I was unable to find a youtube video of the studio recording, so I'm posting a live version. A link to the studio version is here: Biograph version...
The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll is Bob Dylan's take on the killing of 51 year old African-American barmaid Hattie Carroll by a drunk rich white asshole named William Zantzinger. During a charity ball in Baltimore in 1963, Hattie, who had health issues, didn't respond immediately to this guy's request for a drink, so he hit her with his cane and she died hours later from a stroke. Zantzinger only served six months and was fined $625.00. He eventually died in 2009.
It's just Dylan and his guitar. The lyrics describe the event and court case like a news story. The refrain is:
And you who philosophize disgrace and criticize all fears
Take the rag away from your face
Now ain't the time for your tears.
Dylan expects people to be outraged by the story, don't cry about it, speak out. When the ruling finally comes down and justice does not prevail, Dylan allows that now's the time for your tears.
and as a unrelated side note: Bob Zimmerman received the Nobel peace prize, now just who is this Bob Zimmerman, no one may ever know.....
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