After last week’s challenge of choosing the closing track of an album it is of course entirely logical that this time Jim is looking for an opening track.
Not too long ago, I featured Roxy Music’s ‘Remake/Remodel’, the opening track of their debut album. However,this was by no means Bob Dylan’s first LP (as we crusties used to call them). In fact, ‘Blonde on Blonde’, released in 1966 was his fifth, but the first double, album, and it gets off to a rollicking start with this.

Oh, well, they’ll stone ya when you’re tryin’ to be so good
Yeah, they’ll stone ya just like they said they would
They’ll stone ya when you’re tryin’ to go home
Then they’ll stone ya when you’re there all alone
But I would not feel so all alone
Everybody must get stoned

Oh, now, they’ll stone ya when you’re walkin’ ‘long the street
They’ll stone ya when you’re tryin’ to keep your seat
They’ll stone ya when you’re walkin’ on the floor
And they’ll stone ya when you’re walkin’ to the door
But I would not feel so all alone
Everybody must get stoned

Oh, now they stone ya when you’re at the breakfast table
Yeah, they’ll stone ya when you are young and able
They’ll stone ya when you’re tryin’ to make a buck
They’ll stone ya and then they’ll say, good luck
Tell ya what, I would not feel so all alone
Oh, everybody must get stoned

They’ll stone ya then they’ll say that’s the end
They’ll stone ya then they’ll come back again
They’ll stone ya when you’re ridin’ in your car
Oh, they stone ya when you’re playin’ your guitar
Yes, I would not feel so all alone
Everybody must get stoned

Oh, they’ll stone ya when you walk all alone
They’ll stone ya when you’re tryin’ to go home
They’ll stone ya when you’re set down in your grave
Oh, they’ll stone ya, then they’ll say
Hey, you’re brave
I would not feel so all alone
Oh, everybody must get stoned

Written by Bob Dylan

Song Lyric Sunday 10 August 2025