By Tony Attwood
Prelude: I tried at first to write a set of reviews of Dylan’s book but I found I really couldn’t do it – so I have been asking regularly if anyone else would like to try. But no one has come forth. (And to be clear I mean, come forth by reviewing what Dylan says about the songs, not primarily about the songs themselves).
Thus I am continuing to write reviews of the songs that Bob chose to include in the book, and doing so totally from my own perspective. If nothing else it gives you a chance to hear the occasional song that Bob chose which you might not have heard before, and maybe you might wish to consider your own thoughts on why Bob included each particular song.
In this case the link is obvious – Johnny Paycheck and Bob Dylan both devoted their lives completely to music, creating the music they wanted, regardless of what others said or thought. They were/are the music, the music is them, and will remain long after they are gone.
One thing in this activity however has caused me a problem or three – and that is that while some of the songs are ones I am utterly familiar with (“My generation” being an obvious example) others were not familiar to me, and so if nothing else, I have enjoyed getting to know these pieces of music – and indeed these performances. And I am hoping that in plodding on with this series. if nothing else, maybe you’ll find one or two pieces of music you didn’t know and which you find moving.
Certainly in the “not knowing” category and in the “moving” category, I would place “The old Violin” by Johnny Paycheck. And that is unusual for me, since I really don’t normally relate to this type of openly emotional song.
So, doing my research into a singer and song of which I knew nothing (and if that sounds ludicrous to you, please remember I was born and brought up in England, where such music has never been as popular as it has been in the United States) Wiki started me off with the raw details: “Johnny Paycheck (real name Donald Lytle, born 1938, died 2003) was an American singer and songwriter. He is a notable figure in the outlaw movement in country music.”
Now that meant I had to expand my knowledge of country music – so just in case you are as ignorant of the genre as I (which I very much doubt is possible) the outlaw movement refers to those “who fought for and won their creative freedom outside of the Nashville establishment that dictated the sound of most country music of the era.”
His most famous song was released in 1977 with the wonderful title “Take This Job and Shove It,” which gave Paycheck a status alongside Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson, whose music I am more familiar with.
Johnny Paycheck was however, one of those performers who struggled seemingly in all aspects of his life with substance abuse, spending time in prison, and often being involved in what Wiki calls “legal controversies, including a conviction for assault and a high-profile sexual misconduct case.”
The music is described in the Wiki article as “raw and uncompromising,” which I don’t really understand in relation to the music I have heard in preparing this piece, but then I am not familiar with nor a fan of “outlaw country music,” so my comments are not particularly relevant.
In fact this is a case very much of me being on the outside looking in to find that, “His life and work have been recognized as emblematic of both the rebellion and the heartbreak that defined a pivotal era in American country music.”
And this certainly comes across in The Old Violin, written in 1986, when he was 48. And these are pretty desperate lines for a man of that age.
He did live for another quarter century or so, but as is obvious here, his music and his life is something new for me, so I can’t really write anything more illuminating at this point except to quote the lyrics of the song Dylan chose to include. In case you, like me, don’t know the song, and want to play it while reading the lyrics, the link used above is here: https://youtu.be/NrvY6Lkgu_
Well, I can't recall, one time in my lifeI've felt as lonely as I do tonightI feel like I could lay down, and get up no moreIt's the damndest feelin', I never felt it before Tonight I feel like an old violinSoon to be put away and never played againDon't ask me why I feel like this, hell, I can't sayI only wish this feelin' would just go away I guess it's 'cause the truthIs the hardest thing I ever faced'Cause you can't change the truthIn the slightest way, I tried So I asked myselfI said, "John, where'd you go from here?"And then like a damned foolI turned around and looked in the mirror And there I saw, an old violinSoon to be put away and never played again So one more time, just to be sureI said, "John, where in the hell do you go from here?"You know that when a nickel's worth of differenceAnd I looked in the mirror, That there I was seein', an old violinSoon to be put away, and never played again And just like that, it hit meThat old violin and I were just alikeWe'd give our all to musicAnd soon, we'll give our life
Now, having read up on the life of this artist whose work I have had no knowledge of before, I must say I find the song incredibly moving. And indeed here I can see why Dylan chose this as one of the songs he wanted to include in “The Philosophy”, not least because the song was not only recorded by Johnny Paycheck but also written by him. Which seems to add a lot to the feelings I get on listening to it today, for the very first time.
What can one say other than that the music industry is not always a good place to be.
Previously….
- Detroit City
- Take Me from This Garden of Evil
- Pump it up
- There stands the glass
- Waist Deep in the Big Muddy
- My Generation and Desoltation Row
- Dirty Life and Times