Man comes to the door - I say, "For whom are you looking?"
He says, "Your wife", I say, "She's busy in the kitchen cookin'."
Poor boy - where you been?
I already tol' you - won't tell you again
I say, "How much you want for that?" I go into the store
The man says, "Three dollars", "All right", I say, "Will you take four?"
Poor boy - never say die.
Things will be all right by and by
Been workin' on the mainline - workin' like the devil
The game is the same - it's just up on a different level
Poor boy - dressed in black
Police at your back
Poor boy in a red hot town
Out beyond the twinklin' stars
Ridin' first class trains - making the rounds
Tryin' to keep from fallin' between the cars
Othello told Desdemona, "I'm cold, cover me with a blanket.
By the way, what happened to that poison wine?"
She says, "I gave it to you, you drank it."
Poor boy, layin' 'em straight - pickin' up the cherries fallin' off the plate
Time and love has branded me with its claws
Had to go to Florida, dodgin' them Georgia laws
Poor boy, in the hotel called the Palace of Gloom
Calls down to room service, says, "Send up a room"
My mother was a daughter of a wealthy farmer
My father was a traveling salesman, I never met him
When my mother died, my uncle took me in - he ran a funeral parlor
He did a lot of nice things for me and I won't forget him
All I know is that I'm thrilled by your kiss
I don't know any more than this
Poor boy, pickin' up sticks
Build ya a house out of mortar and bricks
Knockin' on the door, I say, "Who is it and where are you from?"
Man says, "Freddy!" I say, "Freddy who?" He says, "Freddy or not here I come."
Poor boy 'neath the stars that shine
Washin' them dishes, feedin' them swine
"PO' BOY" had only one stage appearance in 2001, (the year it was recorded; and probably
written). During this live debut of "PO' BOY" in Grand Rapids the lyrics of the fine studio
version were reshuffled quite a bit, as this beautiful song was included in the same setlist
as the second of only three 2001 appearances of "EVERY GRAIN OF SAND".
The next performance of "PO' BOY" was more of a year later, in Philadelphia, with lyrics much
closer to the original; and again "PO' BOY" shared a setlist with a song from "Shot of Love",
this time "IN THE SUMMERTIME". Both songs that night were performed by Bob on his piano,
which he had just rediscovered. It would be his instrument of choice for quite a while.
After this "PO' BOY" was not performed for almost 21 months, before an acoustic version of this
gem appeared in Brockton, Massachusetts in August 2004, in the same set as "GOD KNOWS" and
"SAVING GRACE". The fourth performance of "PO' BOY" was less than three months later,
in Columbus, Ohio, two days after the US election, as part of a brilliant set which also
included gems like "DIGNITY", "BLIND WILLIE MCTELL", "EVERY GRAIN OF SAND", and
"TRYIN' TO GET TO HEAVEN". Already at the next concert, at Messiah College in Grantham,
Pennsylvania, where Bob Dylan also chose to perform "SAVING GRACE", "PO' BOY" appeared again
together with "DIGNITY".
One week later was performed again in consecutive shows, at first in Rochester, in
the same set as "DIGNITY" and "STANDING IN THE DOORWAY"; and then in Binghampton, where
"PO' BOY" shared a set with gems like "GOD KNOWS", "I SHALL BE RELEASED" and "NOT DARK YET".
Six days after that, in Amherst, Massachusetts, during the penultimate show of the year 2004,
"PO' BOY" was performed in the same set as "DIGNITY", "EVERY GRAIN OF SAND", and
"STANDING IN THE DOORWAY".
Sharing a setlist with "I SHALL BE RELEASED" was the first performance of "PO' BOY" in 2005,
in New York City, as the penultimate song of the last show of Bob Dylan's spring tour,
which included 94 different songs.
2004.11.14, BINGHAMPTON, NEW YORK
Biblical references:
~ Luke 15 ~
“There was a man who had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give
me the share of property that is coming to me.’ And he divided his property between them.
Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country,
and there he squandered his property in reckless living. And when he had spent everything,
a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired
himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed
pigs. And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the
pigs ate, and no one gave him anything. “But when he came to himself, he said,
‘How many of my father's hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with
hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned
against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one
of your hired servants.”’ And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long
way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.
And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer
worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best
robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. And bring the
fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. For this my son was dead, and is
alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate.
