“I need a dump truck baby to unload my head”

My first thought on seeing this week’s Song Lyric Sunday prompt was the Beach Boys’ ‘Fun, Fun, Fun’. However, when I typed that into Tags it came up as already present there. Did this mean I’d already used it?

Indeed it did – although perhaps I could be forgiven for having forgotten, as it was back in 2018. Looking back at that post, I saw that I’d written that my first thought then had been Bob Dylan’s ‘From A Buick 6’ and the only reason I didn’t go with it was because I’d been a bit heavy on the Dylan in earlier weeks. Anyway, here it is now.

I got this graveyard woman, you know she keeps my kids
But my soulful mama, you know she keeps me hid
She’s a junkyard angel and she always gives me bread
Well, if I go down dyin’ you know she bound to put a blanket on my bed

Well, when the pipeline gets broken and I’m lost on the river bridge
I’m all cracked up on the highway and on the water’s edge
She comes down the thruway ready to sew me up with the thread
Well, if I go down dyin’ you know she bound to put a blanket on my bed

Well, she don’t make me nervous, she don’t talk too much
She walks like Bo Diddley and she don’t need no crutch
She keeps this four-ten all loaded with lead
Well, if I go down dyin’ you know she bound to put a blanket on my bed

Well, you know I need a steam shovel mama to keep away the dead
I need a dump truck baby to unload my head
She brings me everything and more, and just like I said
Well, if I go down dyin’ you know she bound to put a blanket on my bed

Written by Bob Dylan

Song Lyric Sunday 26 October 2025