☝️ Key Points
- The song tells the story of a person who goes from wealth and power to homelessness and loss
- The repeated question 'How does it feel?' confronts the character with their harsh new reality
- The character is unable to adapt to street life because no one taught them
- Betrayal is hinted at as the diplomat they relied on abandons them
- The title 'Like a Rolling Stone' serves as a metaphor for the character who is now free but also aimless and lost
Interpretation
The song 'Like a Rolling Stone' by
Bob Dylan is a narrative about the fall from the top to the bottom of society. It is about a person who was once rich and powerful but is now homeless and lost. The song begins with a reminiscence of the person's past when they were 'so well dressed' and threw coins at beggars. But now they have to 'beg for their next meal'.
The repeated question 'How does it feel?' is a direct confrontation with the harsh reality of the person who is now 'without a home' and 'like a complete unknown'.
The song lyrics also speak of the person's inability to adapt to their new life as they 'went to the finest schools' and 'nobody ever taught them how to live on the street'. There is a hint of betrayal when they find out that the diplomat on whose 'chrome horse' they rode was 'not really there when it mattered', after he 'stole everything he could steal' from them.
In the final verse, the person, who is now 'invisible' and 'has no secrets to conceal', is called to go to 'Napoleon in rags' as they 'have nothing to lose'. This can be understood as an invitation to face their new reality and learn to cope with their situation.
The title 'Like a Rolling Stone' can be seen as a metaphor for the person who is now free and unbound but also aimless and lost, similar to a rolling stone.