Bobtalk

March 10, 1986
Tokyo, Japan
Nippon Budokan
Concert

Domo Domo. Ha-ha, here's an old song I wrote many years ago. It's from my protest period. I'm still in that period. Anyway, I wrote this a while back. I could never write another one as good, so I still keep singing this one. It still holds up, so I'm gonna sing it again tonight, it's called Masters Of War.

Thank you, thank you! All right! I wanna introduce you right now to one of America's top rock and roll bands. Certainly one of my favorites. One of the last great rock ‘n’ roll bands, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. (after Masters Of War)

Thank you. I broke a string on that last one, so I ..., did the best I can all right? OK, here's an old song that they used to play on the radio a lot. When we were growing up. Songs like this you don't hear anymore. It’s about ..., I guess you can say this is about a guy who thinks he knows, but he really doesn't. Somebody else knows more. But you know sometimes you can't tell people that. You got to let them find it out for themselves. So, it's a song about that sort of thing. (before I Forgot More Than You'll Ever Know)

Here's a song I wrote a while back about a guy who died pretty miserably  actually. I figured I didn't write this song, nobody would so, somebody had to write it. There's a great American playwright named Tennessee Williams. He said, "I'm not looking for your pity, I just want your understanding. No, not even that, but just your recognition of me and you and time, the enemy in us all." Anyway, he died pretty miserably too. So this is a man who got no recognition really during his lifetime. But he laid down a lot of road for a lot of people to walk on. People still walking on that road, making lots of money, living in fine houses. Have plenty of women and eating good food. And he didn't have none of them things. (before Lenny Bruce)

I want to do this song here now for a very special person, a request. I don't usually do this one but I'm gonna try it anyway. (before We Three (My Echo, My Shadow And Me))

Thank you. I wanna thank Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers for backing me up tonight. I must say certainly the best band I've ever worked with. On the keyboards, Benmont Tench. On the drums, give him a hand, Stan Lynch. On the bass guitar, Howie Epstein. Lead guitar, Michael Campbell. I especially wanna thank Mr. Tom Petty himself. Thank you Tom. And of course my singing partners over there on the other side of the screen. I can't go nowhere without them. Thank you girls. I also wanna thank you all for coming. We had a real nice time in Japan. I wish it was my first night instead of the last night. But it's too bad, that's just the way it is. I hope we can come back here real soon though. I know I would look forward to that. [Tom Petty: "Have a hand for Bob Dylan"] Thank you. Oh, you’re too sweet. (before Like A Rolling Stone)

Thank you. We’ll play this last song and hit the road. Anyway, it's a song I wrote. I write songs about all kinds of things. This song here's about my hero. Everybody's got a hero. Where I come from heroes are ..., John Wayne, Boris Karloff, Henry Winkler, Michael Jackson, Bruce Springsteen, Ronald Reagan, Richard Nixon. Anyway, I don't care nothing about any of those people. I have my own hero. (before In The Garden)

Thank you. We like to play this song here. It meant something when we were growing up in the fifties, the late fifties. This song came up on the radio. I know it meant a lot to us at that time. Never did meet the man who wrote it, but  I understand now it's too late to do that. Well, maybe sometime. (before Sukiyaki)

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