Theme Time Radio Hour Archive: Recent Episodes
Theme Time Radio Hour
On May 3, 2006, satellite radio listeners tuned in to the sultry growl of a living legend who took them on a thematic journey through musical history. Theme Time Radio Hour, hosted by Bob Dylan, included both the most well-known and ultra-rare musical testimonies to the assorted concepts to form a thematic narrative through our collective consciousness. Covering topics from smoking to presidents, Bob served as curator, educator, philosopher and comedian in our journey through his vast collection of recordings, including some secret gems that had been all-but-lost to us.
Theme Time Radio Hour's final episode aired on April 15, 2009, and though the program enjoyed a lengthy lifespan on satellite radio in the form of repeats, it was eventually dropped from the digital airwaves. It was briefly available to satellite subscribers online for a couple of years, but was finally entirely abandoned in 2013. Unwilling to allow this incredible, culturally significant program to simply dissolve into the digital ether, this archive was established to keep the Themes, Dreams & Schemes alive and available for future generations. Special thanks to The Bob Dylan Fan Club for their annotations, and for supporters like you for keeping this site alive and well.
(The sounds of rain falling)
It's night time in the big city
Rain is falling, fog rolls in from the waterfront
A night shift nurse smokes the last cigarette in a pack
"Curious about what the weather looks like? Just look out your window, take a walk outside."
(Sounds of sirens in city)
It's night time in the big city
The moon goes behind a cloud
A truck drops off tomorrow's newspapers
(restaurant noises)
It's night time in the big city
A styrofoam coffee cup rolls across the street
Two sailors get out of a cab
"The world of liquid libation, booze, sauce, hooch, white lightning, fire water, hard stuff, pick me up ,gin and juice, moonshine, canned heat."
(car noises)
It's NIGHT in the big city
somewhere a car alarm goes off
a woman walks barefoot, her high heels in her handbag
“Tonight we're going to head out to the field of dreams, schemes and themes.”
(diner noises)
It's night time in the Big City
pizza parlor is locking up
a drunken security guard drops his flashlight
"Full of caffeinated dreams, schemes, and themes"
(prison noises)
It's night time in the big city
A truck driver runs a red light
A strange quiet man practices tae chi in a park
"The Big House, the brig, the clink, the coop, the gray bar hotel, the hoosegow, the joint , the jug, the pen, the pokie, the slammer, the stir"
(subway noises)
It's night time in the Big City
a nightshift nurse smokes the last cigarette in her pack
a married couple has a late night snack
(talking at a wedding)
It's night time in the Big City
a man buys a pack of gum, steals a nail clipper
2 pairs of sneakers are strung over a phone line
It's the month of June and that means church bells are ringing all over this great land of ours. Strap yourself in and get me to the church on time!
(shouting - boxing match)
It's night time in the Big City
a woman watches her neighbor through binoculars
a cat knocks over a lamp
It's night time in the Big City
angry prostitutes fight over a street corner
a man gets drunk and shaves off his moustache
Time to open up the fire hydrants and have a party in the streets, because it's summertime
It's night time in the Big City
outside the dogs are barking
a woman walks barefoot, her high heels in her handbag
The most beautiful things on earth
(rain)
It's night time in the Big City
the wind picks up from over the bay
a delivery boy makes a wrong turn
"Today we're gonna talk about the endless gray ribbons of asphalt that crisscross this country. So strap yourself in, put the peddle to the metal, and listen."
(coins)
It's night time in the Big City
a guilty man goes home to his wife
it's time to make the doughnuts
"Get rich quick themes, dreams, and schemes"
(fire)
It's night time in the Big City
an ambulance races though downtown
an off duty cops parks in front of his ex-wife's house
This is Theme Time Radio Hour, and there's Hell to pay
(sirens in city)
It's night time in the Big City
a trail of perfume follows a girl leaving a cheap hotel
a man wakes up in an alleyway
Welcome once again to Theme Time Radio Hour. This week the eyes/I's have it. Whether they're blue eyes, brown eyes, green eyes, ya got pink eye or red eye. If you're an eyesore, or if you're walleyed, we got the song for you.
(barking dogs)
It's night time in the Big City
newlyweds make love on the roof
a ringing phone goes unanswered
Get off the couch, get yourself a bowl of water, and heel.
It's night time in the Big City
a light drizzle starts to fall
an anxious lover waits by the phone
They say that good fences make good neighbors (Frost) and good friends make good music
It's night time in the Big City
a woman in a red gown throws out her cell phone
a man sleeps with a gun under his pillow
(Mr. announcer who are you?)
howdy everybody this is Bob Dylan
tell me the station I'm listening to
the xm network, satellite radio
how about telling a time to meet
it's time for theme time radio hour
and what's the weather gonna be?
it's cold and fatty and it's raining. It's going down to 30 degrees tonight.
I don't know what it's like where you are but that's what it's like here.
"What would the radio be without a disc jockey?"
It's night time in the Big City
a girl goes through the medicine cabinet of the man who brought her home
a ringing phone goes unanswered
For the next hour we're gonna be playin' music about Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, The Wisdom of Solomon, First Maccabees and Second Maccabees, First Samuel and Second Samuel, First Kings, Second Kings. We're gonna be playing stuff that comes out of the Psalms and the Proverbs. You know all of these. Jonah and Malachi - how come nobody's named Malachi any more? We're gonna be playing music that has something to do with Nehemia, Esther, Job, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. And of course, The Book of Revelations. So gather the family around the radio and hear the good news. Seek and you shall find.
It's night time in the Big City
a cab driver curses under his breath
roasted chickens hang in the window of a Chinese restaurant
(school room noises)
It's night time in the Big City
a writer stares at a blank sheet of paper
a pet poodle scratches at a window
Your school for dreams, schemes and themes. Your university of perversity. School's now in session.
It's night time in the Big City
The air is thick with a chemical
a woman takes a shower before going home to her husband
Hello...This is Bob Dylan (Bob's Anwsering Machine)
On the way to the studio I almost hit a telephone operator with my car. It was a close call.
It's night time in the Big City
A night watchman rinses out his thermos
clouds cover the top of the Abernathy building.
A giraffe can go a very long time without water. But he wants to see a menu right away.
(As Time Goes By)
It's night time in the Big City
a student faces down a deadline
a man with gin on his breath is pulled over
America's favorite radio program
It's night time in the Big City
an elderly man looks at his wife's empty pillow
a nervous thief stands in a doorway
Welcome to Theme Time Radio Hour. Leave your iron at the door, 'cause tonight we're gonna be playing music of the highest caliber. We're gonna shoot from the hip and put another notch on our barrel.
(Male voice speaking)
a female announcer dresses like me
a skeleton puts on a fat suit
I gotta put some gas in my car but I don't wanna put it in the tank
I don't want to conform to what everyone else is doing
I know I won't smoke that night though
Below the crypt lies theme time radio hour.
It's night time in the big city
A stray dog's eyes glow in a dark alleyway
Tex Carbone unlocks studio B
(Santo and Johnny-sleepwalk)
It's night time in the Big City
A man regrets using a gas station restroom
birds are still a couple hours away from getting the worm
Your queen size home for themes, dreams and schemes. Please do not remove tag under penalty of law.
(ewww, we're gonna have fun....OOOO Yes!)
It's night time in the Big City
A woman steps carefully over a broken wine bottle
the television is still on
(it's a cozy table isn't it? I like it too, yes I do like it. Mmmmmm....delicious.)
“Welcome once again to Theme Time Radio Hour, and I hope you brought an appetite. Because tonight we're gonna peruse the musical menu. We got a bill of fare that is truly appetizing. So I hope you're eager to dig in.”
It's night time in the big city
Uncle Jim dozes in front of the television
A woman puts extra stuffing into a zip-lock bag
“I'll let you in on a little secret. We plan the shows pretty carefully, but sometimes I get to yappin' and we don't have room for all the records I pick out.”
It's night time in the big city.
A husband plots his escape route.
The last train from Overbrook pulls into the station
“Welcome to Theme Time Radio Hour – themes, dreams and schemes – where the future influences the present with no regard to the past.”
(Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata)
It's night time in the big city
A pet poodle scratches at a window
The last piece of pie is gone
“This is your man in the moon welcoming you to 60 minutes of lunar melodies. In the background, Charlie Parker playing Ornithology. Based on the chord structure of How High The Moon, which tells ya that the moon is far away and love is far away too…Wow, that one sure knocked some heads together!”
It's night time in the big city.
A bus driver talks to his only passenger.
A sailor on shore leave plays Egyptian Ratscrew with a fallen priest…
“It's our first annual Theme Time Radio countdown show. Where we count down the top ten songs as determined by you, the listener.”
(Santa Claus Is Coming To Town – instrumental in background)
It's nightime in the Big City
A department store Santa sneaks a sip of gin
Mistletoe makes an old man sad
Eight reindeer land on the roof of the Abernathy building
“Well it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas. And for the next couple of hours, it's going to sound like Christmas too. This is the special yuletide extravaganza edition of TTRH, chock full of Christmas themes, holiday dreams, and jingle bell schemes.
It's night time in the Big City
Foghorns bellow in the gloom along the wharf
A crying woman in a nightgown can't flag down a cab.
"Tonight we're gonna talk about a subject close to my heart, women's names. That which we call are nearest and dearest, those who we love and want to love. Let me quote William Shakespeare to ya: 'What's in a name that which we call a rose, by any other name would smell as sweet' .”
It's night time in the Big City
A fat man spits cherry pits into a cuspidor
Freshly fallen snow turns gray in the gutter
“We got quite a show for you tonight. it's about a subject that everyone's familiar with, and I can talk about it off the top of my head…Gonna be playin songs about hairdos and hair don'ts.”
It's night time in the big city
A writer stares at a blank sheet of paper
A writer stares at a blank sheet paper
It's night time in the big city
Foghorns bellow in the gloom along the wharf
Milk in the coffee only turns it gray.
“As Albert Einstein once said: I will never believe that God plays dice with the universe. Well, I'm not usually one to disagree with someone as smart as Albert Einstein, but today going to look at the idea of playing dice with the universe, as we examine the world of luck. Good luck and bad luck. Luck of the draw. Dumb luck. The luck of the lady and the luck of the Irish. Lucky ducky and pressin' your luck. We're talking about being lucky in love and tough luck. We're gonna be talking about hard luck and down on your luck. And as luck would have it we're gonna be talkin' about shit outta luck.”
It’s night time in the big city
Three homeless men share a bottle around a trash can inferno
A rock goes through a window on 12th St.
It's night time in the Big City
Freshly fallen snow turns grey in the gutter
A waitress returns home, happy to take her shoes off
"For the next hour we are going to examine the involuntary, unconscious activity known as laughter. We can consciously inhibit it, but we can't consciously produce it. It's impossible to laugh on command. You can fake an orgasm, but you can't fake laughter."
It’s night time in the big city
The last train from Overbrook pulls into the station
A man runs out of excuses.
“Here we are smack-dab in the middle of February, so we’re gonna talk about that fist sized muscle that lies in your chest, right behind and slightly to the left of the breast bone. Just sittin there between your lungs. It’s a remarkable organ; it works hard for you 24 hours a day.”
It’s night time in the big city
Bananas ripen on the dock
A number 5 bus breaks down.
“Get out your shoe horns, because today we’re going to trumpet those things at the end of your legs.”
It’s night time in the big city
A truck driver runs a red light
A ringing phone goes unanswered.
(Somewhere Over The Rainbow) (Background during intro)
It's night time in the big city
The people upstairs are making noise
A coyote cowers in the bushes on Observatory Hill
It’s night time in the big city
A night watchman rinses out his thermos
The last train from Overbrook pulls into the station.
“Today we’re gonna hit the road, we’re gonna ride the blinds, and dodge the yard bulls. We’re gonna take a ride on the Redding, transfer over to the B & O, and if we have time, pick up our tickets for the Orient Express. So all you box car tourists, get yourselves out of the roundhouse and hop aboard, as we spend the next hour contemplating the iron horse. It’s not a crazy idea, but we got a ‘loco motive’ and it’s all about trains. In the background, Meade Anderson Lewis; perhaps you know him better as Mead Lux Lewis. He was one of the kings of the honky tonk piano and, like a lot of the great piano players, he used his rockin’ left hand to imitate the rhythm of the trains on the tracks.”
It’s night time in the big city
Fog horns bellow in the gloom along the wharf
A spinster finishes a jigsaw puzzle
“This is Theme Time Radio Hour and last week we played a bunch of train songs. We had so many that this week we’re gonna do it again this week. We’re gonna buckle the rubbers, grease the pig and hook her up and pull her tail because it’s railroad time.” (background intro music is Blue Train/Coltrane)
It’s night time in the big city
A businessman kisses his secretary under a street light
A drunken security guard drops his flashlight
“James Thurber once said, ’you can fool too many of the people too much of the time’ and for the next hour we’re gonna try and do just that…for the next hour we‘re gonna play the greatest records about our favorite half-wits, the fools.”
It’s night time in the big city
The rain soaked streets reflect the glare of passing headlights
A cab driver tosses a fifty cent tip out the window
A woman with a torch stands in the harbor.
“Tonight we’re gonna be goin’ from the Bowery to the Bronx, from the East Village to Harlem, from Hudson Heights to Lenox Hill and from Korea Town to Little Italy, from Hell’s Kitchen to Greenwich Village, from Manhattan Valley to Marble Hill, from Midtown South to Midtown itself, from Murray Hill to NoHo, from Roosevelt Island to SoHo, from Spanish Harlem to Sugar Hill, from Sutton Place to Tribeka, from Tudor City to Turtle Bay, from the upper Eastside to the upper Westside, from the West Village to Washington Heights, from West Harlem to Yorkville…”
It’s night time in the big city
A woman pulls out a 1099 form
A man lies about his deductions
“Well it’s the middle of April, and if you’re like me you were up all night last night finishing your tax returns. As Benjamin Franklin once put it, in this world nothing is certain but death and taxes. One other thing is certain, for the next hour we’re going to be covering both those subjects with our usual musical abandon so call all the deductions into the room, gather around the radio and enjoy the next 58 minutes. It would 60 minutes, but the government wants its taste…”
It’s night time in the big city
You can smell rain in the air
I really gotta get those boxes out of the basement
It’s night time in the big city.
Something isn’t quite right.
Nobody will answer the phone.
“Every place I go, and I go a lot of places, people say hello.”
It’s night time in the big city.
A man bangs the 8 ball into the corner pocket.
Neon sputters and goes out.
(Smells Like Teen Spirit (instrumental) – The Bad Plus)
Bob reads from William Shakespeare “As usual, Willie the Shake / Sheik said everything you need to say, so for the next hour we’ll just be presenting footnotes of a musical variety on the subject of youth and age, young and old…”
(Dragnet Theme in Background)
“This is the city: Los Angeles, Ca...Sometimes you want to know about more than just the city, you want to know about the whole state. That’s where I step in, I host the radio show.”
It’s night time in the big city
A woman dances beneath a strobe light
A man rolls a joint on the second Johnny Winter album
“It’s October, or as I like to call it, Rock-tober. Which of course means next month is Roll-vember…May you never hear surf music again. That’s actually Jimi’s thought, not mine.”
It’s night time in the big city
Vandals deface a wall
There are no stars in the sky.
“Here at TTRH, we’ve always aspired to be the Cadillac of radio shows. So it’s only apropos that we take one of those baby’s out on the road!”
It's night time in the big city
Two high school kids steal a case of beer
Sneakers hang from a phone wire
What a piece of work is a man! how noble in reason!
how infinite in faculty! in form and moving how express and admirable!
in action how like an angel! in apprehension how like a god!
the beauty of the world! the paragon of animals!
Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown.
It’s night time in the big city
A man’s wife confronts his mistress
There’s a low cloud cover
Two runaways sleep in a doorway
“This week we’ve got kind of a controversial subject…Something you’re not allowed to do inside a restaurant, or even a bowling alley. It didn’t used to be that way. It was something you used to be able to do right out in public. You didn’t have to hide in your own house doing it. Today’s show is all about smoking. We’re not here to encourage it or to glorify it. You’re smart enough to look up all the facts…So sit back, smoke em if you got em, and enjoy the next 60 minutes as we blow a few musical smoke rings your way.” (background intro music is Smoke Gets in Your Eyes/Coleman Hawkins)
It’s night time in the big city
Thunder echoes through the streets
A man rents a hotel room under an assumed name
“Every week we tell you that we specialize in dreams, schemes, and themes. Every week we play a theme. The show itself is kind of a scheme. Well that leaves one subject left.”
It’s night time in the big city
A woman cuts pictures of places she’ll never visit out of a magazine
I wonder if there’s any cake left
“Let’s get this party started!”
It’s nighttime in the big city
Rain beats against the window pane
A woman takes a shower before going home to her husband
“Remember, some cars can go from zero to sixty in under 10 seconds. But, here on Theme Time Radio Hour, we can go from 10 to zero in just a little under an hour.”
It’s night time in the big city
Temptation is on every corner
A man rents a hotel room under an assumed name
“For the next sixty minutes, we’re gonna be talking about one horse towns, one track minds, one armed bandits, one false move, one in a million, one too many, one way or another, one brick shy of a load, and one and only. So stay here one and all, and listen to songs on a singular subject, that subject being ‘number one.’”
It's night time in the big city
A local band packs their gear into a van
It’s easier to buy a gun than cold medicine.
“You’ll have to forgive me if I sound a little out of breath. I just got back from my morning constitutional. A good walk is important for both body and soul.”
It’s night time in the big city
A pawn shop owner shuts his iron gate
A man realizes he is in love
"As we told you on our ‘Hello’ show, there’s many ways to say hello. Well I hope you’re taking notes, cause this week we’re gonna use em.”
It’s night time in the big city
A woman realizes she’s no longer in love
The batteries in the remote control are dead
“Here at Theme Time Radio Hour, we circumnavigate the globe and bring back music for your edification.”
It’s night time in the big city
A school teacher drinks alone
They’re finally tearing down the old shoe factory
“We’re gonna be locked up, locked out, keyed up, wound up, we’re gonna be talking about church keys and skate keys, we’ll listen to the key of C and learn about the key to good living. There’ll be lip locks, Loch Ness, time locks, and vapor locks. Before the end of it we might even get the key to the city. So I hope you’re all locked and loaded and sitting by your radio.”
It’s night time in the big city
A hotdog vendor drains water from his cart
There’s a low cloud cover
“We’ll be talking about love letters, pen pals, going postal, ransom notes, letters to dear John, and Dear Abbey, Miss Lonelyhearts…we’ll be returning things to sender, and we’ll be telling you that your check’s in the mail.”
It’s night time in the big city,
The server is down,
The parakeet is restless
“You know what happens every Presidents' Day, stores have big sales. They gotta clear their shelves and we’re gonna do the same thing. We’re gonna go through the Theme Time Radio supply closet and pull up some of the old stock and songs we didn’t have time for in our other shows while we celebrate all of the years presidents.”
It’s night in the big city
A lawyer has troubled sleep
The dogs can smell rain
“We’re gonna play doctor, we’re gonna doctor the books. We’re gonna talk about Dr. Strangelove, Dr. Who, Dr. Doom, Dr. Phil, Dr. Zhivago , Dr. Death, and Dr. Nick .”
It’s night time in the big city
That car’s still outside
The first ray of sunlight peeks over the Jackhead Mountains
“I don’t mean to be an alarmist but today’s show is dedicated to telling you to be careful. We’re gonna sound the klaxon, put up the yellow perimeter tape, don our hazmat suites, and ride like Paul Revere as we shout ‘Danger’s afoot!’ So grab your gas masks, keep your eye on the speedometer, take your Cipro, and stay at a heightened state of awareness.”
“Look up in the sky, it’s a bird. Most likely it’s a bird…you might want to gather up some twigs, some little bits of yarn, almost any kind of material that you might find, build yourself a little nest, settle in for the next hour…We’ll talk about bird brains, eagle eyes, the bluebird of happiness, we’ll play a little chicken, we’ll find something to crow about, and maybe even flip you the bird.”
It’s night time in the big city
Freshly fallen snow turns gray in the gutter
The engineer won’t stop coughing
“It’s time once again for more bird songs here on Theme Time Radio Hour. We’ve gotten a lot of response to last week's show. A lot of people have written in with their favorite bird songs. People are asking me questions about birds. I’m not exactly an expert, but I’ll try and help as much as I can.”
It’s night time in the big city
A man’s wife confronts his mistress
A firefly hovers near the window
It’s night time in the big city
There’s a gas leak somewhere
The bartender’s hairpiece isn’t fooling anyone
“The heat and serve episode of Theme Time Radio Hour”
It’s night in the big city
A man falls asleep far from home
The last piece of pie is gone
James Brown – Cold Sweat (in background over intro)
“This is Theme Time Radio Hour, and there’s a chill in the air. We’re cold as ice. We’re looking at cold cuts, cold feet, we’re giving you the cold shoulder but we’re not a cold fish. We’re out cold. We’re talking about cold snaps and we’re coming in from the cold.”\
It’s night in the big city
A man says a prayer, puts down a $20 and rolls the dice
The faucet won’t stop dripping
“Welcome to Season Three of Theme Time Radio Hour, and we’re glad to have ya. We’ve had a lot of fun the last couple of years, presenting the greats and near-greats, the fondly remembered and the almost forgotten, performing a wide variety of music on a veritable cornucopia of subjects. But as we start season 3 we’re gonna take our cue from a sign Harry S. Truman kept on his desk: The Buck Stops Here. And not just the buck, the yen, the sheckle, the nickel and dime, and if you still subscribe to the barter system, maybe a bushel of corn. So break open your piggy banks and cash in your bonds. This week’s episode of TTRH is most definitely cash and carry.”
It’s night in the big city
The last deal has gone down
The city lights reflect of the Burnett River
It’s night time in the big city
A Brinks truck pulls up in front of a bank
A man makes a promise he’ll never keep
“Why did it take us 78 shows to do one as obvious as the subject of night?”
It’s night time in the big city
A woman goes through her husband’s pockets while he sleeps
Everyone’s either asleep or in the emergency room
It’s Theme Time Radio Hour with your host from coast to coast, Bob Dylan.
It’s night time in the big city
The hotel room smells like cigarettes and cheap perfume
A woman shops for fruit in a trench coat.
I don’t know if this city’s more like Sodom or Gomorrah
“Along with sweat and tears, it’s among the most popular of the bodily fluids.”
"Back to Theme Time Radio Hour. As you know, we cover a lot of ground here but this week's subject has a greater gravity than usual."
It's nighttime in the big city
The rain soaked streets reflect the glare of passing headlights
A man pace around in his hotel room
Do you know where your children are?
It’s night time in the big city
A cold wind blows no good
A woman tries to remember when things first went wrong
I can’t believe it’s not butter
“Today on Theme Time Radio Hour, we’re gonna walk down that weary road, spend a little time on Easy Street, visit Primrose Lane, and attempt to steer clear of Skid Row. We’ll traverse the avenues and boulevards. We’ll take the road less traveled, and hopefully you’ll find us right up your block. We’ll drive down Route 66, America’s Main Street now sadly gone. We’ll get a little bit of southern exposure on Route 90 and find out the skinny from the man on the streets. Let’s go where the rubber meets the road. That’s right, we’re traversing the highways and byways, the promenades and roadways. We’re on the road to ruin. I may not be a Rhodes Scholar, but I got my share of street smarts! So join us for the next hour as we consult the street map. You are here.”
It’s night time in the big city
There’s a new coffee place on the corner
I hope somebody has change for a dollar
“Please, no flash photography”
It’s night time in the big city
A man tries to wash the lipstick off his collar in the men’s room sink
It’s hard to find a legitimate masseuse around here
“This week we're talking about work. We're talkin' about golden parachutes, poison pills, golden handshakes. We're talking about workin' like a dog, work around the clock, workin' 9 to 5; talking about all the workin' stiffs who're workin' for a livin', who live to work, labor intensive, doin' odd jobs, married to their job, them employee of the month hard at work.”
It’s night time in the big city
A wealthy man terrorizes a waitress
The dogs can smell rain
“We’re gonna be talking about next to nothing, for nothing, nothing doing and all or nothing. We’re gonna be talking about nothing to write home about and nothing to shout about. Nothing to sneeze at, good-for-nothings, and nothing going for ya. Much ado about nothing, next to nothing, thinking nothing of it, and having nothing to do with ya.”
It’s night time in the big city
A man falls asleep far from home
There’s a strange car parked outside
It's nighttime in the city
A man makes a promise he'll never keep
Spring just won't come
“Keep it tuned right here. I know it's not actually a dial, I just like saying that...”
It’s night time in the big city
The worst has already happened
A well dressed couple lean on the balcony; they laugh as they sip martinis
It's night in the city
A cop runs a license plate
Ten will get you twenty
“Welcome everybody to Theme Time Radio Hour. It's good to see so many familiar faces... Yes indeed-ee-doo, I could not be happier to be with you today.”
“We’re gonna be looking at officers and fuzz, bulls and coppers, private eyes, private investigators, police and private detectives, deputies and constables, lawmen, marshals, and meter maids, the law, and the man. But of course that’s just one side of the law. We’re also gonna turn the Theme Time spotlight on bandits and buccaneers, burglars and cheats, conmen and crooks, looters and marauders, something and pickpockets, stickup men, swindlers, thieves, thugs, gangsters, gunmen and hijackers. Bruisers and Godfathers, Mafioso and mobsters. I’m sure we have a lot of listeners on both sides.”
It's night time in the big city
The bartender wipes the counter with a damp rag
That car’s been parked there all night
There’s no one left to call
“This week we’re gonna indulge our sweet tooth, go into sugar shock, look at some eye candy, meet back at the sugar shack, take some candy from a baby, give some sweets to my sweet, get sweet and low-down, and maybe even revisit the sweet bird of youth.”
"Welcome to Theme Time Radio Hour. Are you havin’ a good time? Are you enjoying yourself? Are you comfortable? Does it seem like I’m asking a lot of questions? Well you better get used to it ‘cause that’s all you’re gonna be hearing for the next hour."
It’s night time in the big city
The city lights reflect off the Burnett River
Working girls share an inside joke
“We’re gonna take a few ticks of the clock to look at heart and hearth. We’ll look at family trees, family dinners, family planning, and family jewels. There’ll be Dutch uncles, grandfather clocks, kissing cousins, sons of a gun, and maybe a couple of SOBs. It’s all in the family. Let’s get it goin.’”
It’s night time in the big city
A burly man sells factory-seconds tube socks out of his trunk
An abandoned balloon is stuck in a tree
“I like to think of myself as a glass half full kinda guy. I don’t like to think about all the people that drowned in the great flood, I like to think about all the animals Noah saved. So this week we’re gonna climb aboard Noah’s Ark and take a look around. It’s gonna be a marvelous musical menagerie as we listen to songs about, for and by the many members of the animal kingdom. Come on! Watch where you step.”
It’s night time in the big city
A cop runs a license plate
I never tell the truth
“Don’t be a jackass! We’re gonna go ape. Take the bull by the horns. Play a little cat and mouse. Shoot some fish in a barrel. And go hog-wild. ‘Cause I’m crazy like a fox, proud as a peacock. So unless you’re ugly as a toad I’m ready to talk turkey. There’ll be no weaseling out as we have as much fun as a barrel of monkeys.”
It’s night time in the big city
Everything must go, and we pass the savings onto you
It’s Theme Time Radio Hour with your host from coast to coast, Bob Dylan
"It's one thing to make an entrance, it's another thing entirely to get out alive. So for the next hour we'll be checking all the exits, finding our way outta here…and this show might run a little long this week, but that's OK. What are they gonna do, fire me?"
It's night time in the big city.
Someone in the building is making popcorn.
A waitress returns home, happy to take her shoes off.
I wish people would curb their dogs.
"Kiss" is a previously un-aired episode that was aired for the first time on radioins in Germany on Feb 11, 2015.
It’s nighttime in the city.
There’s a hint of jasmine in the air.
A startled cat runs across the piano keys.
My neighbor keeps walking around upstairs.
A man slowly falls out of love.
It’s Theme Time Radio Hour, with your host, Bob Dylan.
