I Shall Be Released
Bob Dylan feat. Happy Traum Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴They say ev'rything can be replaced,
Yet ev'ry distance is not near.
So I remember ev'ry face
Of ev'ry man who put me here.
I see my light come shining
From the west unto the east.
Any day now, any day now,
I shall be released.
They say ev'ry man needs protection,
They say ev'ry man must fall.
Yet I swear I see my reflection
Some place so high above this wall.
I see my light come shining
From the west unto the east.
Any day now, any day now,
I shall be released.

Standing next to me in this lonely crowd,
Is a man who swears he's not to blame.
All day long I hear him shout so loud,
Crying out that he was framed.
I see my light come shining
From the west unto the east.

Any day now, any day now,
I shall be released.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Bob Dylan's "I Shall Be Released" paint a picture of the feelings of someone who is trapped, but hopeful for release. Dylan begins the verse by stating that everything can be replaced, but every distance is not near. The first line of the song could possibly be interpreted as the idea that regardless of the circumstances a person may find themselves in, they can eventually move on and find new things to fill that void. However, this may not necessarily make a difference if the distance between oneself and the thing they want to escape from is too great. Dylan then sings about how he remembers every face of every man who put him where he is. This sentiment can be interpreted as the idea that every person who has played a role in a difficult situation will always be remembered, even after the situation has ended. The next line, "I see my light come shining from the west unto the east", suggests that Dylan sees hope for his future and that he believes he will be released from his current situation soon.

The second verse talks a bit about the idea of protection versus falling, as Dylan sings about his reflection being high above the wall, despite the general idea that every man needs protection and will inevitably fall. The idea of protection may be interpreted both literally and figuratively; it could be interpreted as the idea that every person needs protection from harmful external factors, or it could be meant more symbolically, as the idea that everyone needs something to lean on or someone to help them through tough times in order to avoid falling into despair. Despite this, Dylan sees himself as being above these worries, and he believes he will be released soon.

The final verse is particularly poignant, as Dylan sings about a man who is standing next to him in a "lonely crowd" and who is shouting loudly about his innocence in the situation. This man is crying out that he was framed, and Dylan sees this as an indicator that there is hope for release. By the end of the song, Dylan repeats the line "any day now, any day now, I shall be released", emphasizing his hope for the future and his ultimate belief that he will be free from his current situation soon.

Line by Line Meaning

They say ev'rything can be replaced,
People claim that anything can be substituted,

Yet ev'ry distance is not near.
Nonetheless, physical separation cannot always be conquered.

So I remember ev'ry face
Because of this, I recall each and every individual,

Of ev'ry man who put me here.
Especially the men who played a role in my current circumstances.

I see my light come shining
Despite these troubles, I am beginning to see the brightness,

From the west unto the east.
Radiating from my current situation and extending to other horizons.

Any day now, any day now,
At any point, I could experience a positive change.

I shall be released.
And will finally be free from these hardships.

They say ev'ry man needs protection,
There is a common belief that every individual requires safety,

They say ev'ry man must fall.
But they also claim that everyone is destined to stumble.

Yet I swear I see my reflection
Despite this, I am confident that I can envision myself,

Some place so high above this wall.
In a space that surpasses the barriers that currently confine me.

Standing next to me in this lonely crowd,
In the midst of all these people, there is someone standing beside me,

Is a man who swears he's not to blame.
Who insists that he is not guilty for the difficulties we face.

All day long I hear him shout so loud,
Throughout the day, I hear his voice yelling with power,

Crying out that he was framed.
Proclaiming that he was falsely accused and set up.

Any day now, any day now,
Despite this chaos, I am holding onto hope that soon,

I shall be released.
I will be liberated from these troubles and heartaches.

Contributed by Sarah G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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