By Tony Attwood
One of the attractions of looking for songs that Bob only performed three times live, at least according to the official site, was the fact that on the list is “When the Ship comes In” which has long been one of my favourite songs from the early songs.
I have always taken it to be a promise of the Second Coming, which as a non-believer doesn’t attract me, but as a song of hope and promise, I really do enjoy its energy.
Leaving aside the album version I guess the version most of us know is the one that turned up on “No Direction Home”. It is noted as being played at Carnegie Hall, New York, in October 1963.
This second recording is curious. Dylan starts a 2’20”
And then we have the August 1963 version
But there is more, for this is Bob with Richards and Wood. The notes say
“Sourced from the BBC broadcast. NOT INCLUDED ON THE 2004 DVD RELEASE. The accreditation is BBC Live Aid 13 Juy 1985.”
And while I am at it, I also found a Clancy Brothers version and they turn it straight into a Clancy Brothers song, as if it has been one of their songs from the very start. It’s not as easy to do that as you might think.
And since I have meandered off the topic of Bob’s version of his songs that he has only performed three times I’m going to add a cover version.
I love this because it has such a gorgeous energy including in particular some brilliant violin work, and a chord variation from Bob’s version which adds an extra edge. These guys look and sound as if they really are enjoying the song – as indeed it is a song that should be enjoyed. If not, why are you performing it?
The Farewell Drifters are (or maybe were, I’m writing to them to get more details) a band made for fun. As far as I know they only made three albums, which is pretty much a criminal offence for such a wonderful band. But at least we do have this recording.
And yes I know I have travelled a long old way from the idea of Bob having performed the song three times – I guess he couldn’t see where else it could go. I can only hope that Bob somehow got a chance to hear this version, just to let him know. Of course his version is exquisite – but so is this.
So yes, I do think fun and joy in performances is a wonderful quality… and of course if you are only interested in Dylan you probably have gone away from this page already but just in case… do share with me the sheer joy and enthusiasm of this video. It’s the Farewell Drifters again. Oh, how I wish I’d had the chance to play in a band with this kind of vivacity.
Three times and out: Songs that Dylan performed just three times: Dink’s Song
Oh the fishes will laugh/
As they get out of the path/
And the seagulls they will be a-smiling/
A satirical jab perhaps taken at the Second Coming (fish a Christian symbol.
The pen of the avid censor runs amok sooner or later, but there is really no good reason why the anti-religious Second-Coming hyper-humour of “When The Ship Comes In” gets buried at the bottom of the ocean in the article above:
Oh the fish will laugh/As they swim out of the path/
And the seagulls they will be a-smiling/
(Bob Dylan: When The Ship Comes In)
The loss of a sense of humour is a feature of the Christian-believer Kierkegaard’s subjective despair, and apparently of some nonbelievers, but not of Dylan with his Jewish background.