Bob Dylan Abandoned Love solo Other End Club NYC, NY, USA July 3 1975 Genuine Bootleg Series II (silver)>eac>X- (crowd removal) > Goody's additional lineage: iZotope RX8 Advanced (Wow & Flutter repaired) > TLH (FLAC Level 8; Align sector boundaries; .ffp) > foobar2000 (tag) 01 Abandoned Love 4:42 Live Lyrics: I can hear the turning of the key I’ve been deceived by the clown inside of me. I thought that he was righteous but he’s vain Oh, something’s telling me I wear a ball and chain. My patron saint is fighting with a ghost He’s always off somewhere when I need him most. The Spanish moon is rising on the hill But my heart is telling me I love ya still. I come back to the town from the flaming moon I see you in the street, I begin to swoon. I love to see you dress before the mirror Won’t you let me in your room one time before I disappear? Everybody’s wearing a disguise To hide what they’ve got left behind their eyes. But me, I can’t cover what I am Wherever the children go I’ll follow them. I can’t play the game no more, I can’t abide by their stupid rules which kept me sick inside They’ve been made by men who’ve given up the search Whose gods are dead and whose queens are in the church. I march in the parade of liberty But as long as I love you I’m not free. How long must I suffer such abuse Won’t you let me see you smile before I cut you loose? Send out for Saint John the Evangelist All my friends are drunk, they can be dismissed. My head says that it’s time to make a change But my heart is telling me I love ya but you’re strange. So step lightly, darling, near the wall Put on your heavy make-up, wear your shawl. Won’t you descend from the throne, from where you sit? Let me feel your love one more time before I abandon it.” "Here's a very interesting account by Joe Kivak of the night it was recorded at The Other End (now The Bitter End), a little club in Greenwich Village: "On a Thursday night in July 1975, I headed out to see Ramblin' Jack Elliott at The Bitter End in New York City. Because I wanted to learn his technique, I got there early enough to get a seat near the front so I could watch him play guitar. After the first set, a P.A. announcement told us we were welcome to stay for the second set if we honored the two-drink minimum. As the lights flashed on and I got up to leave, I glanced around the club and was stunned to see Bob Dylan seated toward the back with Jack, wearing the same striped tee shirt and leather jacket he had on in a photo with Patti Smith on the cover of the then-current Village Voice. Naturally, I sat right back down. There was absolutely no way I was leaving at that point. Soon, others began to notice him, too, so Jack and Bob left their seats and went backstage. But when the engineer set up another microphone, we knew Bob was going to sit in. The electricity in the room was tangible as the club began filling up with more bodies. Finally, Jack came out and started his set. After a couple of songs, he began "With God on Our Side." After the first few lines, he turned his head toward the back of the stage and said, "Bob, you want to help me out on this?" The place went nuts as Dylan walked onstage. I can still see that shy look on his face as he nervously squinted out into the audience. He was so nervous, in fact, that he didn't notice that the capo on his guitar was crooked and buzzing badly. Their first song was "Pretty Boy Floyd," with Bob singing harmony and his guitar buzzing right along. Then Jack started "How Long Blues." After the first verse, he looked at Bob in a way that seemed to ask him to sing a verse. Bob simply shook his head and mouthed something inaudible. When the song finished, however, Dylan began strumming his guitar. But since it was still buzzing, he asked Jack to trade instruments with him. At that moment, everyone in the room was in a trance; it's not every day one gets to hear an impromptu Bob Dylan performance in a tiny club. After a couple of lines, we realized he was performing a new song, with each line getting even better than the last. The song was "Abandoned Love," and it still is the most powerful performance I've ever heard. Ramblin' Jack started strumming along in the beginning, but he soon realized the rarity of the moment and stopped and stepped to the side. As Bob sang, the nervousness so evident earlier vanished completely. He was so moving. There he was, hitting us with new material, with everyone hanging on his every word. It was an incredible feeling to be in that small club listening to Bob Dylan perform a new song. We all felt we were watching history in the making. After he finished, he returned to his seat near the back of the club and quietly watched the rest of the show. Jack appeared so speechless and overwhelmed by Dylan's performance that he started his next song with Bob's buzzing guitar. Later, as we began filing out into the night onto Bleecker Street, we could see Bobby Dylan through the outside windows, leaning over his table and deep in conversation with someone, the candle in front of him highlighting his face. It's a moment I'll never forget.""