All along the watchtower

This terrific song is by Bob Dylan from his John Wesley Harding album of 1968. Also covered by acts such as Neil Young, Dave Mathews Band, Jimi Hendrix amongst others.

We find out that the two people speaking are “the joker” and “the thief.” These are archetypal characters that have existed in one form or another for thousands of years. By identifying them in this way, Dylan invokes a sense of timelessness. Because these figures are broad archetypes, there is already a suggestion that this might be a parable of some sort, a story whose essence remains the same over many different times, places and characters.

And, of course, the joker and the thief are both outsiders of a sort, united in their separation from more ordered segments of society.

Complete lyrics:

There must be some kind of way out of here
Said the joker to the thief
There's too much confusionI can't get no relief
Businessmen they drink my wine
Plowmen dig my earth
None of them along the line
Know what any of it is worth

No reason to get excited
The thief, he kindly spoke
There are many here among us
Who feel that life is but a joke
But you and I, we've been through that
And this is not our fate
So let us not talk falsely now
The hour is getting late

All along the watchtower
Princes kept the view
While all the women came and went
Barefoot servants, too
But outside in the cold distance
A wildcat did growl
Two riders were approaching
And the wind began to howl