Bob Dylan mentions Minnesota or the North Country in a few of his songs. But he never wrote a full-on tune about his home state as he apparently did about our neighboring state.
"Wisconsin" is an unpublished 1961 Dylan song. Handwritten lyrics for the song are going up for auction on Thursday, with a starting bid of $30,000.
According to Nate D. Sanders Auctions, Dylan penned the tune in November 1961 in New York City and gave it to Peter Crago, a former roommate.
Courtesy of rollingstone.com, here are the lyrics, complete with misspellings, including the city Wauwatosa:
"1. Wisconson [sic] is the dairy state
I guess you all know well
I was in Wow Wow Toaster there
The truth to you I'll tell
It's milk & cheese & cream
I've known 'em all my days
I'm going back to my hometown I'm leaving right aways
2. I'm a heading out Wisconson ways
2000 miles to go
Madison, Milwakee [sic] set's my heart aglow
I'm a coming to that dairy state
My heart's a beating fast
I'll jerk my banjo gently there
And twiddle my mustache
3. There's thoughts I left there long ago
One a coming now it seems
I'll tune my banjo than the hills
And feast on milk and cream
And stamp my foot all thru the grass
And never know a care
My homes in Wow Wow Toaster
And I'm a going there
The song continues on the verso:
1. These people with you city ways
Are driving me insane to drink
My home's in Wisconson it's a better place I think
I've been in California
My home's in Wisconson
And I'm gonna own the town
