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Bob Dylan — Lay Lady Lay
Album: Nashville Skyline
Avg rating:
7.9

Your rating:
Total ratings: 2764









Released: 1969
Length: 3:15
Plays (last 30 days): 2
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Lay, lady, lay, lay across my big brass bed
Lay, lady, lay, lay across my big brass bed
Whatever colors you have in your mind
I'll show them to you and you'll see them shine

Lay, lady, lay, lay across my big brass bed
Stay, lady, stay, stay with your man awhile
Until the break of day, let me see you make him smile
His clothes are dirty but his hands are clean
And you're the best thing that he's ever seen

Stay, lady, stay, stay with your man awhile
Why wait any longer for the world to begin
You can have your cake and eat it too
Why wait any longer for the one you love
When he's standing in front of you

Lay, lady, lay, lay across my big brass bed
Stay, lady, stay, stay while the night is still ahead
I long to see you in the morning light
I long to reach for you in the night
Stay, lady, stay, stay while the night is still ahead
Comments (169)add comment
Not that I find his ‘other’’ voice that objectionable, but he should have  stuck with this one. At least for a few more albums.
Posted 2 months ago by RickRickerson    [ Reply ]
This is a wonderful album, and of course this song is special on that album.  I owe my love of this album and the Beatles especially to my mom.  They were her favorites when I was a young lad back in the 60’s and I got to run around the house singing the songs at the top of my lungs.  She was tickled when I did that, and now I am forever indebted to her for gifting me such a wonderful thing to appreciate. 
Posted 2 months ago by S-curvy    [ Reply ]
 dwlangham wrote:

If he can sing like this, why doesn't he sing like this?




"When asked about this new baritone sound, his explanation was simple, “I tell you,” he told Jann S. Wenner, “You stop smoking those cigarettes, and you’ll be able to sing like Caruso.”

Now that Bob’s larynx was freed up from choking on smoke, he was able to smoothly pipe out sounds to sit harmoniously alongside Johnny Cash’s dulcet tones on the records cover of Girl From The North Country."

https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/w...


Posted 5 months ago by surfool    [ Reply ]
 mdnlsn wrote:

His chosen voice inflection of this period has just a hint of Kermit the Frog that I can't quite get past.



Good thing he never mentions Miss Piggy
Posted 5 months ago by PatfromXenia    [ Reply ]
 rhyfelgar wrote:

Gracious. A Bob Dylan song I don't hate!



Calm down and take the door on the right.
Posted 7 months ago by johnfiva    [ Reply ]
 dwlangham wrote:

If he can sing like this, why doesn't he sing like this?



the story I heard was that he had quit smoking some time before. Doubtful.
Posted 10 months ago by phlattop    [ Reply ]
Oh my lord, this song just oozes long, lingering kisses.
Posted 1 year ago by GingerandMe    [ Reply ]
 MKoMOne wrote:
Sounds like Mac Davis singing it...Doesn't it ?


I agree with you; I wasn't sure this was Dylan for many years...
Posted 1 year ago by rezadent    [ Reply ]
 dwlangham wrote:

If he can sing like this, why doesn't he sing like this?


Bob Dylan had quit smoking for some time before recording this album.  He took it again afterwards. 
Posted 2 years ago by DunstanBurke    [ Reply ]
Ah, the "other" Bob Dylan voice.

So odd how he does that.
Posted 2 years ago by bialia    [ Reply ]
 dwlangham wrote:

If he can sing like this, why doesn't he sing like this?



allegedly he suffered an accident / supuestamente sufrió un accidente...¿sera cierto? 
Posted 2 years ago by sergioso    [ Reply ]
Sounds like Mac Davis singing it...Doesn't it ?
Posted 2 years ago by MKoMOne    [ Reply ]
Mazzy Star to B Dylan - v smooth segue, Bill. You’ve still got it! Thanks! pxd
Posted 2 years ago by pxd    [ Reply ]

Robert Allen Zimmerman - a.k.a. Razza

Posted 2 years ago by garrettb    [ Reply ]
heh, this was the first Dylan album I ever heard (thanks to my older sister), so though this was his music and how he always sounded...and played with Johnny Cash.  His next albums turned me around, lol.
Posted 2 years ago by Chwkbud    [ Reply ]
 Greyerwrit wrote:

If he can sing like this, why doesn't he sing like this?

At the time, he said the difference was that he quit smoking.




Cohen was the same. It seems to be a Jewish thing.
Posted 2 years ago by cosmicjoe54    [ Reply ]
great album for those who haven't heard the rest of it.
Posted 2 years ago by phlattop    [ Reply ]
I told you he could sing.
Posted 2 years ago by bayarea747    [ Reply ]
 dwlangham wrote:

If he can sing like this, why doesn't he sing like this?


Well, he could sing like that then.
Sometimes things change as you get older . . .
Posted 3 years ago by On_The_Beach    [ Reply ]
dwlangham wrote:

If he can sing like this, why doesn't he sing like this?

At the time, he said the difference was that he quit smoking.

Posted 3 years ago by Greyerwrit    [ Reply ]
 RabbitEars wrote:
an excellent cover

for those who misunderstood, this is a version of the song by Cassandra Wilson
Posted 3 years ago by RabbitEars    [ Reply ]
 dwlangham wrote:

If he can sing like this, why doesn't he sing like this?



This song is the only reason most of us tuned into Dylan back in the day. Rolling Stone may have been another. All the rest is better in other voices.
Posted 3 years ago by hbmcc    [ Reply ]
I remember loving this song in 7th grade, my friends gave me crap about it. So much for female friendship in school years...music is an amazing friend for life (PS not his strongest lyrical effort!)
Posted 3 years ago by xcranky_yankee    [ Reply ]
 user4176 wrote:


It's called a self-cover, or covie for the generation smartphone.
 
Or the Casandra Wilson cover in the link is what was being referenced
Posted 3 years ago by lizardking    [ Reply ]
nope
Posted 4 years ago by teeyodi    [ Reply ]
Gracious. A Bob Dylan song I don't hate!
Posted 4 years ago by rhyfelgar    [ Reply ]
 dwlangham wrote:
If he can sing like this, why doesn't he sing like this?
 

This comment is among the best ever here
Posted 4 years ago by justin4kick    [ Reply ]
'Lay Lady' can be a request and/or an offer.
"Lady lay" can be an order, a command.
"Lay Lady Lay" can be both or neither.
It may be everything but maybe it is just nothing.
Pure poetry.
How can anyone think this work is not brilliant?

(And what about the man?
Forget the man: keep the work.
Otherwise you lose both.)
Posted 4 years ago by thais    [ Reply ]
His chosen voice inflection of this period has just a hint of Kermit the Frog that I can't quite get past.
Posted 4 years ago by mdnlsn    [ Reply ]
Really enjoying the music tonight Bill.
Thanks.
Posted 4 years ago by ace-marc    [ Reply ]
This is always beautiful to hear
Posted 4 years ago by stephen.king12101    [ Reply ]
 RabbitEars wrote:
an excellent cover
 
Thanks for the link, friend.  Very different and unusual interpretation.
Posted 4 years ago by DaidyBoy    [ Reply ]
stay with your man a whaylle...
Posted 5 years ago by marysclark    [ Reply ]
 AhhtheMusic wrote:
 RabbitEars wrote:
an excellent cover
 Hmmm, I believe Mr. Dylan wrote this song.  

 

It's called a self-cover, or covie for the generation smartphone.
Posted 5 years ago by user4176    [ Reply ]
 RabbitEars wrote:
an excellent cover
 Hmmm, I believe Mr. Dylan wrote this song.  

Posted 5 years ago by AhhtheMusic    [ Reply ]
an excellent cover
Posted 5 years ago by RabbitEars    [ Reply ]
 Lazarus wrote:
Everybody in my hotel room loves this beautiful song...  we be dancing like happy hippies...  love Radio Paradise, which is the best radio station on the planet Earth...
 
Love these comments Lazarus.  Curious that they link to a Cowboy Junkies song.
Posted 5 years ago by westslope    [ Reply ]
My friend and I are drinking coffee and doubting that this is Bob Dylan.....we concur......this is not a cover This is Zimmy!
Posted 5 years ago by Michaeljcovel    [ Reply ]
This entire album was ahead of its time, as a pioneering product of what we would come to define as a cross-over. Hey Bill, how about playing "Girl from the North Country" with Johnny Cash from this album?
Posted 5 years ago by NickDanger    [ Reply ]
I still remember way back in the 1980s when this came on the radio in the family car... we're all going down the road in an awkward silence while Bob Dylan croons about laying his girlfriend in his brass bed.
Posted 6 years ago by timmus    [ Reply ]
as charlotte gainsbourg (daughter of serge) once said in an interview: when she asked her father about what one has to learn about music - he played her thisversion of  lay lady lay and said "here this is all you need to know - it contains all the essence" ;-)
Posted 6 years ago by saellig668552    [ Reply ]
it's like coming way too late for a party
Posted 6 years ago by jambo    [ Reply ]
 lizardking wrote:

As long as you're OK w/ 1) teaching me how to skin a mule while 2) not being a gypsy and 3) having non-bowlegs or 4) not pigeon-toed either....and 5) I'm not the best dancer either!!  Put I'm sure I'd get down with that fun filled hotel room of yours.

And in all seriousness, you are WITHOUT a doubt one of my favs on here Laz, hell you ARE my favorite poster.  

Stay cool bro!!  PEACE and Long Live RP!!

 
Get a hotel room!  {#Smile}
Posted 6 years ago by Webfoot    [ Reply ]
 Lazarus wrote:

Everybody in my hotel room loves this song so much!!  You are welcome here anytime, lizardking...  we be dancing like bowlegged gypsy muleskinners...  love Radio Paradise!

 
As long as you're OK w/ 1) teaching me how to skin a mule while 2) not being a gypsy and 3) having non-bowlegs or 4) not pigeon-toed either....and 5) I'm not the best dancer either!!  But I'm sure I'd get down with that fun filled hotel room of yours.

And in all seriousness, you are WITHOUT a doubt one of my favs on here Laz, hell you ARE my favorite poster.  

Stay cool bro!!  PEACE and Long Live RP!!

Posted 6 years ago by lizardking    [ Reply ]
One of the few songs that Dylan has done, that I prefer his singing, then a good singing voice covering.  Great song
Posted 6 years ago by melzabutch    [ Reply ]
 lizardking wrote:

Rock-on, Laz...I really gotta try hanging in that crowded hotel room with y'all sometime.  Hope you're enjoying life right now. PEACE and Long Live RP!!
 
Everybody in my hotel room loves this song so much!!  You are welcome here anytime, lizardking...  we be dancing like bowlegged gypsy muleskinners...  love Radio Paradise!
Posted 6 years ago by Lazarus    [ Reply ]
 Lazarus wrote:
Everybody in my hotel room loves this beautiful song...  we be dancing like happy hippies...  love Radio Paradise, which is the best radio station on the planet Earth...

 
Rock-on, Laz...I really gotta try hanging in that crowded hotel room with y'all sometime.  Hope you're enjoying life right now. PEACE and Long Live RP!!
Posted 6 years ago by lizardking    [ Reply ]
Everybody in my hotel room loves this beautiful song...  we be dancing like happy hippies...  love Radio Paradise, which is the best radio station on the planet Earth...
Posted 6 years ago by Lazarus    [ Reply ]

Liking or disliking Dylan, I suppose, comes down to how you were introduced to him and what your expectations are from the music you listen to; if you want energy and something to dance to, he's not for you.  If you want deep and thoughtful song-writing with typically simple and effective (and in his later years, rather excellent guitar work IMO) music well he's your man. 

At the very least take yourself way back to 1965 (or watch the press conference in like 6 parts on Utube) and imagine just how freaking awesome he was; his message, his "I'm too cool to answer your silly newspaper/magazine questions, you just don't get what I'm about man" - sometimes I wish I had been alive then (of course, knowing everything I know now {#Cheesygrin} ) anyway - I should probably get to work and just enjoy the tunes for now.

 

Great set so far this AM BillG, as usual - thanks for getting me through another day at the plant.


Posted 7 years ago by lizardking    [ Reply ]
❤️
Posted 7 years ago by hayduke2    [ Reply ]

Posted 7 years ago by deepwoodskev    [ Reply ]
 EdEastridge wrote:

When I was (much) younger, I swore this was Mac Davis… {#Eek}

  Those weights don't look very user-friendly...I always wanted to see Bobby Z. pump iron!


Posted 8 years ago by treatment_bound    [ Reply ]
I agree with ThePoose. A fine song, however, one of the few that does not benefit from more cowbell.
Posted 8 years ago by nek    [ Reply ]
Way overplayed in the early 70's.  Didn't like it then, still don't. PSD
Posted 8 years ago by steuss    [ Reply ]
I hated this song back when it came out, now in the occasional RP mix it's okay, kinda lame but okay now and then
Posted 8 years ago by Skydog    [ Reply ]
 primm wrote:
this tune was originally tagged for the sound track midnight cowboy but never happened. a great tune none the less

 
No movies. This is MUSIC.
Posted 8 years ago by Dosequis    [ Reply ]
More cowbell...wait...enough cowbell!
Posted 8 years ago by ThePoose    [ Reply ]
 CowboyJJ wrote:
Wow, had no idea this was Dylan until now!

 
When I was (much) younger, I swore this was Mac Davis… {#Eek}

I got betta! 
Posted 8 years ago by eeastridge    [ Reply ]
Wow, had no idea this was Dylan until now!
Posted 8 years ago by CowboyJJ    [ Reply ]
Great song from a great album. One of my favs
Posted 8 years ago by jgrosch    [ Reply ]
Who is this strange Bob Dylan wanna-be? 
Posted 9 years ago by ericdaryl    [ Reply ]
this tune was originally tagged for the sound track midnight cowboy but never happened. a great tune none the less
Posted 9 years ago by primm    [ Reply ]
What the HELL is he saying?! Awful.
Posted 9 years ago by stalfnzo    [ Reply ]
imo an exceptional song in all ways!  
Posted 9 years ago by hayduke2    [ Reply ]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hyxqozlP-o
Posted 9 years ago by RabbitEars    [ Reply ]
 hempmandan wrote:
Too bad there isn't a 9.5 rating...
 
 
Splitting hairs...really?
Posted 9 years ago by jkhandy    [ Reply ]
10! 
Posted 9 years ago by jkhandy    [ Reply ]
Too bad there isn't a 9.5 rating...
 
Posted 9 years ago by hempmandan    [ Reply ]
 dwlangham wrote:
If he can sing like this, why doesn't he sing like this?

 
I can't normally take the affectations from the man, but I bloody love this song.
Posted 9 years ago by DaidyBoy    [ Reply ]
 Ag3nt0rang3 wrote:
Would love to hear the Ministry cover of this, here. (I'm only half joking)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ms7hd4e_EFg

 
that is a really good version.
Posted 10 years ago by jpfueler    [ Reply ]
 moodfood wrote:

The story goes that Dylan had quit smoking during the Nashville recordings, hence the improved quality of his voice here.

 
Improved Quality?? Still sounds like he's singing through a mouthful of mashed potatoes to me. Which is actually kind of nice because it masks his searching for the correct notes. I just don't get Dylan.
Posted 10 years ago by stalfnzo    [ Reply ]
 bb_matt wrote:
Love this song, but seems so odd that his voice sounds so different in this era?
Some sort of effects in the recording?

 

 
The story goes that Dylan had quit smoking during the Nashville recordings, hence the improved quality of his voice here.
Posted 10 years ago by moodfood    [ Reply ]
And me too!!!


msymmes wrote:
Me too !!!!   {#Yell}
 
Peter_Bradshaw wrote:
{#Bananapiano}  Wonderful Stuff - Godlike 4me
 



 


Posted 10 years ago by vanmas    [ Reply ]
Me too !!!!   {#Yell}
 
Peter_Bradshaw wrote:
{#Bananapiano}  Wonderful Stuff - Godlike 4me
 


Posted 10 years ago by msymmes    [ Reply ]
 bb_matt wrote:
Love this song, but seems so odd that his voice sounds so different in this era?
Some sort of effects in the recording?

 

 

Agree. For he longest time I didn't even realize it was Dylan.
Posted 10 years ago by Rick_V    [ Reply ]
Love this song, but seems so odd that his voice sounds so different in this era?
Some sort of effects in the recording?

 
Posted 10 years ago by bb_matt    [ Reply ]
{#Bananapiano}  Wonderful Stuff - Godlike 4me
Posted 10 years ago by Peter_Bradshaw    [ Reply ]
Would love to hear the Ministry cover of this, here. (I'm only half joking)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ms7hd4e_EFg
Posted 11 years ago by Ag3nt0rang3    [ Reply ]
big stud Romeo Tuma wrote:

Everybody in my hotel room loves this magnificent song...

Bob Dylan has a new album out called Tempest...  if you would like to see some details about his new album, look here...
 

I be the holy ghost of big stud Romeo Tuma...  you can still look there...  love this song...
 
Posted 11 years ago by Lazarus    [ Reply ]
 leunam wrote:
Gracias, Bob  eres exteaordinario.... y Lay es mi favorita.

 
And mine as well!
Posted 11 years ago by justin4kick    [ Reply ]
If he can sing like this, why doesn't he sing like this?
Posted 11 years ago by dwlangham    [ Reply ]
Gracias, Bob  eres exteaordinario.... y Lay es mi favorita.
Posted 11 years ago by leunam    [ Reply ]
This song shows that the rest of his career was a waste of talent.

Harsh? Yeah, I know, but there's only so much of his normal singing voice that I can stand before I start listening to the lyrics and really begin to wonder wtf everyone else is thinking.

Stupid? Yes, I admit he has written some great songs with great lyrics.

But I forget all that when I hear anything from Nashville Skyline and wonder why this sound wasn't his first move.
Posted 11 years ago by dwlangham    [ Reply ]
 gfalkner wrote:
'Blonde on Blonde', followed by 'Lay Lady Lay'. brilliant!
 
Yesssss !
Posted 11 years ago by FrnaZ    [ Reply ]
Gracias, Bill, me encanta esta canción
(Manuel desde Venezuela).
Posted 11 years ago by leunam    [ Reply ]
The chance of all rear turn signals blinking at the same time...is the similar occurrence when a Bob Dylan song doesn't SUCK. I actually kinda like this one. Go figure. 
Posted 11 years ago by ziakut    [ Reply ]
Ah, back in the day when he would actually, you know, SING instead of mumbling incoherently.
Posted 11 years ago by Catalytic    [ Reply ]
What I want to know is how did he get his voice to sound good?
Posted 12 years ago by Bobert_ParkCity    [ Reply ]
My rating just raised the average from 7.9 to an 8.
Posted 12 years ago by Jared    [ Reply ]

Maybe the first time hearing this on RP...    In any event.  It is simple.   A TEN !!

 
Posted 12 years ago by msymmes    [ Reply ]
 eroz wrote:

Hearing this song over the years, I thought it was done by a country singer. I just now realized it was Bob Dylan singing. Normally I dislike the sound of his voice...but I actually like the sound of it on ths song. Unbelievable.

 
To me this has always had an early 70s Country/Pop crossover feel to it. I would never have guessed it was Dylan. 
Posted 12 years ago by handyrae    [ Reply ]
love and hate him at the same time...
Posted 12 years ago by matude    [ Reply ]
'Blonde on Blonde', followed by 'Lay Lady Lay'. brilliant!
Posted 12 years ago by gfalkner    [ Reply ]
I want to hear Lyle Lovett cover this song ...
Posted 12 years ago by WayUpNorth    [ Reply ]
 Misterfixit wrote:
You're gonna cringe, but there is a Conway Twitty sound to this.  Always has been.
 
Conwa Twitty singing about a big brass bed. I think not.
Posted 12 years ago by funkyalfonso    [ Reply ]

Hearing this song over the years, I thought it was done by a country singer. I just now realized it was Bob Dylan singing. Normally I dislike the sound of his voice...but I actually like the sound of it on ths song. Unbelievable.


Posted 12 years ago by eroz    [ Reply ]
You're gonna cringe, but there is a Conway Twitty sound to this.  Always has been.
Posted 12 years ago by Misterfixit    [ Reply ]
{#Daisy}
Posted 12 years ago by bluecshells    [ Reply ]
Funny thing about this song, I actually think Bob sounds terrible and the song is not that good but I love it anyway!{#Lol}8
Posted 12 years ago by sirdroseph    [ Reply ]
 thais wrote:
Oh, well.
Lots of people hate this music.
Lots of people love this music.
Unanimity is stupidity.
This is why Dylan is a genious: nobody is able to be insensible before him...
 
Yes, except for that last sentence....which I will reinterpret as, "This is why Dylan is a genius: no-one can be unaffected by him", but only because insensible is difficult for many.....and yes I am being a pedant.
Posted 12 years ago by oldsaxon    [ Reply ]
gorgeous, reminds me of a couple of wonderful women I had a relationship with in college. Hearing this brings those fond memories back. Wherever those two women are, I wish them well.
Posted 12 years ago by Johnny-smooth    [ Reply ]
Sexy...{#Whipit}
Posted 12 years ago by dragonlady    [ Reply ]
 Gs_Girl wrote:
I always hated this song. It just doesn't sound like Bob, and I can't stand his voice here. Blech.
 

I have the opposite reaction to this song.  I think is one of the very few songs where he can actually carry a tune.  It's still not a favorite, but I think it's worth a 4.
Posted 12 years ago by TJS    [ Reply ]
"This album, especially this song, had major impact in 1969. Just a few years after Dylan shocked the folk world by going electric, even as Hendrix hit his commercial peak and Led Zep released their first disk, Dylan took another radical turn. This remains an epic song."

As commented above earlier in this thread this was an EPIC song.  Never before had a song referenced a lady in someone's bed, especially in north Florida where I was at the UF.  I almost ran off the road when I first heard it as this subject was s-o-o-o-o tabu; to allude to something like this on the air.  It instantly became an anthem of sorts (along with Country Joe's "Pinebox Blues") for us fledging broadcasters in our programmimg attempts to bring local music out of the 40s and into the 60s.  It still rates a solid 9 to me, if nothing else for the personal memories it evokes of a heady time when we thought our generation could really make a difference.   

Posted 12 years ago by Andy_B    [ Reply ]
Oh, well.
Lots of people hate this music.
Lots of people love this music.
Unanimity is stupidity.
This is why Dylan is a genious: nobody is able to be insensible before him...
Posted 12 years ago by thais    [ Reply ]
 DaMoGan wrote:


This.

I didn't even realize it was Dylan for the longest time.
 
I had the same surprise. Actually preferring this voice to his usual scratchy one.
Posted 12 years ago by ovidiu    [ Reply ]
I do like this very much.   {#Clap}
Posted 12 years ago by LizK    [ Reply ]
 ScottN wrote:
A misstep for Dylan, imo. Puzzling to me that it is so popular.
 

This.

I didn't even realize it was Dylan for the longest time.

Posted 12 years ago by DaMoGan    [ Reply ]
At least he's not screeching that stream-of-consciousness bullshit that apparently represents the rest of his work.
Posted 12 years ago by mbolch30307    [ Reply ]
{#Clap}
Posted 12 years ago by shellbella    [ Reply ]
I understood it was written for the film Midnight Cowboy but Dylan delivered the song late so they used Everybody's Talking by Nilsson instead.
Posted 18 years ago by Paul_in_Australia    [ Reply ]
A misstep for Dylan, imo. Puzzling to me that it is so popular.
Posted 18 years ago by ScottN    [ Reply ]
Great song from an excellent album!
Posted 18 years ago by jcs    [ Reply ]
I know its blasphemous but I've never liked this Dylan tune. Not as bad as some of the Cash/Dylan session outtakes though.
Posted 18 years ago by teeyodi    [ Reply ]
I only spare this from a 1 rating because I refuse, on principle, to call anything "Sucko-barfo".
Posted 18 years ago by winter    [ Reply ]
Love it. Check avatar....
Posted 18 years ago by Dylan76    [ Reply ]
I always hated this song. It just doesn't sound like Bob, and I can't stand his voice here. Blech.
Posted 18 years ago by Gs_Girl    [ Reply ]
At least I can understand his lyrics for once. My highest rated Dylan song.
Posted 18 years ago by wade44    [ Reply ]
Never liked this song. Sorry
Posted 18 years ago by BikeCoachDave    [ Reply ]
Sobient wrote:
It doesn't sound like Bob dylan! Is this in his earlier years?
I believe he quit smoking for a while and this was the result. Edit: Oops, looks like this has already been previously discussed by others.
Posted 18 years ago by kazuma    [ Reply ]