TV Talking Song
Bob Dylan · Original Album Classics [2010]
Past the place called Hyde Park where people talk
About all kinds of different gods they have their point of view
To anyone passing by and it's who they're talking to.
There was someone on the platform talking to the folks
About the TV god and all the pain that it invokes
It's too bright a light he said for anybody's eyes
If you've never seen one it's bleesing in disguise.
I moved in closer got up on my toes
Two men in front of me were coming to blows
A man was saying something about children when they're young
Being sacrificed that's why lullabies are being sung.
The news of the day is on all the time
All the latest gossip all the latest rhyme
You mind is you temple keep it beautiful and free
Don't let an egg get laid in there by something you can't see.
Pray for people he said you could feel it in the crowd
My thoughts began to wander but his voice was ringing loud
It will destroy you family your happy home is gone
No one can protect you from it once you turn it on.
It will lead you in to some strange pursuits
Lead you to the land of forbidden fruits
Scramble up your head and drag your brain about
Sometimes you got to do like Elvis did and shoot the damn thing out.
It's all been designed he said to make you loose your mind
And when you go back to find it there's nothing there to find
Every time you look at it your situations worse
If you feel it grabbing out for you send for the nurse.
The crowd began to riot and they grabbed hold of the man
There was pushing there was showing and everybody ran
The TV crew was there to film it they jumped right over me
Later on that evening I watched it on TV.
TV Talking Song
Bob Dylan's "TV Talking Song" appears on the 2010 compilation Original Album Classics, serving as a reflective addition to his extensive catalog of television-themed material. While not a staple of his most famous recordings, the track fits within his broader exploration of media's impact on society, a recurring motif in his work from the 1960s through later decades. The song's placement on a retrospective collection highlights its role as a minor but distinct song in his discography, offering a specific perspective on the cultural landscape of his era. Like many of his lesser-known tracks, it relies on his signature poetic phrasing and melodic structure to convey a sense of detachment and observation, characteristic of his approach to documenting modern life through music.