Robbie Robertson once shared the meaning behind one of Bob Dylan’s most elusive lyrics

Robbie Robertson once revealed the meaning behind one of Bob Dylan‘s best songs.

The Band member claimed Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands, which featured as the final song on the classic album, Blonde on Blonde, had its origins in a gift given to Dylan’s at-the-time wife, Sara Lownds.

Robertson said: “Sad Eyed Lady? Oh man, oh boy, that’s a good one. Bob had recently gotten married. We were down in Memphis at the studio and one day he comes in and tells us that he’d given his wife a set of Arabian goggles the night before. We all had a good laugh about that and someone said, ‘Hey Bob, you should work that into a song, to commemorate it,’ and Bob agreed.

“The problem was that this was the 60s, back then you couldn’t just talk about the Arabian goggles in a song, no way would a record label let you release that. But we had this term that we used in the band to refer to that part of the anatomy, you know, ‘drums’. ‘Whoowee, oh man, oh boy, my drums are sore from sitting on that tour bus all day!’ you’d say.”

Despite the explainer on where the “Arabian drums” line came from, Robertson remained stumped by another lyric featured in the song.

He added: “So Bob used that and it became ‘Arabian Drums’. I don’t know why he has warehouse eyes though. Maybe it means he plans to give her multiple sets of goggles, like a warehouse full? I don’t know. So there you are, that’s what that song is all about, the goggles – that’s why her eyes are sad!”

Dylan has never performed Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands at a concert before, and is unlikely to ever do so. Fans have shared their praise for the song on the r/BobDylan subreddit, where listeners suggested it is a “really well executed” piece of Dylan’s discography.

One fan wrote: “I get that the song may not be everyone’s cup of tea because of it’s eleven minute length but I feel like the length of the song gives the melancholic atmosphere more time to ruminate with the listener.

“It helps that I tend to be partial to long songs for the most part. I also really like the timbre on Bob’s face during the chorus. I’m not a musician so it’s hard to describe, I just really like how his voice sounds there.

“While being a love song, something I would learn after the fact, the lyrics give off an incredibly dreary vibe of a man and a woman beaten down by society, which I really like. Bob’s poetry here is at its most obtuse but when you look into what it means, it’s a beautiful ode to his then wife at the time.”

Another added: “I love it. Beautiful melody, evocative lyrics, really well executed. With all that, how could it be too long?”

A third noted: “I love this song, especially given the circumstances of its recording: If I remember correctly, it was the middle of the night and Dylan was tinkering around with the lyrics for hours while members of the band just played cards and hung out.

“Finally, at like 4am, Dylan tells the band he thinks he’s got something: he then goes on to nail the entire song on the first take. To me, that really adds to the romanticism of it. He was truly singing from the heart.”