A Dyolan Cover a Day: With God on Our Side

 

I don’t know what it means either: an index to the current series appearing on this website.

A list of the previous  articles in the “Dylan cover a day” series is printed at the end.

by Tony Attwood

The twist here of course is that “With God on our side” is itself a cover – in this case of The Patriot Game.

I have to admit the opening of this recording still sends shivers down my spine – and most of the rest of me too.  If you have time do listen to it all – not for the lyrics (I do not use this site to convince you of one interpretation of history against another), but rather for the way the music changes.  The music is quite extraordinary: mind you so are the lyrics.

The first recording of Bob’s version was not by Bob himself but by Joan Baez

Surprisingly (at least for me today in 2024, but maybe it is just because I have forgotten), Manfred Mann made a version.  It is of course Paul Jones singing.

There is a major question, as time has passed and people have come to know the song well: what to do with the accompaniment?  Ramblin Jack Elliot changed the lyrics to “God on Her Side” at least and makes it into a waltz, which seems at the same time inappropriate and quite telling… I can’t make up my mind.   I have images of generals in full regalia dancing on the graves of the fallen.

My late mother’s brother died in the second world war, so obviously I never knew him, but it makes this all that bit closer.   And I am really not sure about how the song builds.   “I’m feeling kinda tired” isn’t really right for me – in fact it is not right at all.

Judy Collins brings me back to how I think the song should be performed.  This is haunting, even though I have (by the moment of hearing this) heard quite a few versions, which I have chosen not to include here..  The harmonies, with a lesser artist, could be horribly inappropriate but no, it works.

 

This next version is Kelsey Walen from 2020, and whoever thought of just bringing in the double bass in verse two deserves a medal.

I’m leaving the Heron version until last, for reasons that I think you will immediately appreciate once you start playing it.   And if you are tempted to think, “no, not for me” because of what they do to the piece, I would urge you to continue if you possibly can.  It is an extraordinary re-thinking of a song that most us know so well.

To re-write such a well known song, itself based on a previous song, and come up with this approach shows a remarkable musical ability.  And please don’t stop listening when it appears to be all over.  The harmonica finale is as remarkable as the first part.

As ever, of course, I leave it with you, but I can tell you, I am moved as I have rarely been in writing this series.

 

Previously in the series

1. The song with numbers in the title.
2. Ain’t Talkin
3. All I really want to do
4.  Angelina
5.  Apple Suckling and Are you Ready.
6. As I went out one morning
7.  Ballad for a Friend
8. Ballad in Plain D
9. Ballad of a thin man
10.  Frankie Lee and Judas Priest
11. The ballad of Hollis Brown
12. Beyond here lies nothing
13. Blind Willie McTell
14.  Black Crow Blues (more fun than you might recall)
15. An unexpected cover of “Black Diamond Bay”
16. Blowin in the wind as never before
17. Bob Dylan’s Dream
18. BoB Dylan’s 115th Dream revisited
19. Boots of Spanish leather
20. Born in Time
21. Buckets of Rain
22. Can you please crawl out your window
23. Can’t wait
24. Changing of the Guard
25. Chimes of Freedom
26. Country Pie
27.  Crash on the Levee
28. Dark Eyes
29. Dear Landlord
30. Desolation Row as never ever before (twice)
31. Dignity.
32. Dirge
33. Don’t fall apart on me tonight.
34. Don’t think twice
35.  Down along the cove
36. Drifter’s Escape
37. Duquesne Whistle
38. Farewell Angelina
39. Foot of Pride and Forever Young
40. Fourth Time Around
41. From a Buick 6
42. Gates of Eden
43. Gotta Serve Somebody
44. Hard Rain’s a-gonna Fall.
45. Heart of Mine
46. High Water
47. Highway 61
48. Hurricane
49. I am a lonesome hobo
50. I believe in you
51. I contain multitudes
52. I don’t believe you.
53. I love you too much
54. I pity the poor immigrant. 
55. I shall be released
56. I threw it all away
57. I want you
58. I was young when I left home
59. I’ll remember you
60. Idiot Wind and  More idiot wind
61. If not for you, and a rant against prosody
62. If you Gotta Go, please go and do something different
63. If you see her say hello
64. Dylan cover a day: I’ll be your baby tonight
65. I’m not there.
66. In the Summertime, Is your love and an amazing Isis
67. It ain’t me babe
68. It takes a lot to laugh
69. It’s all over now Baby Blue
70. It’s all right ma
71. Just Like a Woman
72. Knocking on Heaven’s Door
73. Lay down your weary tune
74. Lay Lady Lay
75. Lenny Bruce
76. That brand new leopard skin pill box hat
77. Lily, Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts
78. License to kill
79. Like a Rolling Stone
80. Love is just a four letter word
81. Love Sick
82. Maggies Farm!
83. Make you feel my love; a performance that made me cry.
84. Mama you’ve been on my mind
85. Man in a long black coat.
86. Masters of War
87. Meet me in the morning
88. Million Miles. Listen, and marvel.
89. Mississippi. Listen, and marvel (again)
90. Most likely you go your way
91. Most of the time and a rhythmic thing
92. Motorpsycho Nitemare
93. Mozambique
94. Mr Tambourine Man
95. My back pages, with a real treat at the end
96. New Morning
97. New Pony. Listen where and when appropriate
98. Nobody Cept You
99. North Country Blues
100. No time to think
101. Obviously Five Believers
102. Oh Sister
103. On the road again
104. One more cup of coffee
105. (Sooner or later) one of us must know
106. One too many mornings
107. Only a hobo
108. Only a pawn in their game
109. Outlaw Blues – prepare to be amazed
110. Oxford Town
111. Peggy Day and Pledging my time
112. Please Mrs Henry
113. Political world
114. Positively 4th Street
115. Precious Angel
116. Property of Jesus
117. Queen Jane Approximately
118. Quinn the Eskimo as it should be performed.
119. Quit your lowdown ways
120. Rainy Day Women as never before
121. Restless Farewell. Exquisite arrangements, unbelievable power
122. Ring them bells in many different ways
123. Romance in Durango, covered and re-written
124. Sad Eyed Lady of Lowlands, like you won’t believe
125. Sara
126. Senor
127. A series of Dreams; no one gets it (except Dylan)
128. Seven Days
129. She Belongs to Me
130. Shelter from the Storm
131. Sign on the window
132. Silvio
133. Simple twist of fate
134. Slow Train
135. Someday Baby
136. Spanish Harlem Incident
137. Standing in the Doorway
138. Stuck inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again
139. Subterranean Homesick Blues
140. Sweetheart Like You
141. Tangled up in Blue
142. Tears of Rage
143.  Temporary Like Achilles. Left in the cold, but there’s still something…
144. The Groom’s Still Waiting at the Altar
145. The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll
146. The Man in Me
147. Times they are a-changin’
148. The Wicked Messenger
149. Things have changed
150. This Wheel’s on Fire
151. Thunder on the mountain
152. Till I fell in love with you in the north of Norway
153. Time Passes Slowly – just sit down and close your eyes
154. To be alone with you
155. To Ramona: unexpectedly yes!
156. Tombstone Blues
157. Tonight I’ll be Staying Here With You
158. Too much of nothing
159. Trouble as you have never been troubled before
160. Tryin’ to get to Heaven
161.  Unbelievable
162. “Up to Me” and a return to earlier days
163. Visions of Johanna
164. Walking down the line
165. Whatcha gonna do
166. Well Well Well
167. Went to see the Gypsy.
168. What good am I?
169. What was it you wanted
170. When I paint my masterpiece
171. When the night comes falling from the sky
172. When the ship comes in
173. When He Returns
174. When the deal goes down
175. Where are you tonight?