What's the meaning of Bob Dylan Song "Silvio"

[DemonDeac]

i love this Dylan song, but don't really understand what he's getting at. I usually do with his songs.

Here are the lyrics for those who want to read them:

[ QUOTE ]
Stake my future on a hell of a past
Looks like tomorrow is a coming on fast
Ain't complaining about what I got
Seen better times but who has not.


Silvio silver and gold
Won't buy back the beat of a heart grown cold
Silvio I gotta go
Find out something only dead men know.


Honest as the next jade rolling that stone
When I come and knockin' don't throw me no bone
I'm an old boll weevil looking for a home
If you don't like it you can leave me alone.


I can snap my fingers and require the rain
From a clear blue sky and turn it off again
I can stroke your body and relieve your pain
And charm the whistle of an evening train.


Silvio silver and gold
Won't buy back the beat of a heart grown cold
Silvio I gotta go
Find out something only dead men know


Give what I got until I got no more
I take what I get until I even the score
You know I love you and further more
When it is time to go you got an open door.


I can tell your fancy I can tell your plain
You give something up for ev'rything you gain
Since ev'ry pleasure's got an edge of pain
Pay for your ticket and don't complain.


Silvio silver and gold
Won't buy back the beat of a heart grown cold
Silvio I gotta go
Find out something only dead men know.

One of these days and it won't be long
Going down the valley and sing my song
I will sing it loud and sing it strong
Let the echo decide if I was right or wrong.

Silvio silver and gold
Won't buy back the beat of a heart grown cold
Silvio I gotta go
Find out something only dead men know.(repeat)

[/ QUOTE ]

quotes taken from letssingit.com


your thoughts? im curious as to what people think

[hoopsie44]

You must enjoy pain.

[J.R.]

these are robert hunter (grateful dead lyricist) lyrics, dylan only wrote the music. My quess is its loosely about Silvio Rodriguez , but that's just a guess cause hunter lyrics are obscure and cryptic. others have suggetsed its about Silvio Manuel from the writings of Carlos Castaneda or a character in Pushkin's short story "Vujstrel" ("Shot") named silvio who refuses to kill a young soldier in a duel because the other man had nothing to lose as he was still too young but then Silvio cames back to kill the younger man when he grows older.

"silvio" came out of an early robert hunter draft of the grateful dead song "black muddy river"
linkie (http://www.dead.net/RobertHunterArchive/files/HandwrittenLyrics/BlackMuddyRiver.html)

[DemonDeac]

cool. thanks

[somethingstupid]

I DONT KNOW

[Monkeyslacks]

Stick it in her pooper!