Bob Dylan - Black Diamond Bay (Official Audio) 

I know that Bob Dylan's singing does not usually get a lot of compliments, but I personally love his vocal performances throughout this álbum.

One of the most underrated Dylan songs. My uncle chose this song for his funeral and it choked me up enough that now I sing it in the middle of every funeral ceremony I go to.

Desire has to be my favourite Dylan album. Emmylou Harris' backing vocals just add so much.

Lyrics Up on the white veranda She wears a necktie and a Panama hat Her passport shows a face From another time and place She looks nothing like that And all the remnants of her recent past Are scattered in the wild wind She walks across the marble floor Where a voice from the gambling room is callin' her to come on in She smiles, walks the other way As the last ship sails and the moon fades away From Black Diamond Bay As the morning light breaks open, the Greek comes down And he asks for a rope and a pen that will write Pardon, monsieur, the desk clerk says Carefully removes his fez Am I hearing you right And as the yellow fog is lifting The Greek is quickly heading for the second floor She passes him on the spiral staircase Thinking he's the Soviet Ambassador She starts to speak, but he walks away As the storm clouds rise and the palm branches sway On Black Diamond Bay A soldier sits beneath the fan Doing business with a tiny man who sells him a ring Lightning strikes, the lights blow out The desk clerk wakes and begins to shout Can you see anything Then the Greek appears on the second floor In his bare feet with a rope around his neck While a loser in the gambling room lights up a candle Says, open up another deck But the dealer says, attendez-vous, s'il vous plait As the rain beats down and the cranes fly away From Black Diamond Bay The desk clerk heard the woman laugh As he looked around the aftermath and the soldier got tough He tried to grab the woman's hand Said, here's a ring, it cost a grand She said, that ain't enough Then she ran upstairs to pack her bags While a horse-drawn taxi waited at the curb She passed the door that the Greek had locked Where a handwritten sign read, do not disturb She knocked upon it anyway As the sun went down and the music did play On Black Diamond Bay I've got to talk to someone quick But the Greek said, go away, and he kicked the chair to the floor He hung there from the chandelier She cried, help, there's danger near Please open up the door Then the volcano erupted And the lava flowed down from the mountain high above The soldier and the tiny man were crouched in the corner Thinking of forbidden love But the desk clerk said, it happens every day As the stars fell down and Blooms fade away On Black Diamond Bay As the island slowly sank The loser finally broke the bank in the gambling room The dealer said, it's too late now You can take your money, but I don't know how You'll spend it in the tomb The tiny man bit the soldier's ear As the floor caved in and the boiler in the basement blew While she's out on the balcony, where a stranger tells her My darling, je vous aime beaucoup She sheds a tear and then begins to pray As the fire burns on and the smoke drifts away From Black Diamond Bay I was sitting home alone one night in L.A. Watching old Cronkite on the seven o'clock news It seems there was an earthquake that Left nothing but a Panama hat And a pair of old Greek shoes Didn't seem like much was happening So I turned it off and went to grab another beer Seems like every time you turn around There's another hard-luck story that you're gonna hear And there's really nothing anyone can say And I never did plan to go anyway To Black Diamond Bay

It is heaven to be able to hear these on RU-vid. Dylan's my fave.

This isn’t a song-it’s an epic! Brilliant lyrics and clever incongruous upbeat melody. How does Dylan write such amazing songs using ordinary words.Where have I been all these years to have missed this song?

This is up there in my top 10 of Bob's songs for me . Bought this album when it came out . Loved it then , love it now.

The drumming on this track is just fantastic, it follows the lyrics storyline bit by bit. This is one of my favorite Dylan songs, I love to listen to it, eyes closed & headphones on, while on the road. It just melts right into my consciousness.

This entire album is a masterpiece

Scarlett Rivera adds so much to this theatrical melodic performance. Delightful "Desire" and so much more.

At last on You Tube. This song transports me back to late 1975 and early 1976. One of my faves from Mr.Dylan.

One of the best songs I ever heard nobody better

I'd love to see a 2 hour movie version of this song 🥴👍 A storytelling masterpiece.

Woody Allen used to say "In comedy, there's Groucho..then everyone else." Well, in modern music songwriting there's His Bobness...and everyone else. Within 7min. he tells a far more complex story than most 2hr movies. Truly incredible.

Of all the things my father gave me throughout his lifetime, the one I truly cherish the most is his love of music (particularly Dylan, The Grateful Dead, Allman Bros., etc.). I can remember playing with transformers on the floor of our family room when I first heard this song and even then, I was throughly intrigued by it. Now, in my 40’s, when I hear this song I am 6 again and for a brief series of moments all of my trauma, anxiety and depression subside. Thank you for sharing this and keeping the legacy of REAL MUSIC alive…

Bob Dylan deserved he Nobel Prize for many reasons, but especially one moreover any other, in my opinion: His art never ends.

As storytelling goes this is up there with Lily Rosemary etc. Absolutely epic, I just love it

I like the writing style of Desire album, each song is like a sequence from films that only Dylan can write.

My best track from "Desire" (Dylan's masterpiece from 70's) finally here!

Black diamond bay and lily, rosemary and the jack of hearts, are such great works of poetry where your imagination runs wild, picturing the screens that reflect the words. Dylan is a genius. Up there with Shakespeare & dickens.

one of my favourite songs ever. i feel like this story needs to be made into a movie

Finally, all this beautifull songs are available.

Seems like every time you turn around There's another hard luck story you're gonna hear

A whole novel compressed into a 7 minute song Masterful

My fave from the Desire album. All the songs on that album are amazing!!!

I'm in heaven when this song happens....lost, alone, a tank O Gas, smokes, an open Hiway, thanks Bob!!!!

It's my favourite song on the Desire album. It's underated .

Finally this song! Love the Desire album and era.

I just thought of this song after seeing footage of the La Palma volcano on the news. Oh well, I don't know what to say, I never did plan to go to the Canaries anyway.

46 years ago today on jan 5th 1976 this was released

I just cannot understand how this song is not famous

Great song and outstanding drums.

Dylan, the master story-teller.

A truly great song in every regard that never really received the recognition it deserves. I particularly love the last verse because it completely embodies how Americans view the world.

Thanks for the multitude of gifts Bob Dylan !

Let's be honest folks...Desire is the greatest album ever......Greetings from Dublin

awesome! what a stash of youtube uploads from dylan! thanks!!

Shout-out to the late great Jacques Levy, co-writer of this album, director of the Rolling Thunder Revue and inexplicably *erased* from the Scorsese documentary.

Such a great Song ... still and again, and again, and again ... thnx so much to Bob Dylan und here for sharing!

I smile! Love so much this song and the whole Desire!

Hi Bob Dylan RU-vid channel ! It's really great to have all these amazing songs from Desire album on RU-vid . But you forgot about Romance in Durango . It's still unavailable :( Please correct this oversight .

What a song, lyrically, musically. What a singer. What a great companions in the band.

Makes me think we all living in a... black diamond bay.. tragedy looming and everyone just doing what they normally do.. not listening to the. thers danger near signs.. sighh

One thing I really love on this song is the drum fills -- so great 👍

Jesus this song is like a euphoric wave that don't break

I bought Ella an Argyle pink diamond (loose). Tear drop shape. Imported it from Israel to New Zealand via ebay. I was going to get it mounted onto an Engagement Ring. She said it was too small. So I sent it back to the Jew. That was over a year ago. Needless to say we are still not engaged after 3 years of a plutonic relationship. It's getting "pretty old". Lyric's: "It ain't enough". True enough.

Forever Dylan, simply the best!

Such a colorful album. Appreciate it every time I listen to it. The entire album is excellent.

Scarlet Rivera's violin works so well on this album. Saw Dylans Rolling Thunder Review in 74 or 75 in Gainesville Fl. It was one of the most memorable concerts I've been to.

"BDB" by Dylan just carries you away. Desire is one tremendous album.

awesome

This was my first Dylan album to hear, ever. I was wandering around Dublin, around 1988, looking for a Stephen Bishop record called 'Red Cab To Manhattan'. I found it in a crappy little music store on Talbot Street, bought it and brought it home, without checking what was inside. Inside was Desire. I put it on the turntable and the first song I heard was 'Joey'. Mum said 'That's Bob Dylan. You should listen to him. He tells stories. I've been listening ever since..

We are living in the time of Bob Dylan. WE ARE LIVING IN THE TIME OF BOB DYLAN.

Rolling Thunder Feeling. full of spirit - wish I had seen it live . Bob Dylan seemed so relaxed, in tune with himself..I Love These Songs from Desire and all the Toursongs too- Magic Mystey Tour..

Amazing!

Best Dylan song of the best Dylan album. Desire.

Bob's contemporaries must be intimidated by the depth of his brilliance...! His catalogue really is incredible.. (no hype) it's fucking amazing (and I don't swear normally)

Yes, this entire album is a masterpiece. The best of Dylan

The Marx Brothers meets Casablanca on the set of The Last Days of Pompeii

One of the stand out tracks from Bob's BEST LP. Superlative songwriting

Up on the white veranda She wears a necktie and a Panama hat Her passport shows a face From another time and place She looks nothing like that And all the remnants of her recent past Are scattered in the wild wind She walks across the marble floor Where a voice from the gambling room is callin' her to come on in She smiles, walks the other way As the last ship sails and the moon fades away From Black Diamond Bay As the morning light breaks open, the Greek comes down And he asks for a rope and a pen that will write Pardon, monsieur, the desk clerk says Carefully removes his fez Am I hearing you right And as the yellow fog is lifting The Greek is quickly heading for the second floor She passes him on the spiral staircase Thinking he's the Soviet Ambassador She starts to speak, but he walks away As the storm clouds rise and the palm branches sway On Black Diamond Bay A soldier sits beneath the fan Doing business with a tiny man who sells him a ring Lightning strikes, the lights blow out The desk clerk wakes and begins to shout Can you see anything Then the Greek appears on the second floor In his bare feet with a rope around his neck While a loser in the gambling room lights up a candle Says, open up another deck But the dealer says, attendez-vous, s'il vous plait As the rain beats down and the cranes fly away From Black Diamond Bay The desk clerk heard the woman laugh As he looked around the aftermath and the soldier got tough He tried to grab the woman's hand Said, here's a ring, it cost a grand She said, that ain't enough Then she ran upstairs to pack her bags While a horse-drawn taxi waited at the curb She passed the door that the Greek had locked Where a handwritten sign read, do not disturb She knocked upon it anyway As the sun went down and the music did play On Black Diamond Bay I've got to talk to someone quick But the Greek said, go away, and he kicked the chair to the floor He hung there from the chandelier She cried, help, there's danger near Please open up the door Then the volcano erupted And the lava flowed down from the mountain high above The soldier and the tiny man were crouched in the corner Thinking of forbidden love But the desk clerk said, it happens every day As the stars fell down and the fields burned away On Black Diamond Bay As the island slowly sank The loser finally broke the bank in the gambling room The dealer said, it's too late now You can take your money, but I don't know how You'll spend it in the tomb The tiny man bit the soldier's ear As the floor caved in and the boiler in the basement blew While she's out on the balcony, where a stranger tells her My darling, je vous aime beaucoup She sheds a tear and then begins to pray As the fire burns on and the smoke drifts away From Black Diamond Bay I was sitting home alone one night in L.A. Watching old Cronkite on the seven o'clock news It seems there was an earthquake that Left nothing but a Panama hat And a pair of old Greek shoes Didn't seem like much was happening So I turned it off and went to grab another beer Seems like every time you turn around There's another hard-luck story that you're gonna hear And there's really nothing anyone can say And I never did plan to go anyway To Black Diamond Bay

Simply he is the best

I love so much different music but this.....if I had to choose, this album would have to be my favorite. There is just so much different stuff that is beautiful about it. I could talk about it all day. A true masterpiece in every sense of the word. It's the glue that keeps my family reminded of the joy in our youth. For me, there's just nothing cooler than that! Thanks Bob.

Thanks! I love this song!

Many years after this song appeared, there was a famous court case in USA, which was disrupted by an explosion. A police officer told a tv crew that "the boiler in the basement blew". 😂😂😂

The rhyme scheme is pure genius.

The drums really make this song. Not sure who it is ,but it's classic !!

Always get a kick out of the intros first harmonica section haha too good.

I see a Movie every time i hear this ,So vivid and sad and funny at the same time … Love it ! What a masterpiece

Thankyou Bob for getting this song on your channel!

Desire.....a very underrated Dylan album

I,ve been a major Dylan fan since the first album I bought in '63 or '64 . Somehow I missed this song . how lucky to find such a classic when I thought I'd heard them all !!!

Scarlett Rivera (spelling ?) On violin. So good.

What an amazing song .... !!! That first line .... Sells it ... A story you cant beat .. except the rhythm is so unique and full of life and so smart !!! And the melody as it fits in ... a most perfect song .... On Black Diamond Bay !!!!

Best Album period.

Those staccato harmonica notes at about 6:57 are spot on! (minutiae, I know)

I ask everyone is there any one better

No doubt about the Nobel literature price - fully deserved. Now at ( we hope not ) last world tribute tour 👌

God i miss those times...

I love the lines of this song. "Skattered in the wild wind," "a pen that will write." Meaning he had a pen, set to write hes suicide note and the pen was out of ink. " Dont know how you'll...." So F-ing good!

It's a masterpiece to me

One of the premiere dylan sagas from the late 70s

💚2021✨Blessings #MillenniumLanceAndTheOpenScroll 🌹💍 Daniel 11-12 Revelation 20-21 keeping the Faith 💜😎

What a song! Just another obscure genius Dylan album track. Brilliant. Everytime I hear it I'll be thinking about it for the next week. Thanks Bob & Emmylou

....and I never did want to go anyway..to Black Diamond Bay...who doesn't love this tune?

"the dealer said: 'it's too late now... You can take your money but i dont know how you'd spend it in the tomb' "

The desire album what a beautiful album 1975

Thank the stars that Dylan kept his music simple and basic ....not sayin he couldn't but he didn't allow his message to get lost in the music....thanx Bob

My fav all time album of any music!

Black Diamond Bay is a place described in Joseph Conrad's novel Victory, to which the song also makes several other references. It's fascinating how well-read Bob is.

My favourite with Joey and I never did plan anyway to go to black diamond bay!

The violin and the harmonica just go perfectly together in this one. The rhythm, the singing... Just awesome. Oh yeah, I almost forgot; the lyrics aren't shabby either. (< understatement)

Emmylou!!

This song is like Neil Young's "Powderfinger"....I could swear I've seen the movies....

This is a film script , the imagery in this song and its descriptions and absolute poetry, is just sitting there for some film director and script writer to take this to great hights as movie.

Story telling at its' finest.

Thank you very nuch, sir Dylan...History will mention you in the future as 'one of the best'

A Genius and music met.

@5:44 watchin’ ole Conkrite!

Cracking album ,along with Street Legal 2 of the best !