Ferdinand standing in the tower, thinking how to get the power
Empress knows that it would cost her, for Ferdinand The Imposter
Came to me to make a deal, dressed like General Butterfield
I couldn't wait to thank him for the stuffed birds and rubber door

Donated to him from the poor
It's just his game, and he carries no shame
But he done nobody wrong
He knew he didn't belong, but he went along
Looking to see if there's somebody else he'd like to be

Benny The Barber, Luke and me passed out tickets cautiously
To see the burning of the soup down at Lucy's Chicken Coop
And of course Ferdinand started out doing Charlie Chan
Fatless Atlas, honkeys small, he says he's gonna do them all

A voice just said he's not for real
But it's just his game, and he carries no shame
But he done nobody wrong
He knew he didn't belong, but he went along
Lookin' to see if there's somebody else he'd like to be
Mainly free

It's hard, oh, don't you know
To be somebody that you don't even know
But he's friendly, yes he's kind
I can't help wonderin' why they'd wanna change his mind

I got a message in the mail, Ferdinand was thrown in jail
I left the snow with Abigail, went on down to fix his bail
Locked him in a gunny sack, his hands were tied behind his back
He claimed he was a Doukhobor, but they never heard of that in Baltimore

The police said he'd better go home
And he went back home, back to the snow
But still he done nobody wrong
He just didn't belong, but he went along
Lookin' to see if there's somebody else he'd like to be
Mainly free

Performed by The Band. Written by J.R. Robertson.