Linda Ronstadt - Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues Lyrics

those are just some great l;yrics

I think this could have been a great song....but just too many verses. Love it though

one beautiful version along with the woman singing it!

One of the best Dylan covers ever...!

She sings this in a sort of blousy boozy way. Which really works.

Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues :

When you're lost in the rain in Juarez when it's Easter time, too
And your gravity fails and negativity don't pull you through
Don't put on any airs when you're down on Rue Morgue Avenue
They got some hungry women there and they really make a mess outta you
Now, if you see Saint Annie, please tell her thanks a lot
I cannot move, my fingers are all in a knot
I don't have the strength to get up and take another shot
And my best friend, my doctor, won't even say what it is I've got
Sweet Melinda, the peasants call her the goddess of gloom
She speaks good English and she invites you up into her room
And you're so kind and careful not to go to her too soon
And she takes your voice and leaves you howling at the moon
Up on Housing Project Hill, it's either fortune or fame
You must pick one or the other, though neither of them are to be what they claim
If you're lookin' to get silly, you better go back to from where you came
Because the cops don't need you, and man, they expect the same
Now, all the authorities, they just stand around and boast
How they blackmailed the sergeant-at-arms into leaving his post
And picking up Angel, who just arrived here from the coast
Who looked so fine at first but left looking just like a ghost
I started out on burgundy but soon hit the harder stuff
Everybody said they'd stand behind me when the game got rough
But the joke was on me, there was nobody even there to bluff
I'm going back to New York City, I do believe I've had enough
Source: LyricFind
Songwriters: Bob Dylan

Dead brought me here, but dam this is a great version

lovely...just fine

Love the Grateful Dead version !

seems clear to me: she sings better than dylan and is - by far - better looking!

the vegas arrangment is a bit syrupy but linda pulls it off as always

great version...unfortunately the song is really written from a man's perspective, a guy who wents to Juarez to drink heavily ("I started out with burgundy but soon hit the harder stuff") and cavort with the Mexican prostitutes ("sweet Melinda...who speaks good English...invites you up to her room...and leaves you howling at the moon")

She's too sweet for this song.

Beautiful voice but.................nobody sings Dylan like Dylan. I like the ending a lot though.

nice but why have almost a minute of silence at the end?

To make you ask why. Worked didn't it?

Too nice... I prefer Bryan Ferry's version after The Master's of course !

It's all wonderful when I look at that cover. Surely there's a song there Mr Dylan. Start on the burgundy.

Tolle Interpretation, auch musikalisch.

Neil young and linda Ronstadt did a job to cover this song🎸

I like neil young cover too on this song

I agree, he did a great version at the Dylan tribute concert.

Nobody can beat Bob's original, but this is absolutely great!

Have a listen to Nina Simone’s version of this, so soulful.

Great Dylan cover. He has the words, she has the pipes!

I Love Linda, ever since the Troubadour days. Her voice, best version of this song...
The Queen of Rock...

I love Linda.  Linda is not the queen of rock.  Come on, dude

I work in Music and have know her since the early days that`s how we refer to Linda, since the 70`s. Google "Linda Ronstadt Queen of Rock" This is from Wikipedia "Linda Maria Ronstadt (born July 15, 1946) is a retired American popular music singer known .... Referred to as the "First Lady of Rock" and the "Queen of Rock", Ronstadt was voted the Top Female Pop Singer of the 1970s". There are many other sources referring to Linda as the "Queen Of Rock." Research a statement before you question someone that knows and has lived it...

You're trying way too hard, dude.

Superb.

Lovely arrangement and performance !

I remember that cover like it was yesterday.

people expectations vary on what they get from a song...Dylan's work appeals to me on many levels, i was very surprise this artist choose this song, one of my all-time favorite song of Dylan. She pulls it off unlike the Byrds version of Mr. Tambourine man...if i didnt know better i would have guess it was joan singin

powerfull version!

Wow,  just heard this for the 1st time. How did I miss it all those years?  Longest song she ever released and that is sweet!!

Can't believe I never heard Linda's cover of this song. The words say it all about the negative side of sex, drugs and R and R. I am an old hippie, did my share but decided not to let anything or anyone take me over.

I love this song! The album was less than stellar, this song stood out and saved it. Purists probably objected to her taming the lyrics. When I’m frustrated I often say I’m going back to New York City I do believe I’ve had enough..and it lightens the mood.

Beautiful...

Wonderful version. There are bits that only Dylan could do but she does 'em.

Wow!
Just lovely!
Thanks for posting....
JJK

Wow what a dream girl💕👍

love this song

love the small guitar solo

Gorgeous authentic voice.

What makes this work ,is that she respects the song enough not to try and change it into something it's not

so ya see kids, when the biggest names in rock are covering a song, they cover a Dylan song, just goes to show ya, you got the best of the best and the greatest of the greats, and then Dylan still above them all, with the likes of the Shakespeare's the Plato's, Socrates, making up the space between...

she always had such a beautiful,melodic,sensual voice! what an excellent version of Mr. Zimmerman's great,all time songs!!!

Mr. Zimmerman had his name LEGALLY changed. Let it go.

LOVE YOU

DyLinda goes eclectic.

She suffers now

'zzz... miss

I saw her in Atlanta in 1978 at the Fox Theater, beautiful songstress and beautiful lady

I like Linda's version the best. Bryan Ferry, does a great job also.

Awesome

Correcting that it was at the Fox Theater in Atlanta.

I saw her in Atlanta many years ago City Auditorium, I'm almost sure she might have done the song sounds beautiful, but I was so much younger then I'm older than that now.

I saw her in Atlanta many years ago City Auditorium, I'm almost sure she might have done the song sounds beautiful, but I was so much younger then I'm older than that now.

I hear ya there buddy

Wow, Linda always made a mess of my heart. Fine tune - gorgeous strong voice and a doll to look at.

What a good version.  The best yet.

I just can't stop playing it

Stunningly gorgeous. Then, she starts to SING! OMG!

The closest to Mister D.

Splendid song, glorious singing.

transcendent for sure.

Masterpiece...best version... better than original....thanks Linda

never knew linda covered this dylan tune. her voice is soft, yet strong but i still prefer dylan's edgey vocals.

Beautiful voice love her , but it really is s guy song

NICE....ermmm...I mean INCREDIBLE!!

the best version of this song i ever heard, a beautiful voice. sad all the great ones are gone or disable

You're wrong. I'm 70 and have listened to great voices all of those years. There were great voices before Linda and great voices in all my years. Don't let your age determine what's great. Life moves on and so should you. Bonnie Raitt, Susan Tedechi, Lady Gaga, Amy Winehouse, The Staves and numerous others come to mind. Great music doesn't stop. Ever. Open your ears and heart to all the music available. You're on YT so learn and explore. Don't let your age stop you from enjoying great music. Linda is a great voice, I'm not saying she didn't. Sadly she's lost her voice but what an awesome voice it was. I've been listening to her since the Stone Ponies. Some more - Emmy Lou Harris Jennifer Nettles, Melissa Etheridge, Joss Stone and the list goes on forever. Linda may be your favorite but she's not the only great voice.

Lady Gaga..........





Screams in a whisper "fuck no"

the greatest version of this song i have ever heard great voice seems all the great singers are gone or disable

This is the best cover I've ever heard of this masterpiece. Bless Dylan and Ronstadt.

Ever heard Nina Simone's version?

Perhaps , many believe the opposite of Dylan , as a man , would be Linda singing this song as a woman . The songwriter may have to forfeit his words to a songstress after all ? Peter behind my Judy

I love all of her mucsic but, this has to be my favorite....what a talent you are~~~

Incroyable!

oufff!!! la version ♥

Awesome

WOW WOW WOW !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
From a 73yo mad keen Aussie fan.

You're everywhere, mate!

she would be my all time favorite female vocalist...hard to beat

beautiful...I love her voice

If there's a heaven, this is what it sounds like.

Beautiful voice, great band and production.  A big, beautiful mediocrity of a cover, kind of like her whole career.  Or is this supposed to be a joke?

Who are you, her publicity agent?  Thanks for the grocery list but it doesn't change the fact that this is pathetically lame.  Am not going to blame LR for the Eagles, that is not her fault.  This is a cover of a Dylan song?  Who would've known?

William You're an idiot.

William Kirby who are you, the YouTube music critic ?. I like it, you don't ......don't matter either way. Peace

Don:  . . . "arbiter of what is good music and what isn't."  Thanks, had a good laugh from that one.  Enjoy the song.  Peace and goodwill to you and yours.

Well I agree with you, William, even if no-one else does.

I like Dylan's songs however I'm not a big fan of his arrogant hipster crap...and don't get me wrong, I was there at the time...

The songs even from that period stand up today though- people don't have to know about the arrogant hipster- just the music...

He was and is a showman...a song and dance man. No persona is real.

BOB DYLAN IS GOD....
YOU´RE A TOTAL DEMENT.....

BIG SHIT ¡¡¡¡¡

My sweetheart singing her heart out...

best ver so far.

WOW!! That was pretty darn good.!!

when did she record this?

+Bill Lloyd http://lmgtfy.com/

+Eliezer Pennywhistler That was unhelpful. I guess you don't know.

Actually, I DO know ... and I know how to look things up.

Thanks!

Perfection, one of my favourite Dylan songs made even better, perhaps.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-cTq9yXVE6c

it s not bob dylan song sorry....

but Dylan sing a cover

Danke Linda ein superSong.

THE GREAT LINDA

Aside from the master himself, this is by far the best version I've heard of this song. But then again I am a Linda Ronstadt fan for all these years, bless you Linda..

and Nina Simone ? magic!

D Cameron Beautiful cover by Linda

aliasdyln33 "

Brian Ferry sings an outstanding cover in Dylanesque

Man she was so hot on that cover......

That cover hung on my bedroom wall back in the 70s. :)

And how

@Jay Gottfried she blew up like shelly winters @!

Peter North she’s ill, moron

Belle chanson, très difficile à interpréter aussi intensément que par son propre auteur de génie, sans avoir besoin de le citer.  Et bien que j'aime beaucoup le timbre de voix mélancholique de Judy Collins, je préfère la version de Linda et son atmosphère, on se laisse emporter par la formidabe instru!!

i thought of judy collins,and wow.found out she has also done it

well,she has a sweet voice.why not use it?

beautiful version

beautiful NINA SIMONE JUDY COLLINS AND LINDA RONDSTAT ARE MY FAV VERSION

Great version of a song composed or performed by Bob Dylan.... Now included in The Bob Dylan Project, Email: [email protected] Twitter: David George Freeman @BobDylanProject Excellent.

I, too, didn't know she ever recorded this song until I just found it more or less by accident.  It's an interesting cover that has its strong points, but I hardly the (or a) definitive version of the song.  Toward the end of the song she does justice in a few places to its ragged, down-and-out intensity.  But I have no idea why she chose to make the rest sound so incongruously sweet.  Her version of "Carmelita" makes clear she knows or knew how to do "down and out" very well.

I totally agree.  This is not the way to sing this song.  I imagine Joan B would have done it this way also.  It's got to be sung with some grit and grump.  If it floats like a bubble, then it pops and poofs into nothing.

xanadude, down and out is certainly a viable avenue and most go that route but sadder-and-wiser can also be the consequence of the singer's travails. This is freaking beautiful. Moving on..it was what it was...it is what it is...

Awesome! If you're a fan of this music, you may enjoy my original songs :) Come check it out by visiting my channel. Would love for you to listen. Thank you so much!

My current favorite version is by Oakland, Ca group, Whiskerman. Heard it on the radio, but had to pay one dollar to get it from Undercover Presents.  Well worth it!

oops  --  meant to include link for Whiskerman.  https://undercoverpresents.bandcamp.com/track/just-like-tom-thumbs-blues

Linda Ronstadt's Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues is terrific ! It is a shame though that just a few seconds are missing at the beginning - as I would like to download the song could you maybe send it to me by email ([email protected])- it would certainly make my day ! Greetings from France

Two people utterly changed from what they once were - Bob Dylan, of course, and also Linda Ronstadt. Are these the same human beings as before? Life is amazing.

This is no song for Linda !  I don't like it ... sorry

I agree.  Not convincing at all.

Likewise.