It’s quite a while since we did a review of Bob Dylan’s compositions over time on the subject of gambling, but I am always willing to oblige when the subject comes up, (as indeed it did in the Untold Dylan office this week), because I’m instantly drawn, not to a Bob Dylan song, but to one of the songs he put in his own personal top ten of songs written by other people. But more on that in a moment.
The subject came up from UK BTC casino and I was rather pleased about that as it led me onto the question: what was that song about gambling that Dylan liked so much?
Just in case you don’t know what song that eventually led me on to is I’ll keep you waiting til the end of this little piece, with a promise that all will be reevealed, along with a reminder to pay more attention in future! But in the interim, it’s not a bad idea to go over one of two of Bob’s songs in the genre, and pick out one or two recordings that perhaps you might have missed.
The earliest data we have on Bob writing a song about gambling is “Rambling, Gambling Willie” which appeared on the Whitmark demo of 1962.
The next up in the gambling songs came “Black Diamond Bay” which Bob only performed once live on stage. There’s no recording of that performance I can find, but in picking up again on this theme of Dylan and gambling, I do have a chance to put up on this site quite possibly for the first time (sorry if I am wrong but I I really can’t remember) this wonderful recording of “Huck’s Tune”.
There are many interpretations of the song, but the one I particularly like is about knowing when to stop, whether it is in a personal relationship or in gambling or indeed (I would argue) in every aspect of life. It is (for me if no one else) one of the most stunningly moving songs Bob has ever written.
It only got seven performances which makes it quite remarkable that we do have one of those. There is a slight pause at the start, but it is worth staying with. It’s one of those songs that really deserves many, many more live versions in my view. But of course, as ever, Bob knows best.
This is a version of Lily, Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts. And putting it up again means if you missed it before, here it is….
But now, having decided to be slightly quirky in this review, I feel I can go a step further because when Bob Dylan created his own list of favourite songs composed by other people he included a Warren Zevon song ‘Desperados Under the Eaves’. Now that is not a gambling song, but when I listened to that song I became interested in Zevon, and was quickly led on to his song, ‘Lawyers, Guns, and Money.’ Now I have mentioned that song in the past, but since I last featured it, I have come up with a live version, which I thought might well do as an article closer.
Interestingly (to me if no one else) for this live recording, they’ve changed key from the recording. And I do love the way an extra bar is added in places. In fact I love all of it. Especially the notion of going through all this and claiming to be an innocent by-stander. Fabulous.
I first knew of Warren Zevon, because of “Werewolves of London”, but nothing more, so it was learning of Dylan’s admiration, took me further into his music. He was, it seems, born in the same year as me but died of cancer 20 years ago. (And that is quite an unsettling thought: how come I, just a regular guy who enjoys all this music, managed to survive? Beats me.)
I’ve featured the song before, but here’s a live version recorded for TV that I don’t think I’ve put up previously. Of course, certainly in the UK at least, today you don’t have to go to Havana to have a flutter which makes life easier. And I do so love this song.
As ever, I hope you found something in this piece that you enjoyed.