Lily, Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts by Bob Dylan Lyrics Meaning – Unraveling the Enigmatic Narrative in Dylan’s Masterpiece
Lyrics
The cabaret was quiet except for the drillin’ in the wall.
The curfew had been lifted and the gamblin’ wheel shut down,
Anyone who had any sense had already left town.
He was standin’ in the doorway lookin’ like the Jack of Hearts.
He moved across the mirrored room, “Set it up for everyone,” he said,
Then everyone commenced to do what they were doin’ before he turned their heads.
Then he walked up to a stranger and he asked him with a grin,
“Could you kindly tell me, friend, what time the show begins?”
Then he moved into the corner, face down like the Jack of Hearts.
Backstage the girls were playin’ five-card stud by the stairs,
Lily had two queens, she was hopin’ for a third to match her pair.
Outside the streets were fillin’ up, the window was open wide,
A gentle breeze was blowin’, you could feel it from inside.
Lily called another bet and drew up the Jack of Hearts.
Big Jim was no one’s fool, he owned the town’s only diamond mine,
He made his usual entrance lookin’ so dandy and so fine.
With his bodyguards and silver cane and every hair in place,
He took whatever he wanted to and he laid it all to waste.
But his bodyguards and silver cane were no match for the Jack of Hearts.
Rosemary combed her hair and took a carriage into town,
She slipped in through the side door lookin’ like a queen without a crown.
She fluttered her false eyelashes and whispered in his ear,
“Sorry, darlin’, that I’m late,” but he didn’t seem to hear.
He was starin’ into space over at the Jack of Hearts.
“I know I’ve seen that face somewhere,” Big Jim was thinkin’ to himself,
“Maybe down in Mexico or a picture up on somebody’s shelf.”
But then the crowd began to stamp their feet and the house lights did dim
And in the darkness of the room there was only Jim and him,
Starin’ at the butterfly who just drew the Jack of Hearts.
Lily was a princess, she was fair-skinned and precious as a child,
She did whatever she had to do, she had that certain flash every time she smiled.
She had come away from a broken home, had lots of strange affairs
With men in every walk of life which took her everywhere.
But she’d never met anyone quite like the Jack of Hearts.
The hangin’ judge came in unnoticed and was being wined and dined,
The drillin’ in the wall kept up but no one seemed to pay it any mind.
It was known all around that Lily had Jim’s ring
And nothing would ever come between Lily and the king.
No, nothin’ ever would except maybe the Jack of Hearts.
Rosemary started drinkin’ hard and seein’ her reflection in the knife,
She was tired of the attention, tired of playin’ the role of Big Jim’s wife.
She had done a lot of bad things, even once tried suicide,
Was lookin’ to do just one good deed before she died.
She was gazin’ to the future, riding on the Jack of Hearts.
Lily took her dress off and buried it away.
“Has your luck run out?” she laughed at him, “Well, I guess you must
have known it would someday.
Be careful not to touch the wall, there’s a brand-new coat of paint,
I’m glad to see you’re still alive, you’re lookin’ like a saint.”
Down the hallway footsteps were comin’ for the Jack of Hearts.
The backstage manager was pacing all around by his chair.
“There’s something funny going on,” he said, “I can just feel it in the air.”
He went to get the hangin’ judge, but the hangin’ judge was drunk,
As the leading actor hurried by in the costume of a monk.
There was no actor anywhere better than the Jack of Hearts.
No one knew the circumstance but they say that it happened pretty quick,
The door to the dressing room burst open and a Colt revolver clicked.
And Big Jim was standin’ there, ya couldn’t say surprised,
Rosemary right beside him, steady in her eyes.
She was with Big Jim but she was leanin’ to the Jack of Hearts.
Two doors down the boys finally made it through the wall
And cleaned out the bank safe, it’s said they got off with quite a haul.
In the darkness by the riverbed they waited on the ground
For one more member who had business back in town.
But they couldn’t go no further without the Jack of Hearts.
The next day was hangin’ day, the sky was overcast and black,
Big Jim lay covered up, killed by a penknife in the back.
And Rosemary on the gallows, she didn’t even blink,
The hangin’ judge was sober, he hadn’t had a drink.
The only person on the scene missin’ was the Jack of Hearts.
The cabaret was empty now, a sign said, “Closed for repair,”
Lily had already taken all of the dye out of her hair.
She was thinkin’ ’bout her father, who she very rarely saw,
Thinkin’ ’bout Rosemary and thinkin’ about the law.
But, most of all she was thinkin’ ’bout the Jack of Hearts.
Bob Dylan’s sprawling song ‘Lily, Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts’ from his 1975 album ‘Blood on the Tracks’ remains a testament to his unparalleled storytelling prowess. At first listen, the track might seem like a folkloric tapestry woven from the threads of a western drama. Yet, a closer look reveals layers of complexity and symbolism that are endlessly dissectible.
Dylan, known for penning lyrics dense with imagery and narrative, once again invites a foray into a world of card players, miners, and betrayal. The song unfolds like a play, each verse a scene, painting pictures vivid enough to make listeners feel they’re patrons of the same cabaret where this drama takes place. Below, we decode the enigma and discover the hidden meanings that underscore one of Dylan’s great lyrical feats.
Behind the Jack of Hearts’ Masquerade
The central figure of the song, the Jack of Hearts, serves as the fulcrum of intrigue. With his entrance ‘standin’ in the doorway,’ the Jack of Hearts is a catalyst for unsettlement and change. His character brings to mind archetypes of trickster figures, those who upend the status quo and challenge the characters around them. Dylan’s depiction hints at a deeper significance—a representation of fate or destiny interjecting into the lives of Lily, Rosemary, and Big Jim.
Each individual’s interaction with the Jack pivots their fortunes, catalyzing a chain of events that lead to love, loss, and, for some, their ultimate demise. He flits in and out of the cabaret, at times a participant, at times an observer, seemingly always one step ahead of disaster – an almost mythic figure in control of each move on the board, dictating the game’s outcome.
The Betrayal Ballet: Rosemary and Lily’s Fate
In Dylan’s lyrical universe, women often hold pivotal roles, and ‘Lily, Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts’ is no exception. Lily, likened to ‘a princess,’ is both sinner and saint, playing her cards in a world where the stakes are high. In contrast, Rosemary seeks one good deed, a moment of redemption to punctuate a lifetime of complicity and despair.
Their stories intertwine through the dance of betrayal, with Rosemary swinging toward ‘the Jack of Hearts’ even while tied to ‘Big Jim.’ As Rosemary ends her life ‘on the gallows,’ and Lily contemplates her past and her enigmatic ‘law,’ Dylan leaves us pondering the weight of choices, the fleeting nature of power and love, and the inescapability of one’s true nature.
A Commentary on Justice Through A Cast of Characters
Dylan constructs a world akin to a house of cards, precarious and dependent on the whims of chance—or perhaps the unseen hand of the Jack. The ‘hangin’ judge,’ another symbol-loaded character, brings questions of justice to the fore. His intoxication juxtaposes the sobriety of his profession, creating a stage where law is blurred and potentially capricious.
As is common in many Dylan songs, the motif of justice or the law is interrogated in shades of gray. In the face of Big Jim’s murder and Rosemary’s execution, the presence (or absence) of the Jack forces one to consider whether justice is truly being served or if it’s merely another act in the human drama.
Evocative Imagery: The Painted Scenes of A Lyrical Epic
Dylan’s narrative prowess shines in his creation of stark, evocative imagery. The ‘brand-new coat of paint’ and ‘the window was open wide’ aren’t merely objects within the story; they evoke a sense of the transient and delicate balance between the concealment and revelatory, mirroring the precarious facade the characters maintain.
Each verse serves as a brushstroke on a canvas, masterfully painting a scene that is visual and exhaustive in its details. Through this technique, Dylan not only tells a story but also conjures a sensory experience. The listener navigates through the cabaret, the backstage, and the gallows, inhabiting the world as a ghostly spectator to the crumbling facades.
Memorable Lines: A Reliquary of Lyricism
‘And nothing would ever come between Lily and the king. No, nothin’ ever would except maybe the Jack of Hearts.’ With these lines, Dylan delivers the punch of the narrative conflict: the triangle of desire, power, and deceit. The singularity of these words magnifies their impact, as with economy of language Dylan crafts indelible images and central themes.
Another line, ‘The only person on the scene missin’ was the Jack of Hearts,’ leaves the story on a resonant note of mystery. Dylan’s trademarked cryptic conclusion invites endless speculation and ensures this song occupies a lasting place in the listener’s mind. The elusiveness of the Jack of Hearts, becomes emblematic of the unattainable truth at the heart of every story.
