Time passes slowly (New Morning)

30/10/2008 by Tony Attwood.

Deceptively simple, which combines with the following track on New Morning “Went to see the gypsy” to offer an insight into Dylan’s very private world.

The simplicity of the world (up here in the mountains) is captured by the piano, single guitar notes and occasional drumming. It is full of a girl who is good looking, rhyming of course with cooking.

But without noticing the melody is changing, the drumming is getting more complex, combining with the insistance that there is no reason to go anywhere. It is as if there is a pull on the singer - but he wants to stay - the instrumental break which adds a second guitar moves towards a comparatively frantic moment, but then, we are back to one more verse, and a most unusual ending of a chord repeated quickly over and over.

This is the simple land, where nothing happens, and it prepares us for the surreal dream like quality of Went to see the gypsy - a different world but one that can coexist with Time passes slowly.

The simple land is deceptive - the mountains don’t change but the thoughts and dreams of those who live are not as controlled as the environment. It is a challenge - a challenge that is taken up by the following track.

It’s a simple song in the solid world of E flat but with a twist at the instrumental end of each world. “Ain’t no reason to go anywhere” - true - but you need to keep shouting it to keep the demons at bay. Just listen to those two inter twining guitars.

You can win - but then time passes slowly and fades away.

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