It starts with that chaotic, drunken brass band. You know the one. It sounds like a party in a basement that’s about to get shut down by the cops. Then Bob Dylan lets out that high-pitched laugh, and the room fills with the sound of "Rainy Day Women #12 & 35." It’s the opening track of his 1966 masterpiece Blonde on Blonde, and for decades, people have been arguing over what those lyrics actually mean.
Is it a drug song? Is it a biblical metaphor? Or was Bob just messing with us?
Let's be real. If you hear the line "Everybody must get stoned," your brain goes to one place. In 1966, the BBC and plenty of American radio stations thought the same thing. They banned it. They saw it as a blatant invitation to drug culture. But Dylan, always the trickster, has spent years insisting it isn't about that at all. Or at least, not just about that.
The Dual Meaning of the Rainy Day Women Lyrics
The brilliance of Dylan is how he uses wordplay to hide in plain sight. On the surface, the lyrics describe a person being persecuted for basically existing.
He sings about being stoned when you’re trying to be good, stoned when you’re walking on the street, and stoned when you’re "trying to make a buck." If you look at it through a literal, historical lens, "stoning" refers to the ancient practice of execution by throwing rocks. It's a biblical image. Dylan was reading the Bible a lot during the mid-60s, and the idea of the martyr being pelted by the crowd fits his "me against the world" vibe at the time.
Think about the pressure Dylan was under in 1966.
He had just "gone electric" at Newport. People were calling him a Judas. The folk purists were literally booing him every night on his world tour. When he says "they’ll stone you when you’re playing your guitar," he isn't being metaphorical. He was actually getting yelled at by fans who felt betrayed. The lyrics are a weary, sarcastic defense mechanism. He’s saying that no matter what you do—whether you’re being "good" or just trying to eat—the world is going to find a reason to attack you.
But then there's the other side.
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The music itself is loud, messy, and festive. It doesn't sound like an execution. It sounds like a carnival. The juxtaposition of the "punishment" lyrics with the "party" music creates a weird tension. It suggests that if the world is going to "stone" you anyway, you might as well get "stoned" in the other sense and enjoy the ride. It’s a cynical joke. It’s Bob Dylan laughing at the absurdity of fame and criticism.
Behind the Scenes at Columbia Music Row Studios
The recording of this track is legendary. It wasn't some polished studio session.
Dylan wanted a "Salvation Army" sound. To get that specific, amateurish feeling, he actually had the musicians swap instruments. You had professional session players—guys like Charlie McCoy and Wayne Moss—playing things they weren't used to. Legend has it that the studio was filled with laughter, shouting, and a genuine party atmosphere to capture that live, chaotic energy.
The title itself, "Rainy Day Women #12 & 35," doesn't appear anywhere in the lyrics. Where did it come from?
There are a million theories. Some say it’s the ratio of a certain brand of rolling papers. Others point to a story about a woman and her daughter (aged 12 and 35) coming into the studio to escape the rain. Dylan’s own explanations vary depending on his mood during an interview. Most likely? It was a random title designed to keep the censors off his back. If he had called it "The Everybody Must Get Stoned Song," it would have never hit the airwaves. By giving it a cryptic, nonsensical name, he gave himself plausible deniability.
The Biblical Roots and Social Commentary
If you dive into the Book of Acts or the story of Stephen the Martyr, the imagery of being stoned for your beliefs is everywhere. Dylan was tapping into a very old tradition of the "truth-teller" being punished by the masses.
"They’ll stone you when you’re all alone."
"They’ll stone you when you’re walking home."
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It’s relentless. The repetition in the lyrics mirrors the feeling of being hounded by the press and the public. By 1966, Dylan was the "voice of a generation," a title he famously loathed. He felt like he couldn't breathe. Every move he made was dissected. These lyrics are a middle finger to the expectations placed upon him. He’s telling his audience that their judgment is inevitable, so their judgment is ultimately meaningless.
Interestingly, the song peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100. It was a massive hit. This created a hilarious irony: a song about being persecuted by the public was being bought by the millions by that same public. Dylan won. He turned his frustration into a Top 40 anthem that everyone sang along to, whether they understood the bitterness behind the words or just liked the catchy beat.
Common Misconceptions About the Lyrics
Most people think the song is a simple pro-marijuana anthem.
While it’s impossible to ignore that subtext—especially given the time period—calling it just a "drug song" is lazy. It ignores the grit. It ignores the religious undertones. It ignores the specific pain of a young artist being torn apart by his own fans.
Another misconception is that the song is "happy."
Sure, the trombones are blaring. But listen to Dylan’s voice. There’s a rasp of exhaustion there. He sounds like a man who has seen too much. The "stoning" he describes is a social stoning. It’s the "death by a thousand cuts" that comes from fame. It’s the feeling that no matter how hard you try to "be so good," someone is going to find a flaw and throw a rock at it.
The Legacy of #12 & 35
Why does this song still resonate?
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Because the "stoning" hasn't stopped. In the age of social media and cancel culture, the idea that "they'll stone you when you're trying to make a buck" feels more relevant than ever. We live in a world where everyone is waiting for someone to trip up so they can throw the first stone. Dylan captured that human impulse perfectly back in '66.
He also gave us a template for how to handle it: laugh.
The "Rainy Day Women #12 & 35" lyrics suggest that the only way to survive the onslaught of public opinion is to find your own way to "get stoned"—to find a way to be blissfully indifferent to the noise. Whether that's through literal substances, art, or just a thick skin, the message is the same. Don't let the rock-throwers get to you.
Actionable Insights for Music Lovers
If you want to truly appreciate the depth of this track, don't just stream it on a tinny phone speaker.
- Listen to the Mono Mix: The original mono version of Blonde on Blonde has a punch and a "room sound" that the stereo remasters often lose. You can hear the chatter and the clinking of glasses more clearly.
- Compare it to "Like a Rolling Stone": Both songs deal with the fall from grace and the harshness of the world, but "Rainy Day Women" uses humor where "Rolling Stone" uses anger. It’s a fascinating look at Dylan’s range.
- Read the Bible’s Book of Acts: Check out the passages on Stephen. See how the language of stoning was used as a badge of honor for those who refused to recant their "truth." It adds a whole new layer to Dylan’s 1966 persona.
- Look at the Chart Context: In May 1966, this song was sitting on the charts next to The Mamas & the Papas and The Lovin' Spoonful. It sounded like it was from another planet. Understanding how weird this song was for the time helps you appreciate Dylan’s bravery as a songwriter.
The next time you hear that stumbling drum beat and those out-of-tune horns, remember that you’re listening to one of the greatest protest songs ever written. It’s not just a protest against war or the government; it’s a protest against the narrow-mindedness of people. It’s a reminder that everyone is going to judge you anyway, so you might as well live your life exactly how you want to.
Total creative freedom is the only real escape from the stones. Dylan knew it then, and the lyrics prove he was right.
To get the full experience, listen to the entire Blonde on Blonde album from start to finish. It’s a sprawling, thin, wild mercury sound that defined an era and continues to influence every songwriter who picks up a guitar and tries to tell a complicated truth.
Next Steps for Deep Diving into Dylan:
- Analyze the "Thin Wild Mercury Sound": Research the session notes from the Nashville recordings to see how Dylan moved from the "folk" sound to the electrified, blues-influenced rock of the mid-60s.
- Explore the 1966 World Tour Bootlegs: Listen to the live recordings from the UK in 1966. You can hear the tension in the crowd that likely inspired the "stoning" metaphors in his writing during this period.
- Cross-reference with Tarantula: Read Dylan’s experimental book Tarantula, written around the same time, to see how his lyrical wordplay was evolving into surrealist prose.