Blatantly Bob Dylan: The Murderous Links

 

By Larry Fyffe

In “Murder Most Foul”, Bob Dylan refers to a number of singers/songs that he likes to hear.  Can direct links to Dylan’s own song lyrics be found?

Let’s see.

Therein, the song “Twilight Time”; in it rhymes ~ ‘done’/’sun’:

Deepening shadows gather splendour as day is done
Fingers of light will soon surrender the setting sun
I count the moments darling till you're here with me
Together at last at twilight time
(The Platters: Twilight Time ~ Ram/Dunn/M&A Nevins)

Rhymes ~ ‘sun’/’begun’ in the song lyrics below:

Beyond the horizon, behind the sun
At the end of the rainbow life has only begun
In the long hours of twilight beneath the stardust above
Beyond the horizon, it is so easy to love
(Bob Dylan: Beyond The Horizon ~ Kennedy/Grosz/Dylan)

The song “Memphis In June” makes the list; therein rhymes ~ ‘moon’/’June’:

With sweet oleander blowing perfume in the air
Up jumps the moon to make it much grander
It's paradise, brother take my advice
Nothing half as nice as Memphis in June
(Hoagy Carmichael: Memphis In June ~ Webster/Carmichael)

Found is a tight connection to the figurative diction in the lyrics below:

Well my heart's in the Highland, gentle and fair
Honeysuckle blooming in the wildwood air
Bluebells blazing where the Aberdeen waters flow
Well my heart's in the Highland
(Bob Dylan: Highland)

The song title is noted in the lyrics below; so is the “rhyme” ~ ‘moon’/’June’:

Well, they're not showing any lights tonight
And there's no moon
There's just a hot-blooded singer
Singing 'Memphis In June'
(Bob Dylan: Tight Connection To My Heart)

Mentioned in “Murder Most Foul” is “Driving Wheel’:

My baby don't have to work, my baby don't have to rob and steal
I give her everything she needs, I am her driving wheel ...
Got up this morning, man, said she'd be back soon
Be back early Friday morning, either Saturday afternoon
(Roosevelt Sykes: Driving Wheel)

Paid tribute to in the song lyrics below; rhymed is ~ ‘rob’/’job’ rather than ~ ‘steal’/’wheel’:

Well, she can make you steal, make you rob
Well, she can give you the hives, make you lose your job
Make things bad, make things worse
She got stuff more potent than a gypsy curse
(Bob Dylan: My Wife's Home Town ~ Dylan/ Hunter/Dixon)

Mentioned too is “Love Me Or Leave Me”; Frank Sinatra, for one, sings it, but not Bud Powell as Dylan suggests:

Love me or leave me, and let me be lonely
You won't believe me, and I love you only
I'd rather be lonely
Than happy with somebody else
(Frank Sinatra: Love Me Or Leave Me ~ Kahn/Donaldson)

Below, another song by Frankie ‘blue eyes”; rhymes ~ ‘garden’/’pardon’:

A country dance was being held in the garden
I felt a bump, and heard an oh, beg your pardon
Suddenly I saw polka dots and moonbeams
All around a pug-nosed dream
(Frank Sinatra: Polka Dots And Moonbeams ~ Burke/Van Heusen)

Which is paid tribute in the following lines ; note the rhyme ~ ‘garden’/’pardon’:

As I walked out tonight in the mystic garden ...
Someone hit me from behind ...
Excuse me, ma'am, I beg your pardon
There's no one here, the gardener is gone
(Bob Dylan: Ain't Talking)

https://youtu.be/Hx6fHd99SxA

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