Apart from the obvious influence of Woody Guthrie, Bob Dylan was also steeped in the range of Blues music.
There are many examples either of direct influence or a title may link it to a blues song,for example:
“When I got troubles.” was recorded in 1959, and appeared on “No Direction Home” – Bootleg 7.
The song’s title is related to a Lightning Hopkins classic:
And one of my favourites, Blind Willie McTell where the obvious love of the blues is clearly seen:
And who did he choose as lead guitarist, when in 1965, he stormed into a new electric phase -Mike Bloomfield! He also used other members of Paul Butterfield Blues Band at the Newport Folk Festival.
On his Freewheelin album he sang Corina Corina,which is an adaptation of a 1928 country blues song.
and for an early folk/blues – I was young when I left home :
and on bootleg 9 comes this blues influenced track -Ballad for a friend,recorded in 1962,when Dylan was just 21 and originally titled Reminiscence Blues:
And how about this for a 12 bar blues:
From Bringing it all back home
She Belongs to me:
Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat from the album Blonde on Blonde has close affiliations with the blues:
The song melodically and lyrically resembles Lightnin’ Hopkins’s “Automobile Blues”,with Dylan’s opening line of “Well, I see you got your brand new leopard-skin pill-box hat,” echoing Hopkins’s “I saw you riding ’round in your brand new automobile,” and the repeated line of “…brand new leopard-skin pill-box hat,” melodically descending in the same manner of the Hopkins refrain “…in your brand new fast car”. The Dylan reference to “the garage door” in the final verse of “Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat” may also be an allusion to the automobile of Hopkins’s song.
Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat by Dylan:
Blues guitarist Mike Bloomfield supports Bob on another blues,It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry, found on Highway 61 Revisited
Another blues, Meet me in the morning, from Blood on the Tracks
And guess which bluesman made a cover? The great Freddy King!
Gotta Serve Somebody -more of a gospel take
Try this cover by Mavis Staples and Johnny Lang:
and Bob’s live version:
And in 1980 Bob released a blues /rock number called The Groom’s Still Waiting at the Altar:
Try this live version at Farm Aid, of another blues/rock “Seeing the Real You at Last”
With Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and Bob in his rocking best.
“I sailed through the storm, strapped to the mast, I’m just thankful and grateful to be seeing the real you at last.”
Everything Is Broken is a blues in the style of Slim Harpo
Broken lines, broken strings,
Broken threads, broken springs,
Broken idols, broken heads,
People sleeping in broken beds
Ain’t no use jiving
Ain’t no use joking
Everything is broken
Broken bottles, broken plates,
Broken switches, broken gates,
Broken dishes, broken parts,
Streets are filled with broken hearts
Broken words never meant to be spoken,
Everything is broken
Seem like every time you stop and turn around
Something else just hit the ground
Broken cutters, broken saws,
Broken buckles, broken laws,
Broken bodies, broken bones,
Broken voices on broken phones
Take a deep breath, feel like you’re chokin’,
Everything is broken
Every time you leave and go off someplace
Things fall to pieces in my face
Broken hands on broken ploughs,
Broken treaties, broken vows,
Broken pipes, broken tools,
People bending broken rules
Hound dog howling, bull frog croaking, Everything is broken
Try this cover from the bluesman R.L.Burnside:
Enjoy the wah wah harp in the middle.
Paying homage to the great Charlie Patton, Bob reminds us on how the floods of the Mississippi often destryed people’s lives (note Charlie Patton’s High water everywhere).
High Water Everywhere (Charlie Patton)
Listen to that percussive beat…..
Well, backwater done rose all around Sumner now,
drove me down the line
Backwater done rose at Sumner,
drove poor Charley down the line
Lord, I’ll tell the world the water,
done crept through this town
Lord, the whole round country,
Lord, river has overflowed
Lord, the whole round country,
man, is overflowed
You know I can’t stay here,
I’ll go where it’s high, boy
I would goto the hilly country,
but, they got me barred
Now, look-a here now at Leland
river was risin’ high
Look-a here boys around Leland tell me,
river was raisin’ high
Boy, it’s risin’ over there, yeah
I’m gonna move to Greenville
fore I leave, goodbye
Look-a here the water now, Lordy,
Levee broke, rose most everywhere
The water at Greenville and Leland,
Lord, it done rose everywhere
Boy, you can’t never stay here
I would go down to Rosedale
but, they tell me there’s water there
Now, the water now, mama,
done took Charley’s town
Well, they tell me the water,
done took Charley’s town
Boy, I’m goin’ to Vicksburg
Well, I’m goin’ to Vicksburg,
for that high of mine
I am goin’ up that water,
where lands don’t never flow
Well, I’m goin’ over the hill where,
water, oh don’t ever flow
Boy, hit Sharkey County and everything was down in Stovall
But, that whole county was leavin’,
over that Tallahatchie shore Boy,
went to Tallahatchie and got it over there
Lord, the water done rushed all over,
down old Jackson road
Lord, the water done raised,
over the Jackson road
Boy, it starched my clothes
I’m goin’ back to the hilly country,
won’t be worried no more.
And Bob’s take on the flooding:
From the Love and Theft album
Another blues -Can’t wait from the album Time out of Mind
World Gone Wrong album gives a good spread of blues covers, for example Stack O’Lee (Mississippi John Hurt) Delia (Rev Gary Davis) and Broke Down Engine from the great 12 string blues artist Blind Willie McTell:
Stack O’Lee Blues from Mississippi John Hurt
and Delia or All my friends are gone:
and Bob’s version:
Broke Down Engine Blues – Blind Willie McTell (nice 12 string guitar playing)
Rollin and Tumblin , on Modern Times, which this time, is a direct copy of a blues with a long history.
Lets hear Muddy Water’s version before Bob:
And a real down home blues -Someday Baby, from the same album, but lets here Sleepy John Estes version, first of all:
and Bob’s gravelly version, really rocking:
From his early days, when blues and other ‘roots’ music had a particular influence on Bob,he covered ‘Fixin to Die’
Lets hear Bukka White’s recording,first
And Bob with Dave Van Ronk :
From the same album -See that my grave is kept clean…
and Bob’s authentic version:
Step it up and go is a Blind Boy Fuller number which Bob covers on Good as I been to you:
Bob pays homage to other Blues great such as Jimmy Reed:
From Rough and Rowdy Ways
Another bluesy song from the same album:
Well,as you can see Bob has certainly taken from and given to the blues tradition and on the way has paid homage to a number of traditional blues artists. There are other songs either direct covers or influenced by blues musical structures or lyrics, but I hope you have enjoyed this starter.
One of my favourite tracks paying homage to a great 12 string player is Blind Willie McTell,which I don’t mind repeating.
I like this other version with Mark Knopfler on guitar and Bob on piano/harmonica
Being awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2916, reminds us that although we maybe more acquainted with him as a singer/musician, it is through his lyrics and quotations that he would prefer to be remembered.
“I consider myself a poet first and a musician second. I live like a poet and I’ll die like a poet.”
Below are some quotes from Bob Dylan himself as well as extracts from his songs:
“All I can do is be me, whoever that is.“
“Don’t criticize what you can’t understand.“
“Chaos is a friend of mine.“
“To live outside the law, you must be honest.“
“Some people feel the rain. Others just get wet.“
“No one is free, even the birds are chained to the sky.“
“There is nothing so stable as change.”
“A hero is someone who understands the responsibility that comes with his freedom.“
“All I can do is be me, whoever that is.“
“People seldom do what they believe in. They do what is convenient, then repent.“
“Yesterday’s just a memory, tomorrow is never what it’s supposed to be.“
“Democracy don’t rule the world, You’d better get that in your head; This world is ruled by violence, But I guess that’s better left unsaid.”
Probably many of the lines that people recognise are from his songs and one of my favourites is :
“Money doesn’t talk, it swears.“
and the full lyrics:
It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding)
Written by: Bob Dylan
Darkness at the break of noon Shadows even the silver spoon The handmade blade, the child’s balloon Eclipses both the sun and moon To understand you know too soon There is no sense in trying
Pointed threats, they bluff with scorn Suicide remarks are torn From the fool’s gold mouthpiece the hollow horn Plays wasted words, proves to warn That he not busy being born is busy dying
Temptation’s page flies out the door You follow, find yourself at war Watch waterfalls of pity roar You feel to moan but unlike before You discover that you’d just be one more Person crying
So don’t fear if you hear A foreign sound to your ear It’s alright, Ma, I’m only sighing
As some warn victory, some downfall Private reasons great or small Can be seen in the eyes of those that call To make all that should be killed to crawl While others say don’t hate nothing at all Except hatred
Disillusioned words like bullets bark As human gods aim for their mark Make everything from toy guns that spark To flesh-colored Christs that glow in the dark It’s easy to see without looking too far That not much is really sacred
While preachers preach of evil fates Teachers teach that knowledge waits Can lead to hundred-dollar plates Goodness hides behind its gates But even the president of the United States Sometimes must have to stand naked
An’ though the rules of the road have been lodged It’s only people’s games that you got to dodge And it’s alright, Ma, I can make it
Advertising signs they con You into thinking you’re the one That can do what’s never been done That can win what’s never been won Meantime life outside goes on All around you
You lose yourself, you reappear You suddenly find you got nothing to fear Alone you stand with nobody near When a trembling distant voice, unclear Startles your sleeping ears to hear That somebody thinks they really found you
A question in your nerves is lit Yet you know there is no answer fit To satisfy, insure you not to quit To keep it in your mind and not forget That it is not he or she or them or it That you belong to
Although the masters make the rules For the wise men and the fools I got nothing, Ma, to live up to
For them that must obey authority That they do not respect in any degree Who despise their jobs, their destinies Speak jealously of them that are free Cultivate their flowers to be Nothing more than something they invest in
While some on principles baptized To strict party platform ties Social clubs in drag disguise Outsiders they can freely criticize Tell nothing except who to idolize And then say God bless him
While one who sings with his tongue on fire Gargles in the rat race choir Bent out of shape from society’s pliers Cares not to come up any higher But rather get you down in the hole That he’s in
But I mean no harm nor put fault On anyone that lives in a vault But it’s alright, Ma, if I can’t please him
Old lady judges watch people in pairs Limited in sex, they dare To push fake morals, insult and stare While money doesn’t talk, it swears Obscenity, who really cares Propaganda, all is phony
While them that defend what they cannot see With a killer’s pride, security It blows the minds most bitterly For them that think death’s honesty Won’t fall upon them naturally Life sometimes must get lonely
My eyes collide head-on with stuffed Graveyards, false gods, I scuff At pettiness which plays so rough Walk upside-down inside handcuffs Kick my legs to crash it off Say okay, I have had enough what else can you show me?
And if my thought-dreams could be seen They’d probably put my head in a guillotine But it’s alright, Ma, it’s life, and life only
A few more examples of some of his poetry turned song:
A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall
Oh, where have you been, my blue-eyed son? Oh, where have you been, my darling young one? I’ve stumbled on the side of twelve misty mountains I’ve walked and I’ve crawled on six crooked highways I’ve stepped in the middle of seven sad forests I’ve been out in front of a dozen dead oceans I’ve been ten thousand miles in the mouth of a graveyard And it’s a hard, and it’s a hard, it’s a hard, and it’s a hard And it’s a hard rain’s a-gonna fall
Oh, what did you see, my blue-eyed son? Oh, what did you see, my darling young one? I saw a newborn baby with wild wolves all around it I saw a highway of diamonds with nobody on it I saw a black branch with blood that kept drippin’ I saw a room full of men with their hammers a-bleedin’ I saw a white ladder all covered with water I saw ten thousand talkers whose tongues were all broken I saw guns and sharp swords in the hands of young children And it’s a hard, and it’s a hard, it’s a hard, it’s a hard And it’s a hard rain’s a-gonna fall
And what did you hear, my blue-eyed son? And what did you hear, my darling young one? I heard the sound of a thunder, it roared out a warnin’ Heard the roar of a wave that could drown the whole world Heard one hundred drummers whose hands were a-blazin’ Heard ten thousand whisperin’ and nobody listenin’ Heard one person starve, I heard many people laughin’ Heard the song of a poet who died in the gutter Heard the sound of a clown who cried in the alley And it’s a hard, and it’s a hard, it’s a hard, it’s a hard And it’s a hard rain’s a-gonna fall
Oh, who did you meet, my blue-eyed son? Who did you meet, my darling young one? I met a young child beside a dead pony I met a white man who walked a black dog I met a young woman whose body was burning I met a young girl, she gave me a rainbow I met one man who was wounded in love I met another man who was wounded with hatred And it’s a hard, it’s a hard, it’s a hard, it’s a hard It’s a hard rain’s a-gonna fall
Oh, what’ll you do now, my blue-eyed son? Oh, what’ll you do now, my darling young one? I’m a-goin’ back out ’fore the rain starts a-fallin’ I’ll walk to the depths of the deepest black forest Where the people are many and their hands are all empty Where the pellets of poison are flooding their waters Where the home in the valley meets the damp dirty prison Where the executioner’s face is always well hidden Where hunger is ugly, where souls are forgotten Where black is the color, where none is the number And I’ll tell it and think it and speak it and breathe it And reflect it from the mountain so all souls can see it Then I’ll stand on the ocean until I start sinkin’ But I’ll know my song well before I start singin’ And it’s a hard, it’s a hard, it’s a hard, it’s a hard It’s a hard rain’s a-gonna fall
Hey! Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me I’m not sleepy and there is no place I’m going to Hey! Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me In the jingle jangle morning I’ll come followin’ you
Though I know that evenin’s empire has returned into sand Vanished from my hand Left me blindly here to stand but still not sleeping My weariness amazes me, I’m branded on my feet I have no one to meet And the ancient empty street’s too dead for dreaming
Hey! Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me I’m not sleepy and there is no place I’m going to Hey! Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me In the jingle jangle morning I’ll come followin’ you
Take me on a trip upon your magic swirlin’ ship My senses have been stripped, my hands can’t feel to grip My toes too numb to step Wait only for my boot heels to be wanderin’ I’m ready to go anywhere, I’m ready for to fade Into my own parade, cast your dancing spell my way I promise to go under it
Hey! Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me I’m not sleepy and there is no place I’m going to Hey! Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me In the jingle jangle morning I’ll come followin’ you
Though you might hear laughin’, spinnin’, swingin’ madly across the sun It’s not aimed at anyone, it’s just escapin’ on the run And but for the sky there are no fences facin’ And if you hear vague traces of skippin’ reels of rhyme To your tambourine in time, it’s just a ragged clown behind I wouldn’t pay it any mind It’s just a shadow you’re seein’ that he’s chasing
Hey! Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me I’m not sleepy and there is no place I’m going to Hey! Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me In the jingle jangle morning I’ll come followin’ you
Then take me disappearin’ through the smoke rings of my mind Down the foggy ruins of time, far past the frozen leaves The haunted, frightened trees, out to the windy beach Far from the twisted reach of crazy sorrow Yes, to dance beneath the diamond sky with one hand waving free Silhouetted by the sea, circled by the circus sands With all memory and fate driven deep beneath the waves Let me forget about today until tomorrow
Hey! Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me I’m not sleepy and there is no place I’m going to Hey! Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me In the jingle jangle morning I’ll come followin’ you
and one more favourite from the freewheeling album
Masters of War
Come you masters of war You that build all the guns You that build the death planes You that build the big bombs You that hide behind walls You that hide behind desks I just want you to know I can see through your masks
You that never done nothin’ But build to destroy You play with my world Like it’s your little toy You put a gun in my hand And you hide from my eyes And you turn and run farther When the fast bullets fly
Like Judas of old You lie and deceive A world war can be won You want me to believe But I see through your eyes And I see through your brain Like I see through the water That runs down my drain
You fasten the triggers For the others to fire Then you set back and watch When the death count gets higher You hide in your mansion As young people’s blood Flows out of their bodies And is buried in the mud
You’ve thrown the worst fear That can ever be hurled Fear to bring children Into the world For threatening my baby Unborn and unnamed You ain’t worth the blood That runs in your veins
How much do I know To talk out of turn You might say that I’m young You might say I’m unlearned But there’s one thing I know Though I’m younger than you Even Jesus would never Forgive what you do
Let me ask you one question Is your money that good Will it buy you forgiveness Do you think that it could I think you will find When your death takes its toll All the money you made Will never buy back your soul
And I hope that you die And your death’ll come soon I will follow your casket In the pale afternoon And I’ll watch while you’re lowered Down to your deathbed And I’ll stand o’er your grave ’Til I’m sure that you’re dead
Once upon a time you dressed so fine You threw the bums a dime in your prime, didn’t you? People’d call, say, “Beware doll, you’re bound to fall” You thought they were all kiddin’ you You used to laugh about Everybody that was hangin’ out Now you don’t talk so loud Now you don’t seem so proud About having to be scrounging for your next meal
How does it feel How does it feel To be without a home Like a complete unknown Like a rolling stone?
You’ve gone to the finest school all right, Miss Lonely But you know you only used to get juiced in it And nobody has ever taught you how to live on the street And now you find out you’re gonna have to get used to it You said you’d never compromise With the mystery tramp, but now you realize He’s not selling any alibis As you stare into the vacuum of his eyes And ask him do you want to make a deal?
How does it feel How does it feel To be on your own With no direction home Like a complete unknown Like a rolling stone?
You never turned around to see the frowns on the jugglers and the clowns When they all come down and did tricks for you You never understood that it ain’t no good You shouldn’t let other people get your kicks for you You used to ride on the chrome horse with your diplomat Who carried on his shoulder a Siamese cat Ain’t it hard when you discover that He really wasn’t where it’s at After he took from you everything he could steal
How does it feel How does it feel To be on your own With no direction home Like a complete unknown Like a rolling stone?
Princess on the steeple and all the pretty people They’re drinkin’, thinkin’ that they got it made Exchanging all kinds of precious gifts and things But you’d better lift your diamond ring, you’d better pawn it babe You used to be so amused At Napoleon in rags and the language that he used Go to him now, he calls you, you can’t refuse When you got nothing, you got nothing to lose You’re invisible now, you got no secrets to conceal
How does it feel How does it feel To be on your own With no direction home Like a complete unknown Like a rolling stone?
from the time he moved into his electric revolution:
Chimes of Freedom
Far between sundown’s finish an’ midnight’s broken toll We ducked inside the doorway, thunder crashing As majestic bells of bolts struck shadows in the sounds Seeming to be the chimes of freedom flashing Flashing for the warriors whose strength is not to fight Flashing for the refugees on the unarmed road of flight An’ for each an’ ev’ry underdog soldier in the night An’ we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing
In the city’s melted furnace, unexpectedly we watched With faces hidden while the walls were tightening As the echo of the wedding bells before the blowin’ rain Dissolved into the bells of the lightning Tolling for the rebel, tolling for the rake Tolling for the luckless, the abandoned an’ forsaked Tolling for the outcast, burnin’ constantly at stake An’ we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing
Through the mad mystic hammering of the wild ripping hail The sky cracked its poems in naked wonder That the clinging of the church bells blew far into the breeze Leaving only bells of lightning and its thunder Striking for the gentle, striking for the kind Striking for the guardians and protectors of the mind An’ the unpawned painter behind beyond his rightful time An’ we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing
Through the wild cathedral evening the rain unraveled tales For the disrobed faceless forms of no position Tolling for the tongues with no place to bring their thoughts All down in taken-for-granted situations Tolling for the deaf an’ blind, tolling for the mute Tolling for the mistreated, mateless mother, the mistitled prostitute For the misdemeanor outlaw, chased an’ cheated by pursuit An’ we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing
Even though a cloud’s white curtain in a far-off corner flashed An’ the hypnotic splattered mist was slowly lifting Electric light still struck like arrows, fired but for the ones Condemned to drift or else be kept from drifting Tolling for the searching ones, on their speechless, seeking trail For the lonesome-hearted lovers with too personal a tale An’ for each unharmful, gentle soul misplaced inside a jail An’ we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing
Starry-eyed an’ laughing as I recall when we were caught Trapped by no track of hours for they hanged suspended As we listened one last time an’ we watched with one last look Spellbound an’ swallowed ’til the tolling ended Tolling for the aching ones whose wounds cannot be nursed For the countless confused, accused, misused, strung-out ones an’ worse An’ for every hung-up person in the whole wide universe An’ we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing
I pity the poor immigrant Who wishes he would’ve stayed home Who uses all his power to do evil But in the end is always left so alone That man whom with his fingers cheats And who lies with ev’ry breath Who passionately hates his life And likewise fears his death.
I pity the poor immigrant Whose strength is spent in vain Whose heaven is like Ironsides Whose tears are like rain Who eats but is not satisfied Who hears but does not see Who falls in love with wealth itself And turns his back on me.
I pity the poor immigrant Who tramples through the mud Who fills his mouth with laughing And who builds his town with blood Whose visions in the final end Must shatter like the glass I pity the poor immigrant When his gladness comes to pass.
I once held her in my arms She said she would always stay But I was cruel I treated her like a fool I threw it all away.
Once I had mountains in the palm of my hand And rivers that ran through ev’ry day I must have been mad I never knew what I had Until I threw it all away.
Love is all there is, it makes the world go around Love and only love it can’t be denied No matter what you think about it You just won’t be able to do without it Take a tip from one who’s tried.
So if you find someone that gives you all of her love Take it to your heart, don’t let it stray For one thing that’s certain You will surely be a-hurtin’ If you throw it all away.
Can’t you hear that rooster crowing ? Rabbit running down across the road Underneath the bridge where the water flows through So happy just to see you smile Underneath the sky of blue On this new morning, new morning On this new morning with you.
Can’t you hear that motor turning Automobile coming into style Coming down the road for a country mile or two ? So happy just to see you smile Underneath the sky of blue On this new morning, new morning On this new morning with you.
The night passed away so quickly It always does when you’re with me.
Can’t you feel that sun a-shinning ? Ground hog running by the country stream This must be the day when all of my dreams come true So happy just to be alive Underneath the sky of blue On this new morning, new morning On this new morning with you.
So happy just to be alive Underneath the sky of blue On this new morning, new morning On this new morning with you New morning …
May God bless and keep you always May your wishes all come true May you always do for others And let others do for you May you build a ladder to the stars And climb on every rung May you stay forever young Forever young, forever young May you stay forever young.
May you grow up to be righteous May you grow up to be true May you always know the truth And see the light surrounding you May you always be courageous Stand upright and be strong May you stay forever young Forever young, forever young May you stay forever young.
May your hands always be busy May your feet always be swift May you have a strong foundation When the winds of changes shift May your heart always be joyful And may your song always be sung May you stay forever young Forever young, forever young May you stay forever young.
‘Twas in another lifetime one of toil and blood When blackness was a virtue, the road was full of mud I came in from the wilderness a creature void of form “Come in,” she said “I’ll give you shelter from the storm”
And if I pass this way again you can rest assured I’ll always do my best for her on that I give my word In a world of steel-eyed death and men who are fighting to be warm “Come in,” she said “I’ll give you shelter from the storm”
Not a word was spoke between us there was little risk involved Everything up to that point had been left unresolved Try imagining a place where it’s always safe and warm “Come in,” she said “I’ll give you shelter from the storm”
I was burned out from exhaustion buried in the hail Poisoned in the bushes and blown out on the trail Hunted like a crocodile ravaged in the corn “Come in,” she said “I’ll give you shelter from the storm”
Suddenly I turned around and she was standing there With silver bracelets on her wrists and flowers in her hair She walked up to me so gracefully and took my crown of thorns “Come in,” she said “I’ll give you shelter from the storm”
Now there’s a wall between us something there’s been lost I took too much for granted, I got my signals crossed Just to think that it all began on an uneventful morn “Come in,” she said “I’ll give you shelter from the storm”
Well the deputy walks on hard nails and the preacher rides a mount But nothing really matters much it’s doom alone that counts And the one-eyed undertaker he blows a futile horn “Come in,” she said “I’ll give you shelter from the storm”
I’ve heard newborn babies wailing like a mourning dove And old men with broken teeth stranded without love Do I understand your question man, is it hopeless and forlorn? “Come in,” she said “I’ll give you shelter from the storm”
In a little hilltop village they gambled for my clothes I bargained for salvation and she gave me a lethal dose I offered up my innocence, I got repaid with scorn “Come in,” she said “I’ll give you shelter from the storm”
Well I’m living in a foreign country but I’m bound to cross the line Beauty walks a razor’s edge someday I’ll make it mine If I could only turn back the clock to when God and her were born “Come in,” she said “I’ll give you shelter from the storm”
Your breath is sweet Your eyes are like two jewels in the sky Your back is straight your hair is smooth On the pillow where you lie But I don’t sense affection No gratitude or love Your loyalty is not to me But to the stars above
One more cup of coffee for the road One more cup of coffee ‘fore I go. To the valley below.
Your daddy he’s an outlaw And a wanderer by trade He’ll teach you how to pick and choose And how to throw the blade He oversees his kingdom So no stranger does intrude His voice it trembles as he calls out For another plate of food.
One more cup of coffee for the road One more cup of coffee ‘fore I go. To the valley below.
Your sister sees the future Like your mama and yourself You’ve never learned to read or write There’s no books upon your shelf And your pleasure knows no limits Your voice is like a meadowlark But your heart is like an ocean Mysterious and dark.
One more cup of coffee for the road One more cup of coffee ‘fore I go. To the valley below.
I’m walking through streets that are dead Walking, walking with you in my head My feet are so tired, my brain is so wired And the clouds are weeping
Did I hear someone tell a lie? Did I hear someone’s distant cry? You thrilled me to my heart, then you ripped it all apart You went through my pockets when I was sleeping
I’m sick of love…but I’m in the thick of it This kind of love…I’m so sick of it
I see lovers in the meadow I see silhouettes in the window I watch them ’til they’re gone and they leave me hanging on To a shadow
I’m sick of love…I hear the clock tick This kind of love…I’m love sick
Sometimes the silence can be like the thunder Sometimes I feel like I’m being plowed under Could you ever be true? I think of you And I wonder
I’m sick of love…I wish I’d never met you I’m sick of love…I’m trying to forget you
Just don’t know what to do I’d give anything to be with you
There’s an evening’s haze settling over the town Starlight by the edge of the creek The buying power of the proletariat’s gone down Money’s getting shallow and weak The place I love best is a sweet memory It’s a new path that we trod They say low wages are a reality If we want to compete abroad
My cruel weapons been laid back on the shelf Come and sit down on my knee You are dearer to me than myself As you yourself can see I’m listening to the steel rails hum Got both eyes tight shut I’m just trying to keep the hunger from Creepin’ its way into my gut
Meet me at the bottom, don’t lag behind Bring me my boots and shoes You can hang back or fight your best on the front line Sing a little bit of these workingman’s blues
I’m sailing on back getting ready for the long haul Leaving everything behind If I stay here I’ll lose it all The bandits will rob me blind I’m trying to feed my soul with thought Gonna sleep off the rest of the day Sometimes nobody wants what you got Sometimes you can’t give it away
I woke up this morning and sprang to my feet Went into town on a whim I saw my father there in the street At least I think it was him In the dark I hear the night birds call The hills are rugged and steep I sleep in the kitchen with my feet in the hall If I told you my whole story you’d weep
Meet me at the bottom, don’t lag behind Bring me my boots and shoes You can hang back or fight your best on the front line Sing a little bit of these workingman’s blues
They burned my barn and they stole my horse I can’t save a dime It’s a long way down and I don’t want to be forced Into a life of continual crime I can see for myself that the sun is sinking O’er the banks of the deep blue sea Tell me, am I wrong in thinking That you have forgotten me
Now they worry and they hurry and they fuss and they fret They waste your nights and days Them, I will forget You, I’ll remember always It’s a cold black night and it’s midsummer’s eve And the stars are spinning around I still find it so hard to believe That someone would kick me when I’m down
Meet me at the bottom, don’t lag behind Bring me my boots and shoes You can hang back or fight your best on the front line Sing a little bit of these workingman’s blues
I’ll be back home in a month or two When the frost is on the vine I’ll punch my spear right straight through Half-ways down your spine I’ll lift up my arms to the starry skies And pray the fugitive’s prayer I’m guessing tomorrow the sun will rise I hope the final judgment’s fair
The battle is over up in the hills And the mist is closing in Look at me, with all of my spoils What did I ever win? Gotta brand new suit and a brand new wife I can live on rice and beans Some people never worked a day in their life They don’t know what work even means
Meet me at the bottom, don’t lag behind Bring me my boots and shoes You can hang back or fight your best on the front line Sing a little bit of these workingman’s blues
‘Twas a dark day in Dallas – November ‘63 The day that will live on in infamy President Kennedy was riding high A good day to be living and a good day to die Being led to the slaughter like a sacrificial lamb Say wait a minute boys, do you know who I am? Of course we do, we know who you are Then they blew off his head when he was still in the car Shot down like a dog in broad daylight ‘Twas a matter of timing and the timing was right You got unpaid debts and we’ve come to collect We’re gon’ kill you with hatred and without any respect We’ll mock you and shock you, we’ll grin in your face We’ve already got someone here to take your place The day that they blew out the brains of the king Thousands were watching, no one saw a thing It happened so quickly – so quick by surprise Right there in front of everyone’s eyes
Greatest magic trick ever under the sun Perfectly executed, skillfully done Wolfman, oh wolfman, oh wolfman, howl Rub a dub dub – it’s murder most foul
Hush lil children, you’ll soon understand The Beatles are coming they’re gonna hold your hand Slide down the banister, go get your coat Ferry ‘cross the Mersey and go for the throat There’s three bums comin’ all dressed in rags Pick up the pieces and lower the flags I’m going to Woodstock, it’s the Aquarian Age Then I’ll go over to Altamont and sit near the stage Put your head out the window, let the good times roll There’s a party going on behind the grassy knoll Stack up the bricks and pour the cement Don’t say Dallas don’t love you, Mr. President Put your foot in the tank and step on the gas Try to make it to the triple underpass Black face singer – white face clown Better not show your faces after the sun goes down
I’m in the red-light district like a cop on the beat Living in a nightmare on Elm Street When you’re down on Deep Ellum put your money in your shoe Don’t ask what your country can do for you Cash on the barrel head, money to burn Dealey Plaza, make a left hand turn Go down to the crossroads, try to flag a ride That’s the place where Faith, Hope and Charity died Shoot ‘em while he runs, boy, shoot ‘em while you can See if you can shoot the Invisible Man Goodbye, Charlie, goodbye Uncle Sam Frankly, Miss Scarlet, I don’t give a damn What is the truth and where did it go Ask Oswald and Ruby – they oughta know Shut your mouth, says the wise old owl Business is business and it’s murder most foul
Tommy can you hear me, I’m the Acid Queen I’m ridin’ in a long black Lincoln limousine Ridin’ in the back seat, next to my wife Heading straight on into the afterlife I’m leaning to the left, got my head in her lap Oh Lord, I’ve been led into some kind of a trap We ask no quarter, no quarter do we give We’re right down the street from the street where you live They mutilated his body and took out his brain What more could they do, they piled on the pain But his soul was not there where it was supposed to be at For the last fifty years they’ve been searching for that Freedom, oh freedom, freedom over me Hate to tell you, Mister, but only dead men are free Send me some loving – tell me no lie Throw the gun in the gutter and walk on by Wake up, Little Suzie, let’s go for a drive Cross the Trinity River, let’s keep hope alive Turn the radio on, don’t touch the dials Parkland Hospital’s only six more miles You got me dizzy Miss Lizzy, you filled me with lead That magic bullet of yours has gone to my head I’m just a patsy like Patsy Cline I never shot anyone from in front or behind Got blood in my eyes, got blood in my ear I’m never gonna make it to the New Frontier
Zapruder’s film, I’ve seen that before Seen it thirty three times, maybe more It’s vile and deceitful – it’s cruel and it’s mean Ugliest thing that you ever have seen They killed him once, they killed him twice Killed him like a human sacrifice The day that they killed him, someone said to me, “Son, The age of the anti-Christ has just only begun.” Air Force One coming in through the gate Johnson sworn in at two thirty-eight Let me know when you decide to throw in the towel It is what it is and it’s murder most foul
What’s New Pussycat – wha’d I say I said the soul of a nation been torn away It’s beginning to go down into a slow decay And that it’s thirty-six hours past judgment day Wolfman Jack, he’s speaking in tongues He’s going on and on at the top of his lungs Play me a song, Mr. Wolfman Jack Play it for me in my long Cadillac Play that Only The Good Die Young Take me to the place where Tom Dooley was hung Play St. James Infirmary in the court of King James If you want to remember, better write down the names Play Etta James too, play I’d Rather Go Blind Play it for the man with the telepathic mind Play John Lee Hooker play Scratch My Back Play it for that strip club owner named Jack Guitar Slim – Goin’ Down Slow Play it for me and for Marilyn Monroe And please, Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood Play it for the First Lady, she ain’t feeling that good Play Don Henley – play Glenn Frey Take it to the Limit and let it go by And play it for Carl Wilson, too Lookin’ far, far away down Gower Avenue Play Tragedy, play Twilight Time Take Me Back to Tulsa to the scene of the crime Play another one and Another One Bites the Dust Play the Old Rugged Cross and in G-d We Trust Ride the Pink Horse down that Long, Lonesome Road Stand there and wait for his head to explode Play Mystery Train for Mr. Mystery The man who fell down dead, like a rootless tree Play it for the Reverend, play it for the Pastor Play it for the dog that’s got no master Play Oscar Peterson and play Stan Getz Play Blue Sky, play Dickie Betts Play Art Pepper, play Thelonious Monk Charlie Parker and all that junk All that junk and All That Jazz Play something for The Birdman of Alcatraz Play Buster Keaton play Harold Lloyd Play Bugsy Siegel play Pretty Boy Floyd Play all the numbers, play all the odds Play Cry Me A River for the Lord of the Gods Play number nine, play number six Play it for Lindsey and Stevie Nicks Play Nat King Cole, play Nature Boy Play Down in the Boondocks for Terry Malloy Play It Happened One Night and One Night of Sin There’s twelve million souls that are listening in Play the Merchant of Venice, play the merchants of death Play Stella by Starlight for Lady Macbeth Don’t worry Mr. President, help’s on the way Your brothers are comin’, there’ll be hell to pay Brothers? What brothers? What’s this about hell? Tell ‘em we’re waitin’- keep coming – we’ll get ‘em as well Love Field is where his plane touched down But it never did get back up off of the ground Was a hard act to follow, second to none They killed him on the Altar of the Rising Sun Play Misty for me and that Old Devil Moon Play Anything Goes and Memphis in June Play Lonely at the Top and Lonely Are the Brave Play it for Houdini spinning around in his grave Play Jelly Roll Morton, play Lucille Play Deep in a Dream and play Drivin’ Wheel Play Moonlight Sonata in F sharp And Key to the Highway by the king of the harp Play Marchin’ Through Georgia and Dumbarton’s Drums Play Darkness and death will come when it comes Play Love Me or Leave Me by the great Bud Powell Play the Blood Stained Banner – play Murder Most Foul
From Chronicles: “I was never any more than what I was – a folk musician who gazed into the grey mist with tear-blinded eyes and made up songs that floated in a luminous haze.”
Fifty years ago, Bob Dylan was at the centre of a storm, about whether his decision to play electric sets meant he had sold out his folk roots.
The controversy began at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival in the US, where he was booed when he played electric,for three numbers following his acoustic set.
Hear the booing on the next track ,Like a Rolling Stone (second of three on the night).
it came to a head, unexpectedly, towards the end of his 1966 world tour at a concert in Manchester,UK on 17 May.
That was the first half of the concert -the second half was the new electric Bob:
Frustrated by what he was hearing, one man decided to vent his fury as the sound ebbed before Dylan’s final song of the set with a heckle that has become one of the most famous in musical history.
He shouted a single word – “Judas”.
Dylan was taken aback but responded with his own individual response-he stepped away from the microphone, swore as he told the band to “play it loud” and they “lurched into Like A Rolling Stone, which was this giant juggernaut”. (Mark Makin)
Why did he make this unexpected change?
“Picasso at 79 years old had just married his 35-year-old model. Wow. Picasso wasn’t just loafing about on crowded sidewalks. Life hadn’t flowed past him yet. Picasso had fractured the art world and cracked it wide open. He was revolutionary. I wanted to be like that.” from Chronicles,
So this long intro was just to remind us that Dylan has always had his own mind and will do whatever he wants, at least musically.
As he said in 1963: “You can call me anything you want, but I got a thing to do and I do it,”
600 songs and 58 years later,Bob can feel proud of his legacy.
Created while sheltering at his home in the French countryside last year, as the first wave of lockdowns swept the globe, the series of landscapes, speak to the liberating power of creativity.
“We need art, and I do think it can relieve stress,” Hockney said
When lockdown hit us all, Hockney seemed to go into overdrive and produced more than a hundred images on his iPad in the space of a few weeks, which allowed him to capture the range of perspectives and light experienced during the changes over one year.
A Year in Normandie shows the succession of seasons in the form of an eighty-meter-long frieze, also heralding the re-opening of the Musée de l’Orangerie, following the closure due to COVID 19.