someone's always yellin' "Turn it down" Feel like I'm driftin', driftin' from scene to scene I'm wonderin' what in the devil could it all possibly mean Insanity is smashin' up against my soul You could say I was on anything but a roll If I had a conscience, well I just might blow my top What would I do with it anyway, maybe take it to the pawn shop? My heart's in The Highlands at the break of dawn By the beautiful lake of the Black Swan Big white clouds like chariots that swing down low Well my heart's in The Highlands, only place left to go I'm in Boston town in some restaurant I got no idea what I want Or maybe I do but I'm just really not sure Waitress comes over, nobody in the place but me and her Well it must be a holiday, there's nobody around She studies me closely as I sit down She got a pretty face and long white shiny legs I said "Tell me what I want" She say "You probably want hard boiled eggs" I said "That's right, bring me some" She says "We ain't got any, you picked the wrong time to come" Then she says "I know you're an artist, draw a picture of me" I said "I would if I could but I don't do sketches from memory" Well she's there, she says "I'm right here in front of you Or haven't you looked?" I say "All right, I know but I don't have my drawin' book" She gives me a napkin, she say "You can do it on that" I say "Yes I could but I don't know where my pencil is at" She pulls one out from behind her ear She says "Alright now go ahead draw me I'm stayin' right here" I make a few lines and I show it for her to see Well she takes the napkin and throws it back and says "That don't look a thing like me" I said "Oh kind miss, it most certainly does" She say "You must be joking", I said "I wish I was" She says "You don't read women authors do ya?" At least that's what I think I hear her say Well I say "How would you know, and what would it matter anyway?" Well she says "Ya just don't seem like ya do" I said "You're way wrong" She says "Which ones have you read then?", I say "Read Erica Jong" She goes away for a minute, and I slide out, out of my chair I step outside back to the busy street, but nobody's goin' anywhere Well my heart's in The Highlands with the horses and hounds Way up in the border country far from the towns With the twang of the arrow and the snap of the bow My heart's in The Highlands, can't see any other way to go Every day is the same thing, out the door Feel further away than ever before Some things in life it just gets too late to learn Well I'm lost somewhere, I must have made a few bad turns I see people in the park, forgettin' their troubles and woes They're drinkin' and dancin', wearin' bright colored clothes All the young men with the young women lookin' so good Well, I'd trade places with any of 'em, in a minute if I could I'm crossin' the street to get away from a mangy dog Talkin' to myself in a monologue I think what I need might be a full-length leather coat Somebody just asked me if I'm registered to vote The sun is beginnin' to shine on me But it's not like the sun that used to be The party's over and there's less and less to say I got new eyes, everything looks far away Well my heart's in The Highlands at the break of day Over the hills and far away There's a way to get there, and I'll figure it out somehow Well I'm already there in my mind and that's good enough for now
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Written by: BOB DYLAN
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
12 facts about this song
Album History“Highlands” is the sixteenth and final track on Bob Dylan’s studio album “Time Out of Mind”, which was released in September 1997.
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LengthThe song lasts for 16 minutes and 31 seconds, making it the longest song Dylan has ever released.
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Literary InspirationThe song's lyrics were inspired by Robert Burns' poem, "My Heart's in the Highlands". Dylan even directly quotes the poem in the song.
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SongwritingDespite its length, the song has a relatively simple chord structure and melody that repeats throughout its duration.
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StorytellingThe lyrics are in the form of a narrative, following the singer's interactions and inner thoughts while straying in the secluded highlands.
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Homage to Boston"Highlands" mentions the Boston town in its lyrics, which is a famous city in Massachusetts, USA. This is due to Dylan’s known fondness for the city.
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Musicians FeaturedRenowned musicians play on “Highlands”, such as Jim Keltner on drums, Tony Garnier on bass, and Bucky Baxter on pedal steel guitar.
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Recorded at Criteria StudiosThe song was recorded at the prestigious Criteria Studios in Miami, Florida, where many famous artists have recorded their music.
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Dylan's Showcase of Aging"Highlands" is often interpreted as Dylan's metaphorical reflection on aging, incorporating themes of solitude, longing, and retrospection.
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Reception and InfluenceThe song was met with mixed reviews but over time it has been praised for its lyrical complexity and has influenced artists to embrace longer song structures.
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Grammy-Winning Album"Time Out of Mind", the album on which "Highlands" appears, won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year in 1998.
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Live PerformancesDespite its length, “Highlands” has been performed live by Dylan, although it is not a regularly featured song in his setlists.
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Citation
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"Highlands Lyrics." Lyrics.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2025. Web. 5 Feb. 2025. <https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/5142071/Bob+Dylan/Highlands>.
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