bear with me: If with myself I hold intelligence Or have acquaintance with mine own desires, If that I do not dream or be not frantic,– As I do trust I am not–then, dear uncle, Never so much as in a thought unborn Did I offend your highness"). Historian Richard F. Thomas sees the line "I'll establish my rule through civil war" as a reference to the Roman civil wars that brought about the transition from republic to empire (with Dylan speaking in the first person as Julius Caesar). References to Ancient Rome would become increasingly prevalent on Dylan's subsequent albums of original material. Live performances Dylan first performed the song live at the Wiltern Theatre in Los Angeles, California on October 17, 2002 and last performed it live exactly three years later on October 17, 2005 at the Globe Arena in Stockholm, Sweden. Having only played the song 78 times total, it is one of the least performed live songs from Love and Theft. References Trager, Oliver. Keys to the Rain: The Definitive Bob Dylan Encyclopedia. Billboard Books, 2004. External links Lyrics at Bob Dylan's official site Chords at Dylanchords Songs written by Bob Dylan Bob Dylan songs 2001 songs Song recordings produced by Bob Dylan