I have always gotten an image of what the "Tambourine Man" was about. My mind saw a dad tucking his child into bed, telling him the story of the "Tambourine Man." The child wasn't sleepy, and wasn't going anywhere. I guess in a sense, the dad telling the story or singing the song, was the "Tamboruine Man" himself.

But thats not right. The actual story of the "Tambourine Man" is about a lonely night that Bob spent wandering the streets after he had gotten into a fight with Suze. Who would have ever thought? The song is really about Bob. He is the one who is not sleepy, and not going anywhere in the jingle jangle morning. He wants to forget the quarrel that day, perhaps worry about it the next. He has no one too meet and the empty streets are too dead for dreaming; it is probably early in the morning/late at night and not many are out. Just Bob, weary and on his feet. As for the "Tambourine Man" himself, the idea was that he was something like Bruce Langhorne; a NYU student, a man very good on several instruments...he probably could even play a tambourine on a lonely morning street.

As much as I appreciate knowing the intentions for what the song is actually about, somehow I think I will always return to my father and son and the bedtime story. The"Tambourine Man;" much better than counting sheep.

9/4/08 6:41 A.M. not sleepy...not going anywhere.