A Dylan Cover a Day: Mozambique

By Tony Attwood

Opinions on Mozambique are divided – did it belittle the struggle of the country for independence from Portugal, or was it actually a celebration that the fight was over, or simply did the name of the country fit with a song that was emerging?

Of course with Bob we never know, but I have always enjoyed it as a piece of music as such without worrying about the connotations of the lyrics.  Besides, I’ve never blamed Bob for not making his political views clear.  After all, “Times they are a changin” actually says quite clearly in the lyrics that the world changes as time goes by, not that we the people make the changes or need to make changes.  It happens, adjust to the new ways rather than say the old days were better, is the clear message in the lyrics.   But then, who cares what the lyrics say, when we have our views to implant on the top of them?

Cover versions of Mozambique are rare, and of those around not all are really innovative nor beautiful nor intriguing enough to warrant a specific mention.   But “A Nod to Bob 2” (a tribute on his 70th birthday), really did involve artists listening and re-thinking.

I’m not overwhelmed by the intro but am so glad that I persevered and discovered this interpretation; it has become one of my favourite reworkings.   This is because this cover keeps enough of the original for us to recognise exactly what it is, but puts in so much in terms of new material that I just have to listen.

I’m also not too sure many of my pals would enjoy this, but if you listen all the way through please do pay special attention to the harmonies and the way the instruments weave around them.

This is what I call a tribute.

In fact I only have two cover versions of Mozambique that I enjoy, and both of them play with the melody and focus on the enjoyment and lightness of the songs.

And yes I know “Kids sing Bob Dylan” is a bit twee and a bit of a strange idea, but I still enjoy this.  It brings a certain lightness to my day, in a world when not all days are light.

The Dylan Cover a Day series

• • The song with numbers in the title.
  • Ain’t Talkin
  • All I really want to do
  •  Angelina
  •  Apple Suckling and Are you Ready.
  • As I went out one morning
  •  Ballad for a Friend
  • Ballad in Plain D
  • Ballad of a thin man
  •  Frankie Lee and Judas Priest
  • The ballad of Hollis Brown
  • Beyond here lies nothing
  • Blind Willie McTell
  •  Black Crow Blues (more fun than you might recall)
  • An unexpected cover of “Black Diamond Bay”
  • Blowin in the wind as never before
  • Bob Dylan’s Dream
  • You will not believe this… 115th Dream revisited
  • Boots of Spanish leather
  • Born in Time
  • Buckets of Rain
  • Can you please crawl out your window
  • Can’t wait
  • Changing of the Guard
  • Chimes of Freedom
  • Country Pie
  •  Crash on the Levee
  • Dark Eyes
  • Dear Landlord
  • Desolation Row as never ever before (twice)
  • Dignity.
  • Dirge
  • Don’t fall apart on me tonight.
  • Don’t think twice
  •  Down along the cove
  • Drifter’s Escape
  • Duquesne Whistle
  • Farewell Angelina
  • Foot of Pride and Forever Young
  • Fourth Time Around
  • From a Buick 6
  • Gates of Eden
  • Gotta Serve Somebody
  • Hard Rain’s a-gonna Fall.
  • 42 Heart of Mine
  • 43: High Water
  •  44: Highway 61.5
  • 45: Hurricane
  • 46: I am a lonesome hobo
  • 47: I believe in you
  • 48: I contain multitudes
  • 49: I don’t believe you.
  • 50: I love you too much
  • 51: I pity the poor immigrant. 
  •  52: I shall be released
  • 53: I threw it all away
  • 54: I want you
  • 55: I was young when I left home
  • 56: I’ll remember you
  • 57: Idiot Wind and  More idiot wind
  • 58: If not for you, and a rant against prosody
  • 59: A Dylan cover a Day: If you Gotta Go, please go and do something different
  • 60: If you see her say hello
  • 61: Dylan cover a day: I’ll be your baby tonight
  • 62: I’m not there.
  • 63: In the Summertime, Is your love and an amazing Isis
  • 64: It ain’t me babe
  • 65: It takes a lot to laugh
  • 66: It’s all over now Baby Blue
  • 67: It’s all right ma
  • 68: Just Like a Woman
  • 69: Knocking on Heaven’s Door
  • 70: Lay down your weary tune
  • 71:  Lay Lady Lay
  • 72: Dylan Cover a Day 72: Lenny Bruce
  • 73: That brand new leopard skin pill box hat
  • 74: Lily, Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts
  • 75: Dylan Cover a Day: License to kill
  • 76: Like a Rolling Stone
  • 77: Love is just a four letter word
  • 78: Love Sick
  • 79: Maggies Farm!
  • 80: Make you feel my love; a performance that made me cry.
  • 81: Mama you’ve been on my mind
  • 82: Man in a long black coat.
  • 83: Masters of War
  • 84: Meet me in the morning
  • 85: Million Miles. Listen, and marvel.
  • 86: Mississippi. Listen, and marvel (again)
  • 87: Most likely you go your way
  • 88: Most of the time and a rhythmic thing
  • 89: Motorpsycho Nitemare