Untold Dylan

by Tony Attwood

In the “once only” file I am trying to find recordings of songs that Bob has played only once, but which absolutely stand out to me as amazing, set alongside other one-off performances that all have something to mark themselves out, and make us wonder why Bob only played this once.

Today, I have got one that I think is utterly stunning and remarkable, but I’m going to keep you waiting (unless you flip down to the end to see what it is – but you know that would be cheating.)

So, since you are still here at the top, here is the first…

We’d better talk this over: Sun Theatre, Anaheim, CA (March 10, 2000)

This unique performance has already been covered on Untold, in an article by Jochen in 2018, but I really adore this, it fits into the demands of this series (that Bob only played it once) and it incorporates all the oddities of Bob’s decision making.  So here it is again.

I think it is truly wonderful that Bob will work on songs like this, and then develop a changed arrangement … but then to stop and leave the song forever.  Of course we only get to hear it once, and the band will have played it a number of times in rehearsal, but even so.   Thank goodness it was recorded.  It is so worth coming back to.

When you gonna wake up.

Inevitably in searching through these songs that have only been played once, sometimes all is not as clear as it might seem.   Take “When you gonna wake up”.

SetList FM has this listed as from Mid-Hudson Civic Center, Poughkeepsie, NYOctober 20, 1989

But several youtube lists have it as Oslo, Norway – July 9, 1981.  The song was written in 1979, Bob’s faith year.  I’d go for 1981 just on that basis; that later date can’t be right can it?

I mention the disparity of dates not to point out that someone has made a mistake, but really to say that errors occur time and again in writing about Dylan – and I know I’ve added to the list of false information (although not deliberately I hasten to add).  In a sense that is why this site has its list of songs in Chronological Order of writing – simply because previous attempts had been incomplete and self-evidently wrong in places.  (See the headings under the picture at the top of the page – “Dylan songs of the 1970s” etc etc).

Walk a mile in my shoes

Staying with the songs starting with “W” (OK that is a rather feeble link, but I couldn’t think of anything else) another little curiosity comes with “Walk a Mile in My Shoes”, in that Bob chose to open with it, on 12 January 1990 he opened with this Joe South song at  Toad’s Place, New Haven, CT.  According to the records he played four sets at that venue, with 50 different songs involved but this got just one outing.

Here is Joe South – this recording cuts suddenly near the end, but it is the best I can find.

He won a Grammy for “Games People Play” and was nominated also for “Rose Garden.”  His first hit was in July 1958 with “The Purple People Eater Meets the Witch Doctor” (honest!) and he also wrote for Gene Vincent, as well as playing guitar on hits such as “Sheila” by Tommy Roe.

But we know him best for playing bass on Blonde on Blonde, and guitar on the “Sounds of Silence” album.   “Walk a mile in my shoes” was also performed by Elvis Presley.  Joe South died of heart failure in 2012, aged 72.

Here’s Bob’s take…

A satisfied mind

Now something more sombre to finish with a Satisfied Mind, a song that starts with “How many…” and always makes me think of “Times they are a-changing.”

This is one of those songs that I seem always to have known – I must have heard it as a youngster, and certainly looking through the lists it seems that over 50 well known artists have recorded it.

Yet Joe “Red” Hayes was not a songwriter as such.  He played fiddle with Jack Rhodes and wrote a number of songs, but nothing else that has remained popular.  He died tragically young aged 72 in 2012, and as far as I know this is the one song of his that is remembered.

Here’s his version from 12 January 1990.

Bob played it on at 9 November 1999 at the  The Apollo of Temple, Philadelphia, PA, USA and you’ll hear immediately that this is a complete re-working of the song.   Personally I love this re-arrangement; for me the original is take at far too much of a rush to make the most of the lyrics.

This is one of those occasions where Bob really takes the lyrics and gives them everything, making the music weave its way around the words, rather than fitting words  to the tune.

It is such a beautiful rendition of the song it makes me wonder how he can just do this and then leave the song behind.  More and more I am thinking that I’d like to create an album called “Abandoned songs”.  Now that Aaron has our YouTube channel running (Untold Dylan: The Youtube channel) it could be put on there alongside the Play Lady Play articles and my other little creation “1980”.   (To the guys at the record company who arrange the Bootleg albums – when you put the album “Once only Bob” out and credit me with the idea, it’s double-T in my surname please).

But seriously – just play this and listen.  I defy you not to play it twice.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7Ifjb_giWA

Dylan’s once only file.

• Dylan’s once only file: You’re too late and the Old Rock n Roller
• Dylan’s Once only file “1952 Vincent Black Lightning” “Blue Moon” “Weeping Willow”
• Dylan’s “Once Only” File: 10,000 men and 20/20 Vision

Untold Dylan: who we are what we do

Untold Dylan is written by people who want to write for Untold Dylan.  It is simply a forum for those interested in the work of the most famous, influential and recognised popular musician and poet of our era, to read about, listen to and express their thoughts on, his lyrics and music.

We welcome articles, contributions and ideas from all our readers.  Sadly no one gets paid, but if you are published here, your work will be read by a fairly large number of people across the world, ranging from fans to academics.  If you have an idea, or a finished piece send it as a Word file to Tony@schools.co.uk with a note saying that it is for publication on Untold Dylan.

We also have a very lively discussion group “Untold Dylan” on Facebook with around 7000 active members. Just type the phrase “Untold Dylan” in, on your Facebook page or follow this link 

You’ll find some notes about our latest posts arranged by themes and subjects on the home page of this site.  You can also see details of our main sections on this site at the top of this page under the picture.  Not every index is complete but I do my best.   Tony Attwood

by Larry Fyffe

Bob Dylan makes a number of rather oblique tributes to songs on his “Rough And Rowdy Ways” album:

Re: Crossing The Rubicon –

Since she went away, the days grow long
And soon I'll hear old winter's song
But I miss you most of all, my darling
When autumn leaves start to fall
(Nat King Cole: Autumn Leaves ~ Mercer/Prevert/Kosman)

Re: Goodbye Jimmy Reed –

I went out in Virginia, honey, where the green grass grow
My baby told me, honey, stop doing me wrong
My baby told me, honey, stop doing me wrong
Well, I'm telling you, honey, 'cause I'm tired of living alone
(Jimmy Reed: Down In Virginia ~ J&M Reed)

Re: False Prophet –

Only the lonely know the way I feel tonight
Only the lonely know this feeling ain't right
There goes my baby, there goes my heart
They're gone forever, so far apart
(Roy Orbison: Only The Lonely ~ Melson/Orbison)

Re: I’ve Made Up My Mind To Give Myself To You –

Would you go away to another world
Walk a thousand miles through the burning sand
Wipe the blood from my dying hand
If I gave myself to you?
(Johnny Cash: Would You Lay With Me ~ D. Coe)

Re: False Prophet –

Hello Mary Lou, goodbye heart
Sweet Mary Lou, I'm so in love with you
I knew Mary Lou, we'd never part
So hello Mary Lou, goodbye heart
(Ricky Nelson: Hello Mary Lou ~ Olsen/Pitney/Mangiaracina)

Re: I’ve Made Up My Mind To Give Myself To You –

I'm a travelling man, and I've made a lot of stops
All over the world
And in every part, I own the heart
Of at least one lovely girl
(Ricky Nelson: Travelling Man ~ J. Fuller)

Re: Black Rider –

Some enchanted evening, someone may be laughing
You may hear her laughing across a crowded room
And night after night, as strange as it may seem
The sound of her laughter will sing in your dreams
(Frank Sinatra: Some Enchanted Evening ~ Rogers/Hammerstein)

Re: False Prophet –

There's a long goodbye
And it happens every day
When some passer-by
Invites you eye
(Clydie King: Long Goodbye ~ Williams/Mercer)

Re: I Contain Multitudes –

He was long and tall, he had plenty of cash
He had a red Cadillac, and a black moustache
He held your hand, and he sang you a song
Who you been loving since I've been gone?
(Warren Smith: Red Cadillac And Black Moustache ~ May/Thompson)

Re: Murder Most Foul –

Wake up, little Susie
Well, what are we gonna tell your ma ma
What are we gonna tell your pa
What are we gonna tell our friends?
(Everly Brothers: Wake Up Little Susie ~ B&F Bryant)

Re: Murder Most Foul –

Pussycat, Pussycat, I've got lots of flowers
And lots of hours
To spend time with you
So go and powder your cute little pussycat nose
(Tom Jones: What's New Pussycat ~ Bacharach/David)

Re: False Prophet –

And the storybook comes to a close
Gone are the ribbon and bows
Things to remember, places to go
Pretty maids all in a row
(Eagles: Pretty Maids All In A Row ~ Walsh/Vitale)

Re: Murder Most Foul –

You make me dizzy, Miss Lizzy
The way you rocknroll
You make me dizzy, Miss Lizzy
When you do the stroll
(Beatles: Dizzy Miss Lizzy ~ L. Williams)

Re: Murder Most Foul –

Life goes on day after day
Hearts torn in every way
So ferry 'cross the Mersey
'Cause this land's the place I love, and here'll I stay
(Gerry And The Pacemakers: Ferry 'Cross The Mersey ~ Marsden)

Re: Murder Most Foul –

And Jupiter aligns with Mars
Then peace will guide the planets
And love will steer the stars
This is the dawning of the Age of Aquarius
(Fifth Dimension: Aquarius ~ Rado/Ragni/MacDermot)

Re: Murder Most Foul –

I'm the gypsy, the acid queen
Pay before you start
The gypsy, I'm guaranteed
To tear your soul apart
(The Who: The Acid Queen ~ P. Townshend)

An index to all our articles on Rough and Rowdy Ways can be found here.

Untold Dylan: who we are what we do

Untold Dylan is written by people who want to write for Untold Dylan.  It is simply a forum for those interested in the work of the most famous, influential and recognised popular musician and poet of our era, to read about, listen to and express their thoughts on, his lyrics and music.

We welcome articles, contributions and ideas from all our readers.  Sadly no one gets paid, but if you are published here, your work will be read by a fairly large number of people across the world, ranging from fans to academics.  If you have an idea, or a finished piece send it as a Word file to Tony@schools.co.uk with a note saying that it is for publication on Untold Dylan.

We also have a very lively discussion group “Untold Dylan” on Facebook with around 7000 active members. Just type the phrase “Untold Dylan” in, on your Facebook page or follow this link 

You’ll find some notes about our latest posts arranged by themes and subjects on the home page of this site.  You can also see details of our main sections on this site at the top of this page under the picture.  Not every index is complete but I do my best.   Tony Attwood

By Patrick Roefflaer

• Released: June 15, 1978
• Photographer: Howard Alk
• Photographer inner sleeve: Joel Bernstein
• Art-director: Tim Bryant and George Corsillo/Gribbitt

“How sexy he looks,” exclaimed my girlfriend, when she saw the cover of Street-Legal.

That was probably exactly the effect Bob Dylan had in mind with this photo. The man had just gotten a divorce and seems to be looking forward to the future. The title of the album also indicates this: street-legal is the term that indicates that a racing car has been modified, so that it is allowed on public roads.

The message is: Girls, I am a free man, waiting for you. The non-tanned line on his finger, where his wedding ring is missing, confirms his status as a bachelor.

The location of the cover photo

Generally it is stated that the photo of Dylan in front of the stairs is taken at the entrance of the studio where Street-Legal was recorded.

Rundown Studios is not actually a recording studio at all. Dylan rented the space in September 1977, for a five-year period. The building was built in 1960 and, like the rest of the neighborhood, looks a bit neglected. Hence the name “run down” (worn, tatty).

However, the location is ideal: it’s a half-hour drive from his home in Point Dume: a beautiful drive along the Pacific Coast Highway. Part of the 1,100 m² of available space is set up as offices. A large room is used as a rehearsal space for the planned tour.

Since Dylan is very committed to privacy, I have always found it strange that he would risk intrusive fans waiting for him, using a photo of his studio as a cover.

When the address of Rundown Studios (2219 Main Street, Santa Monica) is seen on Google Street View one will see an anonymous building. Parking is available on Main Street. Around the corner, on Strand Street, there is a double door entrance. At the rear there is a narrow outdoor space. However, nowhere can an access can be found with a staircase as seen on the cover.  The steeply sloping footpath (better visible on the poster than on the cover itself) in particular seems to suggest a different location.

A possible explanation could be that the building has been demolished and replaced by a new building in the forty years that have now passed since Dylan rented it. I’ve found that Beach House CoWork is now at this location. The company rents custom office space. On their website they praise the space offered with the cry that the creative atmosphere of Bob Dylan still prevails. I received confirmation via email that it is still the original building.

Over the years I searched for more information. On some forums people suggested that the photo was taken in Australia (during the ’78 tour) or Malta (due to the Mediterranean atmosphere). Others began to explore the studio’s surroundings.

Following my post on the Expecting Rain forum, Bob Egan of Popspots, a website highlighting cover photo locations, received a photo of stairs in Santa Monica that is very similar. One Derek Brown from Glasgow had found it via Google Street View.

But because Bob Egan had done his own research, he knew this was not the right location. He advised Brown to start looking closer to the ocean, because the streets steeply rise from the beach. The simple search “staircase Santa Monica” was rewarded with a lucky return: the house at 26 Arcadia Terrace happened to be for sale.

Through Street View Brown found the staircase in question, at the back of the house, near 2 Pacific Terrace. The location is just a 12 minute walk from Rundown Studios.

Many details are correct: the electricity box, the wooden shingles on the left, the double rainwater drains, the sewer cover in the footpath …

You can click the location here in Google Street view: https://tinyurl.com/y2boz3qt

Anyway, the photo is the work of Howard Alk, just like the one on the back: Dylan, wearing white make- up and dressed all in white, probably somewhere in Japan or Australia, during the 1978 tour.

Howard Alk

Howard Alk was a man of many trades. At the University of Chicago, he was mainly involved in cabaret. After his studies he was one of the co-founders of the successful improvisation theater The Second City.

He was also involved with The Film Group, a commercial film company that ran commercials as well as documentaries on jazz, blues or political subjects.

In 1963 he and Albert Grossman invested in a club: The Bear. To promote it, he drove through the streets of Chicago, on a motorcycle… dressed in a bear suit. The club opened on April 25, 1963, with a performance by one of Grossman’s upcoming talents: Bob Dylan.

Grossman also later arranged for Howard and his wife Jones to be on the guest list for Dylan’s 1965 British tour. In the credits for the documentary Don’t Look Back, Howard is referred to as an “assistant cameraman”. He also joined Dylan’s next British tour, this time as a photographer.

In the fall of 1966, Dylan asked him to help compile a documentary film from the images of D.A. Pennebaker made on that last tour. This would become Eat the Document.

They kept in touch and when Dylan wanted to make his own movie, during the Rolling Thunder Tour, he asked Howard Alk to film everything. In 1977 they spend a lot of time together in an small house on the grounds of Point Dume, to compose the film Renaldo and Clara.

Alk is also present at the rehearsals at Rundown Studios and the first part of the 1978 tour.

During the 1980 and 1981 tours, Dylan again called on Howard Alk to capture concerts on film.

After his second marriage broke down, Alk finds a place to stay in Rundown Studios. His body was found there on January 3, 1982 – he died of an overdose of heroin.

Joel Bernstein

In addition to the cardboard outer sleeve, the paper inner cover is embellished with two large black and white photos. Both are the work of Joel Bernstein.

In February 1969, Joni Mitchell performed for the first time at Carnegie Hall in New York. To take publicity photos of her, she invited a 17-year-old boy she met in California. Her manager, Elliott Roberts, is impressed by the result and asked the boy to join another one of his clients for a show at The Bitter End: Neil Young and Crazy Horse.

“I tuned his Martin D guitar in the Electric Factory. Three years later, I was a photographer on the Time Fades Away tour when he once asked to tune his guitars – and I was allowed to do that every night.”

Thus, almost unnoticed, he became a guitar technician, first only for Neil Young, then for Crosby and Nash and then for Dylan.

In 1976 Dylan proposed Bernstein to join him for the second part of the Rolling Thunder Revue. “I was the guitar technician on that tour,” he confirmed, “which meant responsible safety, tuning and setup of the guitars and all other stringed instruments (35 in all) for Bob and his band members for the entire tour from rehearsals in Clearwater to the last show in Salt Lake City.

I did the same for Bob on The Last Waltz and the 1978 Japan / Australia tour, from the auditions in Santa Monica in the fall of 1977 to the last show in Sydney.”

But he has not renounced his first hobby. At every opportunity he likes to take advantage of the proximity to the stars to take pictures both on and off the stage. “You are a fly on the wall,” he explains. “You disappear and you are focused on getting the perfect shot, so that later the viewer can see what it was like to be there. ”

His photos can be found on the covers of After the Gold Rush and Time Fades Away (Neil Young), Hejira (Joni Mitchell).

And also for Bob Dylan: “I am also a cover photographer and so I did the photo on the back cover of Hard Rain, the inside of Street-Legal, cover and poster of At Budokan and, I believe, a photo each in Biograph and the Bootleg Series Vol. 1-3. ”

The photos on the Street-Legal inner sleeve were taken in March 1978, at the hotel bar in Melbourne. The guitarist George Benson just happened to be there for a tour at the time and they were staying in the same hotel. Hence….

The other photo, of Dylan with Helena Springs, one of the singers from his band, was also taken during that period.

Later Bernstein became Prince’s permanent guitar technician, but mainly archivist for Neil Young. He spent no less than 19 years “and one day!” on the box set Neil Young Archives Vol. 1 1963-1972.

Album Design

Since Dylan has moved to the West Coast, he no longer calls on John Berg, the art director for Columbia Records in New York. The Los Angeles department proposes Dylan to work with one of the designers they rely on: Gribbitt!, an “Art direction & graphic design company” located at Sunset Boulevard, Hollywood.

The agency is headed by Tim Bryant, who makes the main designs, but he leaves the finish to his new assistant: George Corsillo. Corsillo just arrived from New York, where he spent three years working for a book cover company. His first album cover was an instant hit: the Grease soundtrack (April 1978). Street-Legal therefore followed very shortly afterwards.

Emmett Grogan

Finally, it is remarkable and unusual that Dylan dedicated the record to someone.
Emmett Grogan is a 35-year-old man who was found dead on the New York City Subway on April 6, 1978 – an overdose of heroin.

Dylan fans mainly associate his name with the Emmett Grogan acetates, which have appeared on numerous bootlegs. They are raw mono mixes of songs recorded during the sessions for Another Side of Bob Dylan and Highway 61 Revisited sessions. Grogan received the songs on six acetates from Dylan, during a meeting in 1966. Grogan said afterwards that: “Bob Dylan is exactly as I had not imagined him.”

Grogan was the ultimate hippie warrior, combining Dada street theater with revolutionary political ideas where he saw everything for free. His autobiography Ringolevio: A Life Played for Keeps (1972) paints a romanticized picture of his life.

Previously published…

• The story of the art work on Bringing it All Back Home
• The untold story of the artwork on Bob Dylan’s Greatest Hits
• The Sleeve Art of Bob Dylan’s album: “Bob Dylan”
• The Sleeve Art of Bob Dylan’s Album: Slow Train Coming
• The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan – the untold story of the artwork of the album
•  Times they are a changin’: the album artwork
• The art work on Bob Dylan’s albums: The Basement Tapes
• The source of the artwork of “Another side of Bob Dylan”
• The art work on Bob Dylan’s “Infidels”: what’s in a name?
• The art work of Nashville Skyline
• Absolute Exclusive: Empire Burlesque and Biograph artwork
• The artwork to Knocked Out Loaded
• The Art Work of the Traveling Wilburys Vol 1 (guest visitor, Michael Palin)

Untold Dylan: who we are what we do

Untold Dylan is written by people who want to write for Untold Dylan.  It is simply a forum for those interested in the work of the most famous, influential and recognised popular musician and poet of our era, to read about, listen to and express their thoughts on, his lyrics and music.

We welcome articles, contributions and ideas from all our readers.  Sadly no one gets paid, but if you are published here, your work will be read by a fairly large number of people across the world, ranging from fans to academics.  If you have an idea, or a finished piece send it as a Word file to Tony@schools.co.uk with a note saying that it is for publication on Untold Dylan.

We also have a very lively discussion group “Untold Dylan” on Facebook with around 7000 active members. Just type the phrase “Untold Dylan” in, on your Facebook page or follow this link 

You’ll find some notes about our latest posts arranged by themes and subjects on the home page of this site.  You can also see details of our main sections on this site at the top of this page under the picture.  Not every index is complete but I do my best.   Tony Attwood

by Jochen Markhorst

Ich häng an dünnen Fäden
Von der Unsichtbaren Hand
So wie im Wind die Schwalbe
Und wie jedes Körnchen Sand

 (I'm hanging by a thread
From the Invisible Hand
As the swallow in the wind
And like every grain of sand)

Thus Nana Mouskouri sings the last lines of her version of “Every Grain Of Sand”, in the German translation by Michael Kunze.

Kunze (1943) is Dylan’s contemporary and no small fry in the music industry either. The German has been writing hits for others since the 1960s, back then still protest-folkish youth sins, and in 1970 he breaks through with the millionseller “Du”, sung by Peter Maffay.

Over the years, he provides half the elite of the German hit parade with hits (Udo Jürgens, Münchner Freiheit, Ivan Rebroff, Peter Alexander, to name but a few) and also breaks through internationally – Kunze writes for Herbie Mann, Sister Sledge, Julio Iglesias and Gilbert Bécaud, among others, and musicals that reach Broadway. His honor roll includes a Grammy Award and some 90 gold and platinum records. He wins that Grammy in 1976 with his girl group Silver Convention, for the saltless “Fly, Robin, Fly”, which also has the record for Least Eloquent Billboard Nr. 1 hit; the whole text consists of six different words (also up to the sky).

Still, Kunze is definitely not some guy from the street. Before his musical career, he studied philosophy, history and law at Munich University and even obtained his doctorate (in law, on Witch Trials in the 16th Century). So technically as well as intellectually one would dare to entrust him with the translation of a monument like “Every Grain Of Sand”, but things go horribly wrong. Not out of ignorance, it is to be feared, but due to a lack of respect for the source text, or worse, out of misplaced feelings of superiority.

Kunze ignores biblical references (and, for example, turns Matthew’s falling sparrows senselessly into a hanging Schwalbe, a swallow), squeezes Schlager clichés like Auch wenn du vieles nicht verstehen kannst, es hat alles seinen Sinn (“Even if you can’t understand many things, everything has a purpose”) in and already fails with the cutesy title (“Jedes Körnchen Sand” – Körnchen being a very unnecessary diminutive).

It is not just any song, of course. “Every Grain Of Sand” is a masterpiece even by Dylan standards, not least because of the lyrical power of the brilliant text. Dylan weaves Blakean influences, biblical references, French symbolists and François Villon, intertwining with baroque, impenetrable, Dylanesque imagery.

Every reviewer points out the indebtedness of the opening lines to William Blake’s Auguries Of Innocence:

To see a world in a grain of sand
And a heaven in a wild flower,
Hold infinity in the palm of your hand
And eternity in an hour.

However, that line is a bit thin; the indebtedness really doesn’t go any deeper than that grain of sand. The desperate, religious desperation in Dylan’s poem is in no way comparable to the devout admiration for God’s Great Plan, which speaks from Blake’s words. Then the influence of his “Prophetical Book” Jerusalem (1804-20) seems greater. It also contains the image of the grains of sand (four times even), even more literally, and even numbers them (“this Gate cannot be found by Satan’s Watch-fiends: tho’ they search numbering every grain of sand on Earth”), but more importantly: it is a dense, impenetrable poetic and theatrical vision in which Christ is found, abandoned and rediscovered, in which seduction, doubt and passion are sung, a prosaic poem without any real plot – in other words: beloved Dylan territory.

By the way, Blake’s semi-related poem Jerusalem opens with the words And did those feet in ancient time, which we find in the last verse of Dylan’s song.

Maybe it is the intoxicating melodies, or Dylan’s overwhelming vocals and ditto harmonica playing, but even the very best Dylan exegetes seem to misjudge the lyrics. Both Shelton and Paul Williams see something like “sense of wonder or awe at the beauty of the natural world”, where Dylan explicitly stacks up eerie, gloomy, saddening images (a pool of tears, a dying voice, nocturnal sorrow, chill, pain, decay, despair, bitterness and so on). Just as the context of Matthew’s references (the falling sparrows and the numbered hairs) is conveniently ignored: they come from a pep talk of Jesus, in which He ups the disciples’ antes, giving them a sharper edge with aggressive, frightening rhetoric; “fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” are the words before and “I came not to send peace, but a sword” the words after.

Clinton Heylin searches and finds possible sources of inspiration, but doesn’t dare to interpret, others see redemption, devotion or humility in Dylan’s words, but can’t tell where. In any case, this narrator does not feel “the inclination to look back on any mistake”, which is not at all repentant, and he compares himself to the murderer Cain, who has to break the “chain of events” with his own hands.

No, the “reality of man” to which Dylan refers in the closing lines is that we are immortal souls in a mortal body, that “man that is born of a woman is of few days and full of trouble. He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down: he fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not” (Job 14:1-2). This song is truly imbued with the Lutheran vision that suffering in this earthly valley of tears is our destiny, until death comes to redeem us.

Remarkable, this widespread misunderstanding of the desolate theme. Especially since Dylan does not hide the narrator’s drab state of mind that underground. Perhaps it is indeed exuded by the beauty of the music, which is rather overwhelming.

That’s widely recognized too. The aforementioned Mouskouri is the first in a long line of artists to throw themselves onto the song. According to Nana this is no coincidence. In 2007 she publishes her Memoirs, an alienating exercise in false modesty, in which she states that Dylan has been a good friend since 1979. After her concert at the sold-out Greek Theater in Los Angeles, he meets her behind the scenes, they go for a restaurant and then “he wrote Every Grain Of Sand‘ for me”. A demo version (the version with the barking dog and Jennifer Warnes of The Bootleg Series 1-3) is mailed, and the Greek superstar is allowed to use it for her next album (Song For Liberty, 1982).

Yeah well. Who knows. Maybe so – Dylan does actually undertake quite some eyebrow-raising things in these 1979-81 years. But pretty Nana’s smooth rendition is not. The versions by Emmylou Harris, especially the studio version of Wrecking Ball (1995, produced by Dylan expert Daniel Lanois), can hardly be improved and overshadow all the other covers. The recording of the Blind Boys Of Alabama, with Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon (2013) does attract attention thanks to an inimitable, enigmatic rhythm and, alright, the sympathetic Irishman Luka Bloom knows how to move with a warm, sober version (on Head & Heart, 2014).

Though perhaps the interpretation by the enchanting Lizz Wright (Grace, 2017) rivals Miss Harris’s. Miss Wright does display a truly Dylanesque phrasing, an enviable skill to stretch notes and to sing “behind the beat”.

Lizz Wright:

Above all of them, however, the bard himself still towers, with the masterpiece featured in almost every top 10 of Most Beautiful Dylan Songs. Where it belongs, obviously. As the swallow in the wind.

Jochen is a regular reviewer of Dylan’s work on Untold.  His books are available via Amazon both in paperback and on Kindle:

• Blood on the Tracks: Dylan’s Masterpiece in Blue
• Blonde On Blonde: Bob Dylan’s mercurial masterpiece
• Where Are You Tonight? Bob Dylan’s hushed-up classic from 1978
• Desolation Row: Bob Dylan’s poetic letter from 1965
• Basement Tapes: Bob Dylan’s Summer of 1967

Untold Dylan: who we are what we do

Untold Dylan is written by people who want to write for Untold Dylan.  It is simply a forum for those interested in the work of the most famous, influential and recognised popular musician and poet of our era, to read about, listen to and express their thoughts on, his lyrics and music.

We welcome articles, contributions and ideas from all our readers.  Sadly no one gets paid, but if you are published here, your work will be read by a fairly large number of people across the world, ranging from fans to academics.  If you have an idea, or a finished piece send it as a Word file to Tony@schools.co.uk with a note saying that it is for publication on Untold Dylan.

We also have a very lively discussion group “Untold Dylan” on Facebook with around 7000 active members. Just type the phrase “Untold Dylan” in, on your Facebook page or follow this link 

You’ll find some notes about our latest posts arranged by themes and subjects on the home page of this site.  You can also see details of our main sections on this site at the top of this page under the picture.  Not every index is complete but I do my best.   Tony Attwood

By Aaron Galbraith and Tony Attwood

Performance selection by Aaron; commentary by Tony

If you’ve got to go

Aaron: Following on from the Angela Aki version of Knockin On Heaven’s Door, which we both loved, I thought I’d look for more versions of Dylan songs by woman artists in a foreign language. I thought I would not give you too many details around the artists or songs (apart from the last one) and instead just let the music speak for itself.

So to start us off, here is the most famous one of all, Fairport Convention (with Sandy Denny on lead vocals) with Si Tu Dois Partir.

Tony: For a change a song selected by Aaron which I know about.  Richard Thompson told the story about wanting to translate the song into French / Cajun style, and asked for volunteers at a gig, and, he said, “About three people turned up, so it was really written by committee, and consequently ended up not very Cajun, French or Dylan.”

The studio version had Dave Swarbrick on fiddle, Richard Thompson on accordion and Trevor Lucas, who later formed Fotheringay with Sandy Denny, on triangle.   Joe Boyd, in “White Bicycles” wrote, “Martin created the Cajun washboard sound for ‘Si Tu Dois Partir’ by stacking some plastic Eames chairs and running his drumsticks along them. The percussion break was supposed to feature an empty milk bottle lying on the topmost chair, but when the time came it fell and smashed on the floor. I signalled frantically to keep playing. The crash of broken glass was absolutely in time and worked perfectly, a good omen for the session.” The song got to number 21 in the UK singles chart.

The cover photo is of Sandy Denny’s parents, Neil and Edna, standing outside the family home in Wimbledon, south London, with the band in the garden.

I can’t really review the song as I know it so well; it is still fine and quirky, which is what Fairport always wanted to be.

Next, Lill Lindfors – Låt Mej Va De E Bra

This arrangement is so unexpected that it took me a second or two to realise what was being sung.  It just didn’t want to compute in my brain!   The change of key and accompaniment as we go into the second verse is unexpected on a recording that is already going somewhere odd, which is why the transformation to a third key with a full (if gentle) backing lacks something.  If you are going to be unique, keep being unique.

The point is simply changing key by going up a tone (from C to D for example) is so old fashioned… but maybe that is the point.  The orchestral arrangement at the very end with the strings coming down the scale certainly amplify that point.

It’s cute, but I wouldn’t play it again.

Giusy Balatresi – Sei come sei

Oh I wish someone could eject that coconut playing percussionist – at least he/she does stop for a moment, but then we are back with them.

I personally blame the producer either for not stopping the percussionist or even worse, for thinking of the idea in the first place.

The lady has a lovely voice and when allowed to use it, the sound is really interesting.  She doesn’t need to double up the voice with recording with herself.   But really the arranger needs to be shot; by half way through I was utterly sick of the various effects.

The lady deserves better.

Reina Rodina – Learen Spaanske Skuon

This one had me guessing.  The percussive background is interesting, and then distracting but slowly I got to realise what the song was.  It was the last line of music in each verse that revealed it – which will also tell you that my Frisian is not that good. (You’re doing this on purpose aren’t you Aaron??!!!)

The literal translation of “Learnen Spaanske Skuon” is “Learn Spanish Shoes” – but by the time I’d got that sorted I’d heard the last line of the verse, and that told me where we were.

And I did have one bit of help, for we have written about Frisian versions of Dylan before with the review of De swalkers flecht    That version I loved, but this one, hmmm.  It is fascinating and I need to hear it a few times when not writing.  I am one of the people who really believe that traditional languages need to be retained and with very few still speaking the language, this project is something I welcome.   Plus I like the track.

Astrud Gilberto – Ti mangerei

Aaron pointed out that there is also an English version… “but I prefer the Italian version”.  The English language version is here.

After all the adventure of Learning Spanish shoes, this came over as a bit twee; singing without much depth.  “If you gotta go” needs some attitude in it somewhere, I think, and I don’t find it here.

Marlene Dietrich Die Antwort weiss ganz allein der Wind

Again, there is also an inferior English version.

Maybe I am getting less tolerant, but I want these cover versions to do something new, or at least to offer me a new insight into the song, but the backing here turns it into a 1950s pop song.  It is as if the 60s had never happened, which when it comes to a Dylan cover, is a fairly silly musical thing to achieve.  We all know the lady, and what she has done for music, but I wonder why she is doing this.

AND WHY DID THEY INSIST ON CHANGING KEY BY JERKING UP THE WHOLE PIECE BY A SEMI-TONE FOR  THE LAST VERSE???????????????????????

Trio Mei Li De Dao

Aaron: Last up, this time it’s an instrumental. There might be no words, however, musical it’s in a foreign language as it’s by an all female Taiwanese trio of musicians called Trio Mei Li De Dao and it’s their version of I Want You. This comes from the most interesting and diverse Dylan covers album you’ll ever hear called “From Another World”, which includes covers from artists from all over the world, including Iran, aboriginal Australian singers, India, Hungary etc, done in the traditional style of the region. The album is on Spotify and YouTube if you have an hour to check it out, I thought it was sensational.

Tony: I am stunned.  Amazed.  Shocked.  This is completely extraordinary.  I beg you, my audience (if you are still there) do not play a few seconds and give up.  Please listen, and please don’t think, “This isn’t ‘I want you’.”  Your continued attention will be rewarded.  The ending however is unexpected.

More Play Lady Play

• Play Lady Play: Time out of mind
• Play Lady Play: the alternative rockers
• Play Lady Play in the 21st century
• From “me me me” to exquisite interpretations
• Play Lady Play: the joyful remembrance of staggering performances
• Play lady play: Bettye LaVette – and a kiss on the mouth
• When a woman sings Just like a woman and beats the bass issue
• Play lady play: I believe in you.
• The strange the eccentric and the beautiful
• Play Lady Play: A simple twist of fate
• Play lady play: the strange ones, the eccentric, and the beautiful
• Knocking the pony with the sisterhood
• Play Lady Play: female cover versions of Basement Tapes songs

By Larry Fyffe

Yahweh of the Old Testament employs harsh allegories in His depiction of the inhabitants of the divided Promised Land as though they be two whoring wives He’s married to – Northern Israel and Judea.

Samaria to the north is personified as the elder sister Aholah who sleeps with Assyrians while Judea as Aholibah is even worse by comparison – she also takes on Babylonians, favouring those with cocks the size of a donkey’s:

For she doted upon their paramours
Whose flesh is as the flesh of asses
And whose issue is like the issue of horses

(Ezekiel 23: 20)

In another allegory, Yahweh appears to be  more forgiving toward the northerners prior to their fall to the Assyrians. He orders Hosea, a prophet of doom, to take pesonified prostitute Samaria as his wife, and attempt to reform her worshippers of Baal, the ancient god of rain, wind, and fertility:

And the Lord said to Hosea

"Go take unto thee a wife of whoredoms
And children of whoredoms
For the land hath committed great whoredom
Departing from the Lord"

(Horsea 1:2)

Interpreted it can that the singer/songwriter quoted below takes on the persona of a modern Hosea (Ezekiel be thirteen when he becomes a prophet):

Twelve years old, they put me in a suit
Forced me to marry a prostitute

(Bob Dylan: Key West)

The Judaic God, via the allegory of Hosea, endeavours to be motherly – kindly and lovingly as the symbolic pine tree; faith-filled Ephraim considers Baal a false idol:

Ephraim shall say
What have I to do any more with idols?
I have heard Him, and observed Him
I am like a green fir tree
From me is thy fruit found

(Hosea 14: 8)

God commands Hosea give his unfaithful wife a second chance at reconciliation after the prophet  divorces her:

And she shall follow after her lovers
But she shall not overtake them
And she shall seek them, but shall not find them
Then she shall say, "I will return to my first husband
For then it was better with me than now"

(Hosea 2:7)

Hosea tries again, fails again:
That's my story, but not where it ends
She's still cute, and we're still friends
Down on the bottom, way down in Key West

(Bob Dylan: Key West)

So ‘tough love’ Yahweh let’s the false gods of the Assyrians in:

"And I will visit upon her the days of Baalim
Where on she burned incense to them
And she decked herself with earrings, and her jewels
And she went after her lovers
And forgat me," saith the Lord

(Hosea 2:13)

Take what you have gathered from coincidence:

Key West is under the sun, under the radar, under the gun
You stay to the left, and then you lean to the right
Feel the sunlight on your skin, and the healing virtues of the wind
Key West, Key West is the land of light

(Bob Dylan: Key West)

One  sign points to ‘Judea’; the other to ‘Samaria’.

Untold Dylan: who we are what we do

Untold Dylan is written by people who want to write for Untold Dylan.  It is simply a forum for those interested in the work of the most famous, influential and recognised popular musician and poet of our era, to read about, listen to and express their thoughts on, his lyrics and music.

We welcome articles, contributions and ideas from all our readers.  Sadly no one gets paid, but if you are published here, your work will be read by a fairly large number of people across the world, ranging from fans to academics.  If you have an idea, or a finished piece send it as a Word file to Tony@schools.co.uk with a note saying that it is for publication on Untold Dylan.

We also have a very lively discussion group “Untold Dylan” on Facebook with around 7000 active members. Just type the phrase “Untold Dylan” in, on your Facebook page or follow this link 

You’ll find some notes about our latest posts arranged by themes and subjects on the home page of this site.  You can also see details of our main sections on this site at the top of this page under the picture.  Not every index is complete but I do my best.   Tony Attwood

by Tony Attwood

(Videos replaced 28 August 2020)

This new series (of which this is the third instalment) takes in songs that Bob has performed once and only once on stage.

Two songs this time – first off “You’re too late” by Lefty Frizzell.

William Orville “Lefty” Frizzell was a songwriter and performer who was popular for ten years or so and had two major hits in 1950.  In this case he wrote the song with Herman P Willis, and Bob played it at Daytona Beach, FL, Jan 29, 1999.  There is a story that Hank Williams wrote this (see the album cover below) but I’m fairly sure this is a  Frizzell original.

Lefty Frizzell was one of those men who didn’t have a long career which brought him loads of money, but his influence was profound, with so many stars of the era citing his influence from Roy Orbison to the Everlys.  Tragically he faded from the public’s after ten years or so and he took to drink, dying aged 47.

But his impact on other singers in terms of how country music could be sung has outlasted him, and he is still remembered by those who have a particular knowledge of this type of music.

This is the original 1954 recording – as I say, forget the cover reproduced below.  Perhaps it got that way as Hank Williams and Lofty did tour together.

If I had someone that's true
It would thrill me through and through
I'd be happy oh so happy night and day
Seems each one has a perfect mate
But for me I'm always late
And it kills my soul to hear my sweetheart say

Too late too late you're too late
I have waited oh so long
But you never did come home
So just go on alone you're too late

I have built my castles high
Just to watch them fade and die
Makes me wonder if I really have a mate
But I'll keep looking o'er the hills
For someone and I always will
But maybe it's just my fate to be too late

Too late too late you're too late
When I search for heaven's door
I hope these words won't ring no more
And a voice say here's a gate but you're too late

His number 1 hit was “Give Me More, More, More (Of Your Kisses),” and Frizzell thereafter had personal problems, arguing a lot, spending the money and eventually falling out of favour.

The second choice this time is Old Rock n Roller performed by Bob on 3 July 1990.

https://youtu.be/GgJ8cNAktzE

He's just an old rock'n'roller playing music in a backstreet bar
And he sings a little flat and he never learned to play the guitar
But he keeps on belting out them rhythm and blues
"Long Tall Sally" and "Blue Suede Shoes"
He never faced the fact that he's never going to be a star
He's just an old rock 'n' roller playing music in a backstreet bar

He had a record in the sixties, it was big enough to go Top Ten
And though he tried and he tried he never could make it happen again
He's been living twenty years on bourbon and pride
Jerry Lee went crazy and Elvis died
Then his third wife left him but he never really thought it would last
And now she ain't nothing but another little blast from the past

But sometimes on a Saturday night when the music and the crowd is having fun
He steps up on the mike with a gleam in his eye
And once again he's twenty-one
And then it's "Be-Bop-A-Lula" and "Heartbreak Hotel"
And "That'll Be The Day"
Then the sweet bird of youth just flies away

He's an earthbound eagle that never did learn how to fly
He ain't never going to make it but he sure did give it a try
So go dye your hair and turn the music up loud
When it's time to go at least you'll go down proud
You ain't never going to be nothing but what you are
Just an old rock 'n' roller playing music in a backstreet bar

And here is the original…

Charlie Daniels was both a session musician and a composer, with his song “It Hurts Me” being recorded by Elvis Presley.

He was friends with Bob Johnston (1932 – 2015) hence the connection with Bob Dylan.  And thereafter he played guitar and bass on Dylan’s 1969 and 1970 recordings, as well as on Leonard Cohen records.  Thereafter he became a producer himself.

There is more, more and more – he wrote film scores, guest starred in TV shows, and was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry and the Country Music Hall of Fame.  He died this year (2020) at the age of 83.

Dylan’s Once only file “1952 Vincent Black Lightning” “Blue Moon” “Weeping Willow”

Untold Dylan: who we are what we do

Untold Dylan is written by people who want to write for Untold Dylan.  It is simply a forum for those interested in the work of the most famous, influential and recognised popular musician and poet of our era, to read about, listen to and express their thoughts on, his lyrics and music.

We welcome articles, contributions and ideas from all our readers.  Sadly no one gets paid, but if you are published here, your work will be read by a fairly large number of people across the world, ranging from fans to academics.  If you have an idea, or a finished piece send it as a Word file to Tony@schools.co.uk with a note saying that it is for publication on Untold Dylan.

We also have a very lively discussion group “Untold Dylan” on Facebook with around 7000 active members. Just type the phrase “Untold Dylan” in, on your Facebook page or follow this link 

You’ll find some notes about our latest posts arranged by themes and subjects on the home page of this site.  You can also see details of our main sections on this site at the top of this page under the picture.  Not every index is complete but I do my best.   Tony Attwood

Wagon Wheel (1973)

by Jochen Markhorst

The film Wayne’s World is the debut of Mike Myers and at the time of its release, in 1992, a huge commercial success. The reviews are mostly positive and that’s remarkable; much more than a chain of adolescent jokes, clumsy fluttering and bungling (especially from cult favorite Garth, Dana Carvey) and exaggerated parody nonsense, the film doesn’t really offer. Although… the supporting roles of the overacting Rob Lowe and the way he says literally, the classic headbang scene of course, in that little car on “Bohemian Rhapsody” and Garth’s hilarious playback act with “Foxy Lady” are still irresistible a few decades later. And: that one scene in the music store, the eleven seconds in which Myers stuffs his No Stairway joke, has eternal value. Wayne wants to buy a new guitar, starts playing “Stairway To Heaven”, but the seller intervenes after just two notes and silently points out the prohibition sign: NO STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN.

It’s a joke that meets with a lot of recognition and approval, especially among music store staff, and a joke that leads to an unexpected, profitable byproduct: the signs are a sales hit to this day. Most guitar shops have one nowadays, and on Amazon a faithful copy still is a strong seller ($29.99).

Via a detour, the scene will be just as topical again in 2016, by the way. At the time, the joke causes some surprise because the two or three notes Wayne plays don’t resemble Stairway at all. That has a legal background: the lawyer rabble guarding the rights of Led Zeppelin prohibits the use of “Stairway To Heaven” in the movie, so Mike Myers only plays a few rather random notes

However, in the twenty-first century the heirs of Randy California are trying to prove that Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page stole the melody from “Taurus”, a short instrumental piece from 1968 by Randy’s band Spirit. In the course of the court case it is shown that the melody is much and much older; it can already be found in a baroque piece from 1630, “Sonata di Chitarra, e Violino, con il suo Basso Continuo” from the Italian guitarist/composer Giovanni Battista Granata. Thus, in April 2016 the court rules that the melody belongs to the public domain and can therefore not be claimed by anyone.

It would mean, alert journalists report, that the famous intro may be played with impunity in the event of a possible re-release of Wayne’s World – at least, until the music shop assistant intervenes, of course.

The plagued store staffs have more candidates for such an official ban. “Smoke On The Water”, for example, and “Sweet Home Alabama”, or “Sunshine Of Your Love”… in every guitar shop in the world those intros, in more and less gruesomely mutilated versions, are played a dozen times a day. Still, the next prohibitory sign that is eagerly in demand is not one of the usual suspects.

That would be a ban on playing a Dylan song. And not on one of the obvious everyman’s friends like “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door” or “All Along The Watchtower”, but on the unlikely, by Dylan himself long rejected ditty, “Wagon Wheel”.

“Wagon Wheel”, or “Rock Me Mama (Like A Wagon Wheel)”, as the song is actually called, is again one of those songs with a history that would be unique to any other artist, but is not exceptional in Dylan’s catalogue at all. Songs like “Love Is Just A Four-Letter Word”, “Quinn The Eskimo”, “Farewell, Angelina” or “Stepchild”; (sketches of) songs that were rejected by the master and later picked up and perfected by others could fill a very nice double-cd.

“Rock Me Mama” may be the most unfinished, sketchy snippet in that collection. It can be found on the bootleg Peco’s Blues, a collection of session recordings from January and February 1973 for the soundtrack of Pat Garrett And Billy The Kid. Charming, messy recordings of a reasonable quality, that are historically especially interesting because of the embryonic versions of “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door”, but for the fans the studio talk and the other takes are fun too. And the two versions of “Rock Me Mama”.

On this bootleg the song is attributed to the legend Arthur Crudup, the man to whom we owe Elvis Presley. That’s remarkable. Normally Dylan is not too lenient with granting copyrights to a rightholder, not even if he copies entire text parts, melody lines or complete choruses. On top of that, this song has nothing in common with Crudup’s “Rock Me Mama” from 1944; only the title is the same. And Crudup himself has borrowed it from Big Bill Broonzy’s “Rockin’ Chair Blues” (1940). The wagon wheel metaphor comes from other, even older blues songs. Curtis Jones sings as early as 1939 roll me mama, just like I’m a wagon wheel (“Roll Me Mama”) and Dylan undoubtedly knows B.B. King’s hit “Rock me” from 1964, with the lines roll me baby like you roll a wagon wheel.

Dylan uses about those words for his refrain, he sings it on a very accessible, simple melody, over an equally simple and pleasant chord progression, around it he mumbles some unintelligible sounds and that’s it.

The song has since long been forgotten and covered in dust, when the teenager Ketch Secor, sometime in the 90s, first hears the half-mumbled, unfinished patch of a non-existent song on that bootleg collection.

Teenagers, especially the male ones, are known to have a rather flexible prefrontal cortex, therefore they dare to ride down the hill in shopping carts, jump three floors down from the balcony into the hotel swimming pool and they do not mind messing around with a Dylan song. Ketch adds two great verses to the sketch, and merrily and often plays the song. And still does after he founded a band, the now world-famous Old Crow Medicine Show.

A first time the boys record the song for a self-released EP (Troubles Up And Down The Road, 2001). In 2003 the band scores a record deal and, after copyright has been arranged with Dylan (it shall be fifty-fifty), the song is recorded again, this time as the closing number for the acclaimed, untitled debut album from 2004. It is not a hit, it is not even released on single, but it is picked up. Initially by amateurs, on talent shows, by school bands, in karaoke bars and truck stops – the song is easy to play and has a high sing-along quality – and slowly and surely it seeps through to the higher echelons.

Old Crow Medicine Show – Wagon Wheel: 

In 2012 the Irishman Nathan Carter reaches the top of the charts with the single “Wagon Wheel” and the album of the same name. A year later, when Darius Rucker scores a number one hit with it, the song definitively reaches the Great American Songbook. It earns Rucker a Grammy Award (Best Country Solo Performance, 2013) and membership in the Grand Ole Opry.

It does have a small spicy edge, Rucker’s success. Before his solo career, Darius Carlos Rucker has been the face of Hootie & The Blowfish, the band with which he records five albums and sixteen hit singles, tours around the world and sells tens of millions of records (the debut album from 1994, Cracked Rear Window, achieves sixteen times platinum and is the 14th best-selling album of all time). One of the biggest successes is the world hit “Only Wanna Be With You” (1995) and that song leads to a conflict with Dylan. Rucker has plundered Blood On The Tracks a little too enthusiastically. Starting with a chip from “You’re A Big Girl Now”:

Put on a little Dylan
Sitting on a fence

Followed by a big bite from “Idiot Wind”:

Said I shot a man named Gray
Took his wife to Italy
She inherited a million bucks
And when she died it came to me
I can't help it if I'm lucky

And in case we still don’t get it, the last verse opens with:

Yeah I'm tangled up in blue

Dylan’s management of Dylan, the thief of thoughts who has a rather double-minded attitude with regard to citing someone else’s work without acknowledging the source, mobilises lawyers, threatens with a copyright infringement indictment and eventually Hootie & The Blowfish settles the case, for an unknown, but undoubtedly substantial amount.

Nevertheless, no hard feelings with Rucker, apparently. With “Wagon Wheel” he lines Dylan’s pockets once again. But it also has an unexpected, negative effect: Rucker’s hit version gives the song a second, huge boost. So much so, in fact, that it becomes after Stairway the second song for which prohibition signs are manufactured, sold and hung by the thousands. This time not in music shops, but in concert halls, pubs and festivals. At Americana festivals, like in New England, No Wagon Wheel zones are set up, T-shirts with the logo fly sell like hot cakes, and students risk guitar shattering when they play it on campus.

Nevertheless, Ketch Secor still likes to play it, with his Old Crow Medicine Show. He is particularly struck by Dylan’s approval and the old master’s next step: in 2014 Dylan gives him another scrap of that 1973 bootleg, “Sweet Amarillo”, and encourages the band to complete that song as well. It gives them their next hit.

On a country channel, CMT News, Secor tells the story behind it. First, he receives an e-mail from Dylan’s manager congratulating him on Ruckers no. 1 hit. A few weeks later there is a package in the bus. It contains a demo recording and a note. From Dylan.

“It’s quite amazing to me. Bob very much cleaned out his dresser drawer and found a scrap and said [in a Dylan voice], “Here, try this.” Just to hear that is the stuff that dreams are made of. I couldn’t even write a script. The audience wouldn’t believe it. “Oh, yeah, then Bob Dylan called and said, ‘OK, finish this song now.’”

So I finished the song with Old Crow, and we sent it back to Bob and he said, “Hey, that sounds great, but I think Ketch should play the fiddle, not the harmonica, and I think the chorus needs to come in at the eighth bar, not the 16th.” We did exactly what Bob said, and it’s like the song sprouted wings and flew.”

He’s still glowing – justifiably – with pride, the lucky Wilbury.

Old Crow Medicine Show – Sweet Amarillo

You might also enjoy:

Wagon Wheel: Untold Dylan’s 500th review which contains the original Dylan sketch of the song.

—————-

Jochen is a regular reviewer of Dylan’s work on Untold.  His books are available via Amazon both in paperback and on Kindle:

• Blood on the Tracks: Dylan’s Masterpiece in Blue
• Blonde On Blonde: Bob Dylan’s mercurial masterpiece
• Where Are You Tonight? Bob Dylan’s hushed-up classic from 1978
• Desolation Row: Bob Dylan’s poetic letter from 1965
• Basement Tapes: Bob Dylan’s Summer of 1967

Untold Dylan: who we are what we do

Untold Dylan is written by people who want to write for Untold Dylan.  It is simply a forum for those interested in the work of the most famous, influential and recognised popular musician and poet of our era, to read about, listen to and express their thoughts on, his lyrics and music.

We welcome articles, contributions and ideas from all our readers.  Sadly no one gets paid, but if you are published here, your work will be read by a fairly large number of people across the world, ranging from fans to academics.  If you have an idea, or a finished piece send it as a Word file to Tony@schools.co.uk with a note saying that it is for publication on Untold Dylan.

We also have a very lively discussion group “Untold Dylan” on Facebook with around 7000 active members. Just type the phrase “Untold Dylan” in, on your Facebook page or follow this link 

You’ll find some notes about our latest posts arranged by themes and subjects on the home page of this site.  You can also see details of our main sections on this site at the top of this page under the picture.  Not every index is complete but I do my best.   Tony Attwood

By Mike Johnson (Kiwipoet)

At the end of 1992 Dylan released Good as I Been to You, an album of mostly traditional folk songs. The album was well received, better than Under the Red Sky, and he was to follow up in 1993 with World Gone Wrong. These were both solo acoustic albums, and were generally viewed as Dylan returning to his roots, searching for inspiration as the commentators saw it.

One of Dylan’s favourite songs from these albums is ‘Delia’, from World Gone Wrong. ‘Delia’ is one of those songs which seems just made for Dylan; it sounds like a Dylan song, which goes to show how close much of Dylan’s work is to that tradition.

Although it didn’t come out until the following year, Dylan was trying it out in 1992, not as a solo acoustic, but a gently paced full-band ballad. It’s a little gem, this one, with Dylan fully committed to the vocal.

Delia

However, 1992 did see some incomparable solo acoustic performances; the last year, I believe, when Dylan appeared on stage alone with guitar and harmonica. These following acoustic performances are all the more precious for that, but this wasn’t just a last hurrah for the legend; these performances are superlative. He’s not just dusting off his old material but re-exploring it with a passion, feeling his way into the songs as if he’d just written them, trying them out in different ways from one performance to the next.

Let’s start with that mysterious love song ‘Love minus Zero No Limit’. The vocal is so upfront and clear that it sounds like a soundboard, rather than an audience, recording. This one is from the 24^th of March. In this case the ragged edge to Dylan’s voice works perfectly.  This one is surely a candidate for one of the NET’s finest moments – at least to date.

Love Minus Zero (A)

In other performances he brings in the harmonica. Hard to kill a legend when offering such legendary performances. Hard to escape a twinge of nostalgia when that harp begins to blow. Masterful vocal. Wonderful to sense a respectful audience. Sorry don’t have the date for this one.

Love Minus Zero (B)

And, just in case you haven’t had enough of that classic song, here’s another knockout performance, this one from the 15^th of March.

*Love Minus Zero (C)

Sigh! Sometimes it’s great when Dylan just plays Dylan, no tricks, no great baroque extensions. Just Bob and his genius. Blink for a moment and you’re back in the 1960s.

Here’s ‘Blowin’ in the Wind’ just like it ever was, except that exquisite vocal timing makes it lighter and more peppy than the sixties performances. And that dancing, peppering harmonica!

How many years must some people exist
Before they're allowed to be free?
And how many times can a man turn his head
And pretend that he just doesn't see

Perhaps we have become so familiar with these lyrics that we can’t hear them anymore, but these rhetorical questions still cut to the heart of the human condition. The quoted lines take us right out onto the streets of our contemporary world where the Black Lives Matter demonstrations are happening. Perhaps it takes such a fresh performance to remind us. Simple it may appear, its questions unanswerable, ‘Blowin’ remains one of Dylan’s greatest songs. And this must be one of his greatest performances of it.

Blowing in the wind

Listening to Dylan’s wonderful acoustic guitar work as he accompanies himself, it occurs to me that we are reaping the benefits of those long hours he was putting in recording ‘Good as I been to You’, alone in his garage. Discovering the guitar parts for those traditional songs seems to have lead to a rediscovery of his own songs and the joys of acoustic performance.

And while deep in the nostalgia of acoustic Legendland, we just can’t afford to get any older without listening to this brisk but cutting performance of ‘Ramona’. Perhaps behind this ‘attack’ song there is a plea for us to live more aware lives, to be aware of the ‘fixtures and forces’ that govern our lives and bring us to grief. Lovers of Dylan the Master Harpist will be in ecstasies over the last minute or so of this performance. Enough said!

Ramona

Ah, very nice, but there is more to come in this acoustic promised land. Like this tender version of ‘Boots of Spanish Leather’, one of Dylan’s earliest separation songs. The song is remarkable for its dialogue, a score for two voices, and the build up of pathos. We feel that the lover will never return, at least not as a lover, and the singer will never get his boots of Spanish leather. Once more, note the gorgeous harp solo, reminiscent of, but more sophisticated than his sixties playing. Don’t the audience just love this! No wonder, it’s a treat.

Boots of Spanish Leather

We are so deep in our nostalgia trip now that there is no stopping us. The gentle, intimate and reflective Dylan is irresistible. So there’s nowhere to go but to the equally tender and reflective ‘Girl from the North Country’. I have described this song as one of Dylan’s most pure love songs, as it is free of bitterness and without any ambiguous edges. The song is in itself an exercise in nostalgia, that place beyond tears where we can fondly remember old loves. So once more Dylan throws aside the stadium rocker, which he plays so well, to be his old folkie self again, and deliver this subtle, understated performance.

Girl from the North Country

Of course, the acoustic performance lies at the heart of early sixties protest songs, even songs like ‘John Brown’ which we have only heard in rock versions, probably because it makes such a good rocker. Think back to the 1987 performance with Tom Petty’s band, one of the best ever (see NET 1987), or the version with GE Smith in 1990, another kick-arse rocker. But now we hear it as the acoustic song it must have started as. And what a powerful performance, with the song building to a climax as Dylan wrings everything he can from his sandpaper voice.

John Brown

‘John Brown’ takes us into the world of Dylan’s early sixties protest songs, and perhaps the greatest of those songs, ‘A Hard Rain’s Gonna Fall’. This nightmare/hallucination still haunts after all these years, and Dylan certainly hasn’t tired of it yet. Lines that seem so contemporary still jump out at us:

I saw a white man who walked a black dog.

This performance is close to the tempo of the original, perhaps a little faster, and there is some fine acoustic guitar work. Dylan stretches his voice to deliver a performance with more vocal variation than we’re accustomed to with this song. The challenge for many of these long, repetitive songs is to keep up the interest, to build, vocally and musically to that stunning final verse.

I’m a-going back out ’fore the rain starts a-falling
I’ll walk to the depths of the deepest dark forest
Where the people are many and their hands are all empty
Where the pellets of poison are flooding their waters
Where the home in the valley meets the damp dirty prison
And the executioner’s face is always well hidden
Where hunger is ugly, where the souls are forgotten
Where black is the color, where none is the number
And I’ll tell it, and speak it, and think it, and breathe it
And reflect from the mountain so all souls can see it
Then I’ll stand on the ocean until I start sinking
But I’ll know my song well before I start singing

I quote these lines in full to remind us of just how good they are, in case we start taking the song for granted. These last lines demonstrate what dramatists call ‘rising action’ – a build towards a final climax, a lyrical momentum that gathers pace as the images flash by. This helps to mitigate the somewhat plodding nature of the original, which might have worked fine in the summer of 1962, when the song was written, but not so well thirty years later.

This is a spirited vocal – just a pity he had to leave off those last two lines, suggesting that he didn’t know his song so well before he started singing.

Hard Rain

Note that while this is acoustic, it is not Dylan alone onstage. I think I can detect two other guitars at work. It starts off sounding solo, but it isn’t, not quite.

Same applies to that other iconic song, that ode to escapism, ‘Mr Tambourine Man’, which remains acoustic but slowly brings in the rest of the band, drums and all. This performance clips along a little too fast for me, but the extra pace makes for some nifty guitar work and a suitably squeaky harp break. Pity about the loudmouth in the audience who comes so close to wrecking the experience of the song that I almost left it out.

Still, part of the experience of listening to these audience recordings is hearing the response of the audience, in this case a little too positive. Much depends on who was near the recorder at the time.

Mr Tambourine man

Another track from side B of Bringing it all Back Home (1964) that we have been closely following is ‘Gates of Eden’, that classic symbolist song that never seems to lose its mystery. We have heard some very fine performances of this song, particularly the 1988 version (See NET 1988, part 1). This performance is not likely to go down as anyone’s favourite owing to Dylan’s scratchy, nasal performance, but the rapid strumming and faster pace, which seems to be a feature of 1992, keeps it interesting.

Gates of Eden

I’d like to pause for a moment here to note that both these songs offer some picture of their creator. In Mr Tambourine Man we find this:

And if you hear vague traces of skipping reels of rhyme
To your tambourine in time
It's just a ragged clown behind
I wouldn't pay it any mind
It's just a shadow you're seeing that he's chasing

The ‘ragged clown’, I would suggest, is a perfect image for the Dylan who wrote this song. Those skipping reels of rhyme aptly describe the song itself. Those critics of Dylan’s shift from his ‘protest songs’ to his ‘symbolist songs’ might well agree that the man had given up the good fight in favour of chasing shadows.

In Gates of Eden we get a different formulation:

And I try to harmonise with songs
the lonesome sparrow sings

‘The lonesome sparrow’, I would suggest, is a perfect image for the Dylan who wrote ‘Gates of Eden’, as it is more cryptic and Zen-like than the ‘Tambourine’ quote. And ‘Gates’ ends on a suitably cryptic, Zen-like note:

Sometimes I think there are no words
But these to say what’s true…

These lines should be my cue to exit this post, as I’ve hit the word limit, but I still have a couple of these acoustic performances to go. So, I’m going to unceremoniously jam them in at the end here. They are both songs we will return to. Guitar driven performances of ‘Desolation Row’ and ‘It Ain’t Me Babe.’

Desolation Row

It Ain’t Me Babe

Stay safe from the ravaging plague, and I’ll be back soon with the final part of this survey of the NET, 1992.

Kia Ora

Untold Dylan: who we are what we do

Untold Dylan is written by people who want to write for Untold Dylan.  It is simply a forum for those interested in the work of the most famous, influential and recognised popular musician and poet of our era, to read about, listen to and express their thoughts on, his lyrics and music.

We welcome articles, contributions and ideas from all our readers.  Sadly no one gets paid, but if you are published here, your work will be read by a fairly large number of people across the world, ranging from fans to academics.  If you have an idea, or a finished piece send it as a Word file to Tony@schools.co.uk with a note saying that it is for publication on Untold Dylan.

We also have a very lively discussion group “Untold Dylan” on Facebook with around 7000 active members. Just type the phrase “Untold Dylan” in, on your Facebook page or follow this link 

You’ll find some notes about our latest posts arranged by themes and subjects on the home page of this site.  You can also see details of our main sections on this site at the top of this page under the picture.  Not every index is complete but I do my best.   Tony Attwood

by Larry Fyffe

Keeping to his lusty character, Zeus, the Olympian God of Thunder (who’s overthrown the gigantic Titan Saturn) falls in love with a tree dryad; in a fit of jealousy Hera, the wife of Zeus, transforms the dryad temporarily into a tree; Zeus, who’s in human form, decides to impress the dryad – the Thunder God reveals to her that he’s now the big god. Not to be outdone Hera makes the dryad’s change permanent. The tree spirit cries, her limbs droop. Venus, the Goddess of Love, sees to it that the Weeping Willow spreads far and wide across the land. The willow tree becomes a symbol of sadness, but also of flexibility and regeneration.

Symbolism that’s depicted in the song below:

Oh, bury me under the weeping willow
Yes, under the weeping willow tree
So he may know where I am sleeping
And perhaps he will remember me

(Carter Family: Weeping Willow Tree ~ traditional)

The narrator in the following song lyrics takes a tough view in regards to life’s sorrows:

I say to the willow tree, "Don't weep for me"
I'm saying to hell with all the things I used to be
Well, I get into trouble, then I hit the wall
No place to turn, no place at all

(Bob Dylan: My Own Version Of You)

As the listener is made aware in the lyrics below, the God of Thunder has human emotions, and cries hyperbolic conceits of teardrops, even though, of course, a god cannot die:

Now, I taught the weeping willow how to cry, cry, cry
And I showed the clouds how to cover up a clear blue sky
And the tears that I cried for that woman are gonna flood you Big River
And I'm gonna sit right here until I die

(Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash: Big River ~ Johnny Cash)

The willow used as an objective correlative in the song lyics below:

Well, that weeping willow, mourning like a dove
Weeping like a mourning dove
There's a gal in the country that I sure do love

(Bob Dylan: Weeping Willow ~ Fuller/Doherty)

As such in the following song, the sad-eyed willow fails to regenerate:

Once upon a hill
We sat beneath a willow tree
Counting all the stars, and waiting for the dawn
But that was once upon a time
And now the tree is gone

(Bob Dylan: Once Upon A Time ~ Strouse/Adams)

Below, no longer is the tree flexible:

Well, I just reached  place
Where the willow don't bend
There's no more to be said
It's the top of the end
I'm going, I'm going, I'm gone

Bob Dylan: I’m Going, I’m Going, I’m Gone

https://youtu.be/bQ4FGx6H1CE

Untold Dylan: who we are what we do

Untold Dylan is written by people who want to write for Untold Dylan.  It is simply a forum for those interested in the work of the most famous, influential and recognised popular musician and poet of our era, to read about, listen to and express their thoughts on, his lyrics and music.

We welcome articles, contributions and ideas from all our readers.  Sadly no one gets paid, but if you are published here, your work will be read by a fairly large number of people across the world, ranging from fans to academics.  If you have an idea, or a finished piece send it as a Word file to Tony@schools.co.uk with a note saying that it is for publication on Untold Dylan.

We also have a very lively discussion group “Untold Dylan” on Facebook with around 7000 active members. Just type the phrase “Untold Dylan” in, on your Facebook page or follow this link 

You’ll find some notes about our latest posts arranged by themes and subjects on the home page of this site.  You can also see details of our main sections on this site at the top of this page under the picture.  Not every index is complete but I do my best.   Tony Attwood

The full index for this series appears here.

The most recent articles covering this decade 1990s

• 1990: The rebirth of protest before the end of all songs
• Bob Dylan’s songwriting1991- 1996: the end of everything

By Tony Attwood

For Bob, the decade of the 1990s was a time of total change.  It started off with gusto in 1990, trying to show that the world had indeed gone wrong by utilising themes from children’s songs to reveal the forthcoming catastrophe, before delivering some bits and pieces for the Wilburys to play with.

And then he took a gap year.  Well actually five gaps years, in which he wrote a few lyrics (although some argue even these four sets of words were actually written in the 80s, and indeed maybe they were.  I only put them in the gap years because others say they came from that time, and without them the era looks so bleak and empty).

So the nineties became a period in which Bob stopped writing completely, and ramped up the Never Ending Tour.

Those four sets of lyrics that are noted in some commentaries as dating from 1995 and they… well, express a man confused, lost, and wishing he wasn’t.  The recording we have of Well well well is superb and worth a listen, otherwise… you decide.

• Well well well
• Howlin at your window
• Tragedy of the trade
• Time to end this masquerade

But my take on this is that all these songs were originally written (or at least Dylan’s input into the songs was completed) in 1984 while Dylan was writing songs for Empire Burlesque.  I’ve listed them again here simply because some commentaries could lead you to 1995.    For details of 1984 please see here.

Then suddenly the master songwriter was back, and how, with 1996 not just including ten songs, but having in the midst of those songs Mississippi and Not Dark Yet.   I mean how totally utterly brilliant do you want a songwriter to be?

The themes were lost love, emptiness, moving on, being disconnected from the world, drifting, dying, love as a hopeless myth, and the darkness.  Oh yes, there is a lot of darkness.

They were all going into the album, but the album was not yet complete, and so with perfect logic, in 1997 Bob finished the album with

• Cold Irons Bound (lost love, lost friendship,)
• Trying to get to heaven (Walking away from all the sadness and sorrow)
• Make you feel my love (Eternal love)
• Til I fell in love with you (Lost love)
• Love Sick (Lost love)

Of course there may have been more, the songs he wrote but rejected for the album, but if so, we haven’t been given a chance to listen.

And as I have suggested before, the fact that the first song on the album was the last song written suggests that the concept of loss and sinking deeper emerged as he wrote the pieces; it wasn’t there at the start.   I’d guess that he started writing them, realised the journey the songs described and then filled in the gaps.

The traditional pop rock album starts with an upbeat song, and then has a ballad in track two.  Of course Bob never goes by the book, and in starting this album with “Love Sick” he delivers the most amazing opening to an album I have ever heard – and one that I can’t imagine any other composer getting away with.  Just consider this afresh, opening an album with

I’m walking through streets that are dead
Walking, walking with you in my head
My feet are so tired, my brain is so wired
And the clouds are weeping.

Indeed the songs composed over these two years are contrasts ranging from

I don’t know what I’m gonna do
I was all right ’til I fell in love with you

To

When the rain is blowing in your face
And the whole world is on your case
I could offer you a warm embrace
To make you feel my love

And this whole, amazing, incredible, journey of sheer genius started with

I’m walking through streets that are dead
Walking, walking with you in my head
My feet are so tired, my brain is so wired
And the clouds are weeping.

The total contradiction is overwhelming and so extraordinarily powerful, these songs almost seem to defy description.

I am not in the group that thinks “Feel my love” is a mistake for this album or in any way an inferior song.  If I had written it, and never written anything else, I’d spend every day walking around saying to people “I wrote that”.   Of course, I’d probably get carried off to a hospital at the same time, but even so…

Dylan is offering us both sides of love – the total and utter despair and the overwhelming yearning to express love.

This is the world in which one is conscious of love and lost love, but also, utterly improbably, a world in which one can distance oneself from those emotions.  Indeed I would say it is not surprising that having written this staggering collection of songs Bob stopped.  In 1998 he wrote nothing.  Although that might have been a ploy to get us to forget him, for in 1999 he wrote the song that got him the Oscar: Things have Changed – the song that “doesn’t pussyfoot around or turn a blind eye to human nature”.

The opening…

A worried man with a worried mind
No one in front of me and nothing behind

makes it clear – I am isolated, I have no idea where I am going.  The past has not yet happened.  We know nothing, except we know the world really has gone wrong.

And what of love and lost love, those concepts which dominated Dylan’s writing for song long?   Well, we might care to remember that by 1977 Dylan had written 56 songs of love and desire, and 43 songs of lost love.

And now?

Feel like falling in love with the first woman I meet
Putting her in a wheelbarrow and wheeling her down the street

Now there is no lost love, because there is no love, not in the real sense.  And as for that period where he tried to get his message across by using themes from nursery rhymes and children’s stories, well, well…

Mr. Jinx and Miss Lucy, they jumped in the lake
I’m not that eager to make a mistake

Farewell old songs, indeed.  As I said (I thought rather cleverly but everyone wrote in telling me I’d written the last paragraph twice)

And the music continues, using its three chord routine with simple accompaniment. The singer doesn’t get excited. There is a continuum. It is just that the continuum doesn’t make a blind bit of sense.

And the music continues, using its three chord routine with simple accompaniment. The singer doesn’t get excited. There is a continuum. It is just that the continuum doesn’t make a blind bit of sense.

A work of stunning genius.  A work so utterly worth waiting for.

Untold Dylan: who we are what we do

Untold Dylan is written by people who want to write for Untold Dylan.  It is simply a forum for those interested in the work of the most famous, influential and recognised popular musician and poet of our era, to read about, listen to and express their thoughts on, his lyrics and music.

We welcome articles, contributions and ideas from all our readers.  Sadly no one gets paid, but if you are published here, your work will be read by a fairly large number of people across the world, ranging from fans to academics.  If you have an idea, or a finished piece send it as a Word file to Tony@schools.co.uk with a note saying that it is for publication on Untold Dylan.

We also have a very lively discussion group “Untold Dylan” on Facebook with around 7000 active members. Just type the phrase “Untold Dylan” in, on your Facebook page or follow this link 

You’ll find some notes about our latest posts arranged by themes and subjects on the home page of this site.  You can also see details of our main sections on this site at the top of this page under the picture.  Not every index is complete but I do my best.   Tony Attwood

by Stephen Scobie

Previously in this series

• It takes some getting used to. Rough and Rowdy Ways Part 1
• Rough and Rowdy Ways part 2: false prophets and my version
• Part 3: “Made my mind up; Goodbye Jimmy; Mother…”
• The Rubicon to Key West: Rough and Rowdy Ways Part 4

“Murder Most Foul”

As has been widely acknowledged, the title comes from Hamlet: Act One Scene Five.  Hamlet confronts his father’s Ghost.  The Ghost enjoins him: “Revenge my foul and most unnatural murder.”  Shocked, Hamlet exclaims “Murder!” and the Ghost drives the point home: “Murder most foul, as in the best it is, /But this most foul, strange and unnatural.”  “Foul” – three times in three lines.  Not just murder, but something unnatural.  What the Ghost is hinting at, but even he dare not say it, is incest.  If Gertrude became Claudius’ mistress when still married to his brother, then she is guilty of incest – foul and unnatural.

Yet the Ghost goes on to admonish Hamlet to do nothing against his mother – which puts him in an impossible position.  He cannot make any public accusation against Claudius, since that would implicate Gertrude too,  So the only way Hamlet can revenge his father is by acting in secret, by pursuing his revenge privately.   And that is the one thing that Hamlet cannot bring himself to do.  Hence his famous delay, his inability to act.

Hamlet’s tragedy is that fate places him in the one situation in which his finest qualities conspire against him.  He knows that an essential part of civilisation is that the state assume a monopoly of violence: that “blood feuds” are settled by law, not by private violence. Yet the Ghost’s instructions are pushing him back to the role of Revenger, which he cannot assume.  And this is the sticking point that Dylan comes back to in RRW, again and again, in all the references to private violence, which he (or his narrator) appears to indulge with such relish.

‘Twas a dark day in Dallas

Personal disclosure required.  I don’t see how you can react to this song without taking a position on all the conspiracy theories around Kennedy’s assassination.  On the one hand, I have never been a big fan of conspiracy theories, whose promoters decidedly tend towards being nuts.  On the other hand, I have never been fully convinced by Oswald-as-lone-assassin.  Dylan (or the speaker of this song) is clearly convinced that Kennedy died because of some conspiracy, and I am prepared to accept that as the narrative basis of the song.  But I will not go through “Murder Most Foul” in as much source-hunting detail as I have done with the nine previous songs.  If you want footnotes on “Dealey Plaza” or “Zapruder,” there are plenty of places you can find them.  “Conspiracy” includes “piracy.”

Similarly, I am not going to try to comment on every reference or dropped name in this song.  As Eyolf Ostrem says, in an excellent on-line review,

“I see them as a whole …where a seemingly endless row of characters pass before our eyes  and ears in a procession. One by one they step into the light before they recede into the      multitude again, but the remaining impression is that of the procession itself, not of the individual participant.”

So I will highlight a few references, but make no attempt at completeness.  However, looking at the vast array of works listed in the second half of this song, and asking who gets in and who gets left out, there are a few general comments I want to make.

The immediate critical consensus was that the works listed in the second half of the song were in some way a cure, a counterbalance to the deeply pessimistic view of American culture brought on by the Kennedy assassination.  So, to be blunt, who gets in and who gets left out?  And let’s focus first on who gets left out.

The list is confined to music and movies.  No novelists.  No poets.  No painters.

The majority of songs referred to come from before 1963: in other words, they are songs which JFK himself could plausibly have heard and enjoyed.  There are a few exceptions: The Who, The Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, and of course Wolfman Jack.  I find it hard to explain these exceptions, but the general principle holds.  If the musical tradition is to be advanced as a redemption of our current cultural malaise, then it is a tradition which more or less predated Kennedy’s death.

And there is no mention at all of folk/protest music of the 1960s.  A passing mention of Tom Dooley; possibly Jean Redpath.  Woody Guthrie is not mentioned by name, but by the title of one of his songs.  No Pete Seeger.  No Joan Baez.  No “We Shall Overcome.”

Wait a minute, boys

This is a common phrase, and needs no “source,” but a surprising number of Dylan followers have jumped to its use in “Hurricane” (1975).

We’ve already got somebody here to take your place

The most direct statement in the song of conspiracy theories implicating LBJ.

Wolfman

Wolfman Jack was the most famous radio DJ of the early 70s, culminating in his semi-fictitious portrait of himself in George Lucas’s American Graffiti (1973).

Hush, little children… The Beatles are coming, they’re gonna hold your hand

“I Wanna Hold Your Hand” was one of the first Beatles mega-hits.  Dylan casts them in an innocuous role: “hold your hand” like a parent rather than a boyfriend.  Again, unlike “them British bad boys, the Rolling Stones” (though I do remember some of my more subversive fellow students singing it as “I wanna hold your gland”).

Ferry ‘cross the Mersey and go for the throat

Another innocuous Liverpool group, Gerry and the Pacemakers, immediately followed by another stab of vengeance.

Woodstock… Altamont….

Emblematic moments, high and low, for the 1967 Summer of Love.  Dylan actually attended neither.

Good times….

   It sure takes a lot of gall
   to rhyme
   Let the good times roll
   with
   Grassy knoll

Living in a nightmare on Elm Street

Elm Street, Dallas, is the actual location of Kennedy’s assassination.  A white cross in the roadway marks the exact spot at which he was hit.  In 1984, Nightmare on Elms Street was the first of a series of highly successful horror movies.  In the next line, Dylan puns on the name in “Deep Elem Blues,” a traditional American song, widely recorded, by everyone from The Grateful Dead to Dylan himself (in 1962),

Frankly, Miss Scarlett, I don’t give a damn

Last line of Gone with the Wind (1939).  Actually, in the movie Gable says “my dear,” not “Scarlett”; he also, to placate censors, laid the stress on “give,” not “damn.”

That magic bullet of yours has gone to my head
I’m just a patsy, like Patsy Cline….
Got blood in my eye….

 OK, now the references are coming thick and fast, it’s hard to keep up with them.  The “magic bullet” is the description for one of the shots that killed Kennedy; for conspiracy theorists, it is “magic” because, in order to inflict the wounds in a way consistent with the demands of the single assassin scenario, it would have had to behave in ways that, forensically, seem highly unlikely. Dylan then offers a black joke on the double meaning of “gone to my head,” followed by an even nastier twist on the name of country singer Patsy Cline.  But it was Oswald, not Kennedy, who said, “I’m just a patsy.”  So who is the singer here?  “my head” is Kennedy; but “patsy” is Oswald.  Then we are back to “blood in my eye,” which sure sounds like Kennedy, except that it’s also the title of a 1974 song by the Mississippi Sheiks, memorably covered, in 1993, by Bob Dylan.

I said the soul of a nation been torn away
And it’s beginning to go into a slow decay

Whatever one’s views on the conspiracy theory of the Kennedy assassination, most people will agree that it was a shattering moment, and that nothing in American political or cultural life has been the same since.  In recent years, Bob Dylan’s world view has perceptibly darkened.  He sees his nation in a “slow decay”; he sees us living in a “World gone wrong.”  Maybe all that’s left is the music.

Wolfman Jack, he’s speaking in tongues
He’s going on and on at the top of his lungs
Play me a song, Mister Wolfman Jack
Play it to me in my long Cadillac

 Way back at the beginning, third verse of the first song, Dylan had pictured himself in a “Red Cadillac”; earlier in this song, it’s a “long black” Cadillac; historically, it was navy blue, repainted black later.  It was, with deepest irony, a Lincoln.  It seems to be JFK who is calling in requests as the Wolfman goes on and on.  The list has now more or less consumed the song.

If you want to remember, you better write down the names.

And they come, thick and fast, going on and on.  Oscar Peterson, Stan Getz, Charlie Parker, Jelly Roll Morton, Bud Powell….  You see what Ostrem means by “the procession itself, not  the individual participant.”

“Please Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood”

The classic version is by Nina Simone, but there is also a fine performance by Eric Burdon and the Animals, who had stunned Dylan with their version of “House of the Rising Sun.”

Far away down Gower Avenue

Personal confession: for many years, I misheard this as “your avenue,” and even built whole interpretations on that mishearing.  Although Dylan here associates the phrase with The Eagles and Carl Wilson, it is actually by Warren Zevon, during the inspired fade-out of “Desperadoes under the Eaves.”  The omission of Zevon’s name here is all the more surprising because Dylan was a great admirer of Zevon, playing several of his songs in concert after his death.

Take me back to Tulsa, to the scene of the crime

The most obvious “crime” associated with Tulsa is the infamous race riot in 1921, where as many as 300 Blacks were killed by white mobs.  More recently, it has become the home for major archives and study centers devoted to Woody Guthrie and Bob Dylan.  Of course, Dylan may also have been thinking about  Gene Pitney’s 1963 hit “24 Hours from Tulsa.”

Birdman of Alcatraz

Probably best known now by the 1962 film, starring Burt Lancaster and directed by John Frankenheimer.

Play Buster Keaton, play Harold Lloyd

 Two of the biggest silent screen comedians – but curiously no mention of the biggest of them all, with whom the early Dylan was often compared: Charlie Chaplin.

Play “Pretty Boy Floyd”

Epitome of the American “good outlaw,” the Robin Hood figure who steals from the rich to give to the poor.  Immortalised in song by Woody Guthrie.  The 1988 tribute album A Vision Shared features a fine performance of “Pretty Boy Floyd” by Bob Dylan.

Play “Down in the boondocks” for Terry Malloy

 “Down in the boondocks” is the first in a series of “Down in… “ locations for Key West in the previous song.  It’s the title of a 1965 song, written by Joe South, sung by Billy Joe Royal, and containing, so one web site informs me, a “sampling” from Gene Pitney’s “24 Hours from Tulsa”!  Terry Malloy is the name of the character played by Marlon Brando in On the Waterfront, directed by Elia Kazan (1954).  At the end of the film, he gets spectacularly beaten up, which was somewhat of a Brando specialty.  It is Brando’s second appearance on RRW, after “My Own Version of You.” Again, the choice is a bit odd: Keaton, but not Chaplin; Brando, but not James Dean.

Merchant of Venice…
Play “Stella by Starlight” for Lady Macbeth

Shakespeare again, bookending his earlier appearances.  I’m afraid I don’t see any special relevance in Merchant of Venice, but Lady Macbeth is more promising.  The song “Stella by Starlight,” by Victor Young was written for a 1944 haunted-house ghost movie called The Uninvited.  Lady Macbeth has to deal with ghosts, uninvited guests at a banquet, and, of course, the assassination of a political leader.

Was a hard act to follow, second to none

“Second to none” reappears from “False Prophet,” where Dylan ascribes it to himself, his own status.  Here, though, it pictures the assassination itself as a theatrical “act,” which will be hard to follow – except, of course, that the JFK killing was followed, in that fatal series of initials: JFK, RFK, MLK.  And the sinister conspirators have just assured the dying President that we’ll get them as well.

Memphis in June

1945 song by Hoagy Carmichael.  Previously quoted by Dylan in “Tight Connection to My Heart” (1985).

Play Moonlight Sonata in F Sharp

In the first song on the album, Dylan did promise to play Beethoven Sonatas.  This one would be especially challenging, since it’s in C Minor.

“Dumbarton’s Drums”

A traditional Scottish folk song, and indeed the closest this list comes to 1960s “folk.”  Dylan may have learned it from Jean Redpath, whose exquisite version can be found on You Tube.  Redpath was a young Scottish singer who hung around Greenwich Village in 1961-62.  Dylan biographer Ian Bell tactfully observes that the two of them “briefly become more than friends.”

But what  are Dumbarton’s drums doing here, wedged in between two references to the American Civil War?

Play “Marching through Georgia”….
Play “The Blood Stained Banner”….

As if carefully balancing sides, Dylan gives us one image from the North and one from the South.  “Marching through Georgia” celebrates Sherman’s decisive victory over the Confederate army – the ultimate triumph of Old Fuss and Feathers, as celebrated in “Mother of Muses.” ”The Blood Stained Banner” is an actual flag, the last of several designs used by the Confederate States of America.  It was the subject of a 1990 song unabashedly celebrating the Confederate cause, written by Phil Driscoll.  If you follow that name on You Tube, you will discover a rather splendid 8-minute version of Dylan’s “Serve Somebody.”

Dylan has long been interested in the Civil War, describing it in Chronicles as the “all-embracing template  behind everything that I would write.”  So it is only fitting that these two references should be the final context in which he places the life, and death, of an American President.

…. Play “Murder Most Foul”

So the last song on the list, the last song that Dylan asks the Wolfman to play for the dying President, is the song we have just been listening to, for almost 17 minutes, on its separate CD.  “Murder Most Foul.”  No wonder records, tapes, and discs have always been circular.  Repetition is their essence, going round and coming round.  Time to start again: “Today and tomorrow and yesterday too.”  Where will the circle take us this time?

============

Index to all the Rough and Rowdy Ways articles

Untold Dylan: who we are what we do

Untold Dylan is written by people who want to write for Untold Dylan.  It is simply a forum for those interested in the work of the most famous, influential and recognised popular musician and poet of our era, to read about, listen to and express their thoughts on, his lyrics and music.

We welcome articles, contributions and ideas from all our readers.  Sadly no one gets paid, but if you are published here, your work will be read by a fairly large number of people across the world, ranging from fans to academics.  If you have an idea, or a finished piece send it as a Word file to Tony@schools.co.uk with a note saying that it is for publication on Untold Dylan.

We also have a very lively discussion group “Untold Dylan” on Facebook with around 7000 active members. Just type the phrase “Untold Dylan” in, on your Facebook page or follow this link 

You’ll find some notes about our latest posts arranged by themes and subjects on the home page of this site.  You can also see details of our main sections on this site at the top of this page under the picture.  Not every index is complete but I do my best.   Tony Attwood

By Tony Attwood

If you are a regular reader of Untold Dylan, you’ll know that one of the things we like to do in the reviews is comment on the musical structure as much as the lyrics.

But, of course, I know it can be most frustrating when I start rambling on in one of my reviews about the unusual chords and rhythms Bob uses in a particular piece.  Especially if you’re wanting to play along but don’t know a particular chord, or haven’t got the rhythm or melody in your head.

I’ve never known how to resolve this on the website until seeing the Chordify website, which provides the technological answer.

Quite simply you type in the name of the song you want to play along with, and it brings up a screen which shows the guitar chords, with the graphic layout in case it is a chord that is unfamiliar to you.

Then you click on the recording of the song (top right in the screen), it starts playing, and the chords being used, complete with the finger positions, move across the screen.  You hear the music, see the chords and can play along at the same time.

I really haven’t seen anything like this before (and in case you are interested there are thousands of songs by many other artists also on the site), and I really do think it is a great idea.

Better still, it allows you free access, so if there is a song you want to play, just type in the name of the song, and you are there, ready to go.

You can also upload your own songs to the service so that you have a record of what you have done, and can share it with other people – which is particularly helpful if you are in a band.

The site is at https://chordify.net/ and I really do recommend it for anyone who wants to play a song and can’t quite get the rhythm or is not fully familiar with all the chords within the song.  Also, if you are a parent with a son or daughter at home wanting to get to grips with the guitar, this is really going to make it much easier for them to learn, and more likely that they will continue.

And just in case you are not yet convinced, there is one other link I would suggest – not least because I got so carried away with using the main part of the program I didn’t get around to looking at what else is on the site until some time later.

When you’ve finished looking at what is available through the link above go to https://chordify.net/pages/ – and there you will see four more options.  The one that particularly fascinated me was “Academy”.  I won’t spoil it for you by spelling out what is there, but if you are going on the site do spend a moment on that link.  I think you might well enjoy it.

As you may know we don’t recommend other websites very often on Untold Dylan, but this one I did enjoy, and I do hope it resolves any issues that have arisen when I start rambling on about Bdim or F#m7.

Have fun!

Shot Of Love (1981)

by Jochen Markhorst

Chaos is a 2005 American crime thriller that does not make it to the American cinemas and is only distributed direct-to-DVD in 2008. Strange; it is a layered action film with a surprisingly intelligent plot and superior acting by Wesley Snipes as the bad guy.

The lead role is for English action hero Jason Statham, who plays Quentin Conners, a suspended detective from the Seattle PD – unjustly suspended, but he’ll now have his glorious revenge, of course.

Statham’s English background and grammar school past has, obviously, no connection whatsoever with the discarded policeman on the American West Coast he portrays in this film, but is still revealed, after forty minutes in the story. He has caught Gina, the girlfriend of one of the fugitive thugs, and sits down with her at the police station, in the interrogation room.

Det. Conners: This isn’t possession or solicitation, Gina. This is felony murder one. If you’re protecting him, you’d get life.
Gina Lopez: I didn’t do nothing.
Det. Conners: It’s “I didn’t do anything.” “Didn’t do nothing” is a double negative, infers the positive. [to himself] The grammar in this country’s terrible.

Statham is not really a great actor, but the tired disdain with which he speaks these words is very convincing. And then Gina makes only one mistake. Imagine how depressed Jason would have been if director Tony Giglio had chosen Dylan’s “Shot Of Love” for the soundtrack:

I don’t need no alibi when I’m spending time with you
I’ve heard all of them rumors and you have heard ’em too
Don’t show me no picture show or give me no book to read
It don’t satisfy the hurt inside nor the habit that it feeds

Terrible grammar, though we don’t have to doubt Dylan’s language skills. The double negatives the song poet here uses as a stylistic figure, as a language trick to place the song in a tradition. In this case in the blues tradition, the same tradition that prevents The Stones from singing “I Can’t Get Any Satisfaction” and has Pink Floyd singing We don’t need no education – and a very young Dylan Ain’t gonna grieve no more, an adult Dylan when you ain’t got nothing, you got nothing to lose and a very old Dylan I ain’t no false prophet.

Going back, all of them, to the Big Bang of Blues, to W. C. Handy and his “jazzman’s Hamlet,” to “St. Louis Blues.”

W.C. Handy writes the song in 1914 and it is still played by everyone in the jazz and blues world today. The version inducted into the Grammy Hall Of Fame in 1993 is Bessie Smith’s version with Louis Armstrong on trumpet from 1925:

Now dat gypsy tole her, don't you wear no black
She done tole her, don't you wear no black
Go to Saint Louis, you can win him back

In Chapter 9 (“St. Louis Blues and Solvent Bank”) of his superb, compelling autobiography Father Of The Blues (1941) Handy describes the song’s impact on the dance floor and on his band, but especially on himself:

“Well, they say that life begins at forty – I wouldn’t know – but I was forty the year St. Louis Blues was composed, and ever since then my life has, in one sense at least, revolved around that composition.”

This is true on several fronts; the actual Big Bang of the Blues, “Memphis Blues”, Handy may have written before this song, but the musical genius is not yet as gifted on a business level and sells the rights for $100 – together with Decca Records’ rejection of The Beatles in 1962 one of the bigger blunders of the twentieth century. But W.C. learns from it and so the next hit, “St. Louis Blues”, is and remains his. It will be a goose that lays a golden egg every year for the rest of his life. Still in his dying year 1958, forty-two years after he wrote the song, $25,000 in royalties is transferred to him for this song alone (the equivalent of over two hundred grand today).

Louis Armstrong & Bessie Smith – St. Louis Blues (1954 version)

By chance, Dylan is forty too, when he writes a “composition around which ever since my life revolves”, when he writes “Shot Of Love”; he apparently experiences a similar semi-superstitious, age-related insight as Handy. The famous words from the interview with Martin Killer (New Musical Express, 1983) in any case bear witness to an identical, all-decisive weight:

“To those who care now where Bob Dylan is at, they should listen to “Shot Of Love” off the Shot Of Love album. It’s my most perfect song. It defines where I am at spiritually, musically, romantically and whatever else. It shows where my sympathies lie. No need to wonder if I’m this or that. I’m not hiding anything. It’s all there in that one song.”

“My most perfect song” … very big words. Well alright, should they have been spoken by, say, a Justin Bieber or a Beyoncé, you could still go along with them. But they are spoken by Bob Dylan, on July 5, 1983, at a time in art history when “Visions Of Johanna”, “Like A Rolling Stone” and “Tangled Up In Blue” have long since been written, not to mention the hundred other Dylan songs that any neutral music critic will value higher than “Shot Of Love”. July 1983… two months after he recorded “Blind Willie McTell”, “Foot Of Pride” and “Jokerman”, for example.

Yeah well. “I’ve been asked: ‘So how come you’re such a bad judge of your material?’” Dylan recalls, clearly disagreeing with the hidden premise therein, during the press conference in Rome, 2001 – but he still can’t think of an answer to the suggestive question he himself poses there.

A second line to W.C. Handy, a line that does hold, is his sense of language and the importance he attributes to it. The right words are decisive, but, just as with Dylan, not so much for reasons of content – no, for the “colour”, for the sound of the song the right words are decisive;

“The question of language was a very real problem at the time I wrote St. Louis Blues. Negro intellectuals were turning from dialect in poetry as employed by Paul Lawrence Dunbar. I couldn’t follow them, for I felt then, as I feel now, that certain words of Negro dialect are more musical and more expressive than pure English.”

Handy illustrates his conviction with an amusing, but also somewhat abrasive anecdote from 1915. An unnamed “white musician” openly doubts Handy’s ability to read music, let alone write. “Name any classical melody,” Handy answers, “and I’ll give it a Negro setting.” The white musician challenges him with Schubert’s “Serenade” (the English name for Ständchen, D. 889), which Handy promptly edits into “Shoeboot’s Serenade”, with lyrics to it:

I woke up this morning with the Blues all ’round my bed
Thinking about what you, my baby, said.
Do say the word and give my poor heart ease,
The Blues ain’t nothing but a fatal heart disease;
I’m going to leave this town just to wear you off my mind;
Can’t sleep for dreaming, can’t laugh for crying.
So in the moonlight, Shoeboot played
This little Serenade.

… with deliberate grammatical and syntactic errors, but bursting with astonishing melodic and musical discoveries – like the opening, which will become the template for blues songs “I woke up this morning” – and the lyrical power of the double negation in the blues ain’t nothing but a fatal heart disease.

Nevertheless, Handy is not too proud of this particular song. Or so it seems, anyway: in his autobiography he mentions this song only once. Still, each one of the three verses has more poetic hits than all six verses of Dylan’s “Shot Of Love” put together. Alone Handy’s opening line Shoeboot Reader was the leader of a colored band has more infectious rhythm, is more melodic and narratively more exciting than any of the verses in “Shot Of Love” – and undoubtedly, the Nobel laureate would see that too.

Dylan’s song seems at least initially inspired by Moon Martin’s “Bad Case Of Loving You (Doctor, Doctor)”. The lyrics then are set up as a “list-song”, a style form the bard often chooses (“Gotta Serve Somebody”, “Everything Is Broken”, “Blowin’ In The Wind”, to name but a few – in Dylan’s catalogue you can find about fifteen to thirty, depending on your definition).

“Shot Of Love” doesn’t really stand out positively within that selection – most of the verse lines just aren’t that strong. Partly absurd (like Don’t need a shot of codeine to help me to repent), partly clumsy (“no book satisfies the habit it feeds”?), partly, well… powerless, adolescent poetry is, unfortunately, a striking disqualification for verses like You’ve only murdered my father, raped his wife and what makes the wind wanna blow tonight?

Just as unsatisfying are the two Bible references. One is empty (“I seen the kingdoms of the world”), the other incorrect, or incomprehensible: “It’s just bound to kill me dead like the men that followed Jesus when they put a price upon His head.”

No, Dylan’s outspoken satisfaction will mainly be due to the sound, which indeed is spectacular. Sound also is a long, captivating topic of conversation in the very entertaining interview Bono is doing for an Irish music magazine, Hot Press, in 1984. Bono believes in the importance of the room, the space for the right sound, and explains how the German producer Conny Plank always uses the sound of the recording room. And then “Shot Of Love” comes up:

Dylan: Yeah, you’d make an album in three days or four days and it was over—if that many! It’s that long now… it takes four days to get a drum sound.
Bono: […] But you can’t go backwards, you must go forward. You try to bring the values that were back there, you know, the strength, and if you see something that was lost, you got to find a new way to capture that same strength. Have you any idea of how to do that? I think you’ve done it by the way… I think Shot of Love, that opening track has that.
Dylan: I think so too. You’re one of the few people to say that to me about that record, to mention that record to me.
Bono: That has that feeling.
Dylan: It’s a great record, it suits just about everybody.
Bono: The sound from that record makes me feel like I’m in the same room as the other
musicians. I don’t feel like they’re over there.

It is the only song on the album produced by the legendary Bumps Blackwell (Little Richard, Ray Charles, Sam Cooke) – surely no coincidence. Dylan explicitly honours him in the Biograph booklet: “I gotta say that of all the producers I ever used, he was the best, the most knowledgeable and he had the best instincts.”

Few covers. The most famous is the one by the irresistible PJ Harvey; just like her version of “Highway 61 Revisited” a trashy, furious performance (1999, live at Music Of The Millennium Awards) – Polly Jean does love a good racket, every now and then.

Beautiful, but incomparable with the by far best cover of the song, which does what a cover should do: enrich the original.

Since 1999, our German friends from Frankfurt, the tribute band DoubleDylans, have been combining brilliant, successful Dylan covers with their own songs and with edited translations of Dylan songs.

Already on the first record, Monsters Of Folk Rock from 2000 (when the men still call themselves The Devilish DoubleDylans), there are highly attractive versions of “Subterranean Homesick Blues”, “Drifter’s Escape”, “Silvio” and “Goin’ To Acapulco”. And especially the cover ensuring even international recognition: The DoubleDylans’ version of “Shot Of Love” is selected for the popular collection May Your Song Always Be Sung Vol. 3 (2003), where it proudly shines among big guns like Rick Danko, Chris Whitley and Mick Taylor.

The made-in-Germany approach of “Shot Of Love” is a revelation. The DoubleDylans ignore the sound, colour and style of the original, do not try to copy Dylan’s sweaty, hard-rocked soul, but move the song to the Basement. Upright bass and acoustic guitar lay down a friendly folk shuffle, the mandolin gives shots of lovely, cheerful licks throughout, but above all the duetto, the ensemble singing provides the magic; the men deliver something very similar to the brilliant rendition of “Clothes Line Saga” by The Roches, one of the very best Dylancovers at all: the contradictory trick of singing both toneless and melodic at the same time.

On a side note: fans who are not put off by a German re-translation should also be enchanted by the brilliant, hilarious “Lilli, Rosemarie & der Rettichretter” or by one of the most beautiful, haziest “Visions Of Johanna” covers: “Visionen von Johanna“.

And not a single grammatical error, by the way.

Shot of Love…

Here’s Visions…

Untold Dylan: who we are what we do

Untold Dylan is written by people who want to write for Untold Dylan.  It is simply a forum for those interested in the work of the most famous, influential and recognised popular musician and poet of our era, to read about, listen to and express their thoughts on, his lyrics and music.

We welcome articles, contributions and ideas from all our readers.  Sadly no one gets paid, but if you are published here, your work will be read by a fairly large number of people across the world, ranging from fans to academics.  If you have an idea, or a finished piece send it as a Word file to Tony@schools.co.uk with a note saying that it is for publication on Untold Dylan.

We also have a very lively discussion group “Untold Dylan” on Facebook with around 7000 active members. Just type the phrase “Untold Dylan” in, on your Facebook page or follow this link 

You’ll find some notes about our latest posts arranged by themes and subjects on the home page of this site.  You can also see details of our main sections on this site at the top of this page under the picture.  Not every index is complete but I do my best.   Tony Attwood

by Stephen Scobie

Previously in this series

• It takes some getting used to. Rough and Rowdy Ways Part 1
• Rough and Rowdy Ways part 2: false prophets and my version
• Part 3: “Made my mind up; Goodbye Jimmy; Mother…”

“Crossing the Rubicon”

I crossed the Rubicon on the 14th day
Of the most dangerous month of the year

What would Julius Caesar do?  Well, one answer is that he would lead his army across the River Rubicon, thus precipitating Civil War in Rome.  So this action has become emblematic of a decisive and irrevocable act, a calculated risk, a breaking of taboos.  In Caesar’s case, it worked – but  there are no guarantees for prospective crossers.

Why the 14th day of an unnamed month?  The best known historical reference for that date would be July 14^th: the storming of the Bastille, the beginning of the French Revolution, an ideal example of Rubicon crossing.  And July is, of course, the month named in honour of Julius Caesar – who actually crossed the river in January.  But there is also September 14^th, 1901, date of the assassination of William McKinley: see below, the opening lines of “Key West.”

I painted my wagon, abandoned all hope.

“Paint your wagon” is a colloquial phrase for getting things ready to be done, deciding to act – not quite as drastic as crossing the Rubicon, but getting there.  Also the title of a 1969 movie musical starring, incongruously, Clint Eastwood.   And remember the “painted wagon” in “Senor” (1978).

“Abandoned all hope” comes from Dante’s Inferno: it is the inscription above the Gate of Hell.  Translations vary between “Abandon all hope, ye who enter here” and “Abandon hope, all ye who enter here.”        

Well, the Rubicon is a red river

But it’s not the only one.  There is a Red River in Dylan’s home state of Minnesota.  There is a great 1948 western movie called Red River, whose plot has several echoes in RRW.  In 1997, Dylan recorded a wonderful song called “Girl from the Red River shore.”

I can feel the bones beneath my skin

It’s a bit of a stretch, but I cannot resist the echo from T.S. Eliot, “Whispers of Immortality,”  “Webster was much possessed with death / And saw the skull beneath the skin.”

And here again are the threats of violence –

I’ll make your wife a widow
You’ll never see old age….
I’ll cut you up with a crooked knife

And yet here too, in the midst of these threats, we come to the most explicitly redemptive lines on the whole album:

I feel the Holy Spirit inside
See the light that freedom gives
I believe it’s in the reach of
Every man who lives

— punctuated by an almost off-microphone “O Lord!”

Mona, baby, are you still in my mind?

Are we all the way back to 1966, “Memphis Blues Again,”  “Mona tried to tell me / To stay away from the train line”?  Or is it Lisa again?

“Key West (Philosopher Pirate)”

 Key West is, Dylan’s song tells us, “on the horizon line.”   It’s as far as you can go in one direction of America: the limit, the end.  But like a horizon, it recedes: it is always just beyond reach.  It is posited as an ideal, never quite attainable, but possibly imaginable in one particular place: Key West.

Historically, Key West has long been seen as a refuge, for pirates (such as one 18^th century predator named Black Caesar!), or for writers, from Ernest Hemingway to Wallace Stevens.  (There is no doubt a whole article to be written on the links between Dylan’s song and Stevens’ poem “The Idea of Order at Key West,” but I’m sorry, I don’t feel up to attempting that one.)  The New Basement Tapes, the 2014 collection of songs based on texts written by Dylan in 1967 but left unfinished, contains one track entitled “Florida Key,” which also evokes the idea of an ideal destination.

But before we even get started, and despite the dreamy music in the background, there is a violent interruption:

McKinley hollered, McKinley squalled,
Doctor said McKinley, death is on the wall

The first two lines of Dylan’s song are the same as the first two lines of “White House Blues,” a 1926 song by Bill Monroe, lamenting the death of William McKinley, 25^th President of the United States, who was assassinated in Buffalo, NY, on September 14^th, 1901.  (See “Crossing the Rubicon” for another 14^th.)  I am not aware of any special connection between McKinley and Key West   He appears here mainly as a signpost towards that huge song looming just ahead, “Murder Most Foul,” where his memory will hang in the background list of the four assassinated Presidents: Lincoln, Garfield. McKinley, Kennedy.  Still, it is an odd way to begin a song about an idyllic ideal.  As if, before the “idea of order” has even been established, it has to be brought violently back down to earth,  Later in the song, there will be another violent interruption.

Down in the boondocks

 See “Murder Most Foul.”

I’m looking for love, for inspiration
On that pirate radio station
Coming out of Luxembourg and Budapest

Key West always welcomed pirates, such as Black Caesar.  The term “pirate radio station” dates from Britain in the 1950s, when Radio Luxembourg operated outside the tight constraints of BBC regulation.  Many a British teenager lay awake at night listening to Radio Luxembourg beneath the pillows.  Later, the most famous pirate station was Radio Caroline, operating from a ship in the North Sea, forever patrolling just outside British territorial waters.  I am not familiar with the history of pirate radio in Hungary,  Maybe it’s just that Budapest rhymes with Key West.

Down in the flatlands

Not quite “Lowlands,” but almost.

Key West is the place to be
If you’re looking for immortality…
If you lost your mind, you’ll find it there

At the expense of a somewhat clumsy rhyme, this is the song’s most direct statement of the ideal waiting on, or beyond, the horizon line.

Like Ginsberg, Corso and Kerouac

Allen, Gregory, Jack.  A triumvirate of the Beat Generation.  In 1954, Ginsberg recorded a song playing variations on “When the Saints Go Marchin’ in.”  It’s called “Walking at Night in Key West.”

Like Louis and Jimmy and Buddy and all the rest

Take your pick.  I guess Armstrong, Reed, and Holly, but the possibilities are endless.

Got my right hand high, with the thumb down

Again, justice as violence.  Thumb down is now generally accepted as a sentence of death.  (There is a memorable thumbs down in Spartacus.)  It was not ever thus.  In Roman times, and right up until just a couple of hundred years ago, it was the other way round.  Thumbs down asked the victorious gladiator to plunge his sword or spear into the ground, sparing the defeated opponent.  Thumbs up signalled that the death blow should come higher, into the heart or neck.

Down on the bottom

 The New Basement Tapes also contains a song called “Down on the Bottom.”  Perhaps Dylan did scavenge some lines from his earlier, forgotten, and newly rediscovered self.

I’ve never … wasted time with an unworthy cause

Recall “Restless Farewell”  (1964): “The cause was there before I came.”

Newton Street, Bayview Park….

Most of the street names in this song do show up on Internet searches of Key West street names.  Bayview Park is actually on Truman Avenue.  The only one I haven’t found is, perhaps unsurprisingly, History Street.  President Truman did have a Southern White House in Key West.  But he is one of the few Presidents named on this album who was not  assassinated.

Twelve years old, they put me in a suit
Forced me to marry a prostitute

What??  This is clearly a fiction, which (like “I shot a named Grey” in “Tangled Up In Blue”) is so obviously outrageous that it can only be seen as disrupting and blocking any autobiographical reading.  Like the first (McKinley) verse, it comes as a violent disruption of the ideal – which it then attempts to redeem: “we’re still friends”.

Intermission

So we come to the place where, if you’re going to listen to RRW all the way through, you have to get up from your chair, take out the first CD, fetch the second, put it on, settle back for another 17 minutes.  Many people, I suspect, may let it pass, treating RRW as a 9-song CD, ending with “Key West” – which gives that song a special emphasis, as the “last” song on the album, a position usually reserved by Dylan for definitive statements, from “Restless Farewell” to “Desolation Row” to “Dark Eyes” to “Ain’t Talking.”  And, of course, “Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands,” the only other song to occupy the whole of a single LP side, or a single CD.  “Murder Most Foul” is thus both an end and a new beginning.

It was the first song from the album to be released, and it was a bombshell.  There had been no advance publicity, not even rumours of its existence.  I remember getting up one morning, checking my computer, and starting to play a song logging in (surely a mistake!)  at 17 minutes,  (Actually a few seconds shorter, but 17 sounded conclusive.)   I understand that, technically, it could have fit on a single CD.  Setting it apart on a separate disc was a deliberate choice, giving it even greater prominence – which I, as listener, reinforce every time I get up to change the disc.

Untold Dylan: who we are what we do

Untold Dylan is written by people who want to write for Untold Dylan.  It is simply a forum for those interested in the work of the most famous, influential and recognised popular musician and poet of our era, to read about, listen to and express their thoughts on, his lyrics and music.

We welcome articles, contributions and ideas from all our readers.  Sadly no one gets paid, but if you are published here, your work will be read by a fairly large number of people across the world, ranging from fans to academics.  If you have an idea, or a finished piece send it as a Word file to Tony@schools.co.uk with a note saying that it is for publication on Untold Dylan.

We also have a very lively discussion group “Untold Dylan” on Facebook with around 7000 active members. Just type the phrase “Untold Dylan” in, on your Facebook page or follow this link 

You’ll find some notes about our latest posts arranged by themes and subjects on the home page of this site.  You can also see details of our main sections on this site at the top of this page under the picture.  Not every index is complete but I do my best.   Tony Attwood

By Larry Fyffe

From out of ‘Key West’ comes the Masked Rabbi, seated on Silvanus, galloping around and about an island located in the blue Jungian Sea. He sings a fragmented postmodern song-epic of the rider’s descent into the ‘Underworld’ where he encounters visions of hell, and of paradise, and of the world-in-between; expresses visions of recurring times by references to the works of other songsters and poets:

McKinley hollered, McKinley squalled
Doctor said, "McKinley, death is on the wall
Say it to me if you got something to confess"
I heard all about it, he was going down slow
I heard it all, the wireless radio
From down in the boondocks, way down in Key West
I'm searching for love, for inspiration
On that pirate radio station
Coming our of Luxembourg and Budapest

A tribute to the rock poem below:

Without those wireless knobs
Fats did not come in
Without those wireless knobs
Elvis did not come in ....
We'd get Luxembourg
Luxembourg and Athlone

(Van Morrison & Paul Durcan: In The Days Before Rock’nRoll)

This rock song too:

Every night I watch for the light from the house upon the hill
I love a little girl that lives up there, and I guess I always will ....
Down in the boondocks, down in the boondocks
People put me down
'Cause that is the side of town
That I was born in

(Joe South: Down In The Boondocks)

The little epic is introduced by the shooting of a President that pays tribute to the following bluegrass song:

McKinley hollered, McKinley squalled
Doc said to McKinley, "I can't find the ball
You're bound to die, you're bound to die"

(Bill Monroe: White House Blues ~ traditional/various)

Echoes of the blues too:

"Soothe me, baby, move me baby"
Yes I heard it all
Another mule is kicking in my stall

(Dave Bartholomew: Another Mule)

As in:

Well, the devil's in the alley, mule's in the stall
Say anything you want to, I have heard it all

(Bob Dylan: Mississippi)

And in the following poem:

But show name your complete confession
"No", said the sick man, "By St, Simon
I have been shivered today by curate
I have told him of my condition
There is no further need to confess again"

(Geoffrey Chaucer: The Summoner’s Tale ~ modernized)

The Masked Marauda rides on:

Down in the bottom, way down in Key West
I play both sides against the middle
Trying to pick up the pirate radio signal
I heard the news, I heard your last request
Fly around, my pretty little Miss
I don't love nobody, give me a kiss

(Bob Dylan: Key West)

Pays tribute to the psychedelic rock song below:

I read the news today, oh boy
About a lucky man who made the grade
And though the news was rather sad
Well, I just had to laugh

(Beatles: A Day In The Life ~ Lennon/McCartney)

And to the following bluegrass song:

Fly around my pretty little miss
Fly around my daisy
Fly around my pretty little miss
You almost drive me crazy

(Rising Appalachia: Fly Around My Pretty Little Miss ~ traditional)

Perhaps to a Blakean poem of ‘high art’ as well:

She was the single artificer of the world
In which she sang. And when she sang, the sea
Whatever self it had, became the self
That was her song, for she was maker

(Wallace Stevens: The Idea Of Order In Key West)

Untold Dylan: who we are what we do

Untold Dylan is written by people who want to write for Untold Dylan.  It is simply a forum for those interested in the work of the most famous, influential and recognised popular musician and poet of our era, to read about, listen to and express their thoughts on, his lyrics and music.

We welcome articles, contributions and ideas from all our readers.  Sadly no one gets paid, but if you are published here, your work will be read by a fairly large number of people across the world, ranging from fans to academics.  If you have an idea, or a finished piece send it as a Word file to Tony@schools.co.uk with a note saying that it is for publication on Untold Dylan.

We also have a very lively discussion group “Untold Dylan” on Facebook with around 7000 active members. Just type the phrase “Untold Dylan” in, on your Facebook page or follow this link 

You’ll find some notes about our latest posts arranged by themes and subjects on the home page of this site.  You can also see details of our main sections on this site at the top of this page under the picture.  Not every index is complete but I do my best.   Tony Attwood

Selections by Aaron Galbraith, commentary by Tony Attwood

Please note, past episodes of this series can also be heard on our YouTube Channel

Intro: Just in case you have not seen the Play Lady Play series before, here’s how the game goes.  Aaron (in the USA) selects a number of performances of Dylan songs by women, and send them, occasionally with an explanation, often without, to Tony (in the UK).

Tony plays each track and tries to write a commentary on his thoughts during the playing of the track.  Extra time for tidying up the commentary is allowed.  There is an index to most of the articles in this series here.

It’s all meant to be a bit of fun, and if you enjoy such things, a way of discovering some of the re-interpretations of Bob’s work, with an emphasis on some of the more unusual such adventures – all of course with female rather than male singers.

Occasionally we find the annoying situation in which Youtube links to the songs work in one country and not in another.  Where we find that we try and put in a second link.

Aaron’s intro:

For this instalment I thought I’d look at female covers from the Time Out Of Mind album. I’m just going to list these in the order they appear on the album, as that’s how I searched for them! I’ve got two with a couple of versions just to show the differences in arrangement.

I’ve purposely not included any versions of To Make You Feel My Love, as there are so many, many fine versions of this song, and so I thought I’d compile those for a future episode of the Play Lady Play series.

Lucy Kruger with Love Sick

Tony: Oh now this does take experience, control, style and talent; it is one hell of a lot easier to shout than it is to whisper.  And what a perfect voice for this type of performance!  I could listen to this over and over.  And oh, that ending.  It pulls me apart.  If you play this a second time, focus for a while on the guitar – it is utterly exquisite.  Take the way she plays the accompaniment to the lyrics “I’m sick of love.”  Oh yes.

Not much of a review, I know, but I was just sitting listening.  It’s wonderful.  I’m off to listen to more of her work after finishing this article.

Bonnie Raitt with Standing In The Doorway

This is one of the songs that I often find going through my head when I’m driving and not listening to an audio, or having a conversation.   And the heart of that brain driven recollection is the heart of the song – lines five and six, which effectively take us into a new key.

I’m a bit taken aback by the percussion; it seems wrong for the message, or maybe because I can’t even think if there is any percussion in the original (and by the rules of the game I’m not allowed to go back and check), but I can recall that the live versions of this song that I like have the gentlest of a snare drum keeping the beat, nothing more.

The point is that (as I intimate above) these lines are at the very centre of the song – we have four lines, these two central lines in what those of us who like to show off call the “subdominant” and then back to where we were.

I got no place left to turn
I got nothing left to burn

and later

I know I can’t win
But my heart just won’t give in

Dylan gets the placement of these midway lines perfect, but I really don’t think this version sees them as central lines; they are just two more lines  So there’s my problem – I’ve come to understand the song in one way, with lines five and six being the core of each verse, and then if a performer understands it differently, I am thrown out.  On one hearing I can’t re-orientate quickly enough.

I’m also a bit taken aback by the percussion; it seems wrong for the message, or maybe because I can’t even think if there is any percussion in Dylan’s original.  I’m sure there must be, but it doesn’t get in the way.

Now Chrissie Hynde with the same song

Chrissie always makes every song her own and that full grand piano accompaniment shows this rendition is no exception.  And from the off I’ve got the feeling she understands the construction of the song, the way it works, and the musicians are with her.

The only problem I have is that the piano is so dominant at the very start it has nowhere else to go, and if anything I’d like it to move in and out of the other instrumentation.  As we get to the instrumental verse we’re getting sounds from all directions, and I want more space in this song.

But Chrissie does create one hell of an ethereal sound which I am loving, but I just feel that the arranger could have given us a little less dominant piano from the off.  By the end it sounds more like a fight than a lost love tragedy.  And I’m sad about that, because I do love Chrissie’s work normally.

Next, Bonnie Raitt, again, with Million Miles

Ah, now this really is my scene.  What is right is that accompaniment and the singing both feel the lyrics; melody, accompaniment, lyrics – it all makes sense.  The percussionist still gets a bit too much limelight for my taste, but the musicians and the vocals express the headhung sadness of the breakup to perfection.  It really says, “I tried, I tried, I tried” in every dimension known to womankind, and then some.

And after the instrumental verse, Ms Raitt still has something new to give us which means when she comes to the “Rock me” verse we are willing to be rocked.   When the blues dance clubs re-open (they are all of course shut due to some sort of pandemic or other – not sure what, I haven’t been paying that much attention) I’m going ask the DJs for this every night.

Lucinda Williams – Tryin To Get To Heaven

If the link below doesn’t work try this one.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Rn2eVoapcI

Lyrics are there to be expressed by the vocalist, but there is a point where the singer is just trying too hard, and at the start of Ms Williams’ recording I felt that was happening.  It calms down but I don’t find I’m being given any new insights at all.

“Trying to get to heaven before they close the door” is one of the most astonishing lines in Bob Dylan’s oeuvre but here it seems to be treated as if there is a door which is going to be shut at 6pm so the shop keeper can go home.   And maybe that is what Bob meant, but I’ve never seen it that way and I don’t find I can adjust now.

Shelby Lynne & Alison Moorer – Not Dark Yet

Since I first heard Dylan’s recording of this utter masterpiece I wondered what else could be done with it.  In my imagination of working out what I would do if I were still in a semi-pro band, my first decision was that those two pesky extra beats must always be kept.

Then the thought, what happens if we add harmonies.   And here’s my answer – it really works.  And it works because the harmonies come in to perfection, in exactly the right place.  But oh, that instrumental verse… it sounds like a toy piano, and with that I also became exasperated by the over excited percussionist.   Sure, the double beating works, but it doesn’t have to be that central.  (OK maybe I should be blaming the producer, not the drummer, so I could be very unfair here, but the result on the recording is spoiled.   The drummer’s rhythms are superb and add a lot, but they are just that bit too prominent.)

Ruby Amanfu – also Not Dark Yet

If the video below doesn’t work try this link… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUp42utZAtE

OK, there ought to be a dictum put out among the percussionist community: if you are asked to work on this song, talk with the producer about how your work is going to be used.  Again what the percussionist does is superb, it works brilliantly, but it is mixed in at too high a volume.  This is not meant to be a tumpity thumpity tumpity thump track.  It is a song relating to the gentility yet hopelessness of old age.

And this is a great shame for Ruby Amanfu, who puts in a superb performance and has a voiced so perfectly suited this song.  She does get rather explorative in terms of where her voice can go in the penultimate verse, and really I don’t think the lyrics ask for this.  When you find the line “Every nerve in my body is so vacant and numb” I think the poet has taken us into the land of the ghosts, and care and caution should be the watchword.   But even so it is a superb re-working of the masterpiece.

Deb Callahan – Cold Irons Bound

So off and on I’ve be a real old grouch today, more negative than usual I know, and therefore I really wanted to like this final performance, not having heard it before.   The opening is an interesting inter-twining of sounds, and then suddenly we get a rhythm.  Not a raucous rhythm that we’ve been experiencing through these tracks but something more restrained.

And to top it Deb Callahan, who really has a superb range, uses her talents to the full.  She’s travelling her own road and letting the band go their way, and it really does work.  This is the track out of all of today’s ventures that I want to go back to, even though it is  a long way from being a particular favourite Dylan track as far as I am concerned.

When she tells us the road is rocky, we know it is true.  A believable performance indeed.  Thanks for putting his at the end Aaron, even if it simply was by chance.  Oh just listening to those opening lines from the vocalist.  Yes, yes, yes.

Thanks Aaron.  I really enjoyed that.

Other explorations

• Play Lady Play: the alternative rockers
• Play Lady Play in the 21st century
• From “me me me” to exquisite interpretations
• Play Lady Play: the joyful remembrance of staggering performances
• Play lady play: Bettye LaVette – and a kiss on the mouth
• When a woman sings Just like a woman and beats the bass issue
• Play lady play: I believe in you.
• The strange the eccentric and the beautiful
• Play Lady Play: A simple twist of fate
• Play lady play: the strange ones, the eccentric, and the beautiful
• Knocking the pony with the sisterhood
• Play Lady Play: female cover versions of Basement Tapes songs

by Stephen Scobie

Previously in this series

• It takes some getting used to. Rough and Rowdy Ways Part 1
• Rough and Rowdy Ways part 2: false prophets and my version

“I’ve Made Up My Mind To Give Myself To You”

The first thing to say about this song is that it’s simply gorgeous, the loveliest love song that Dylan has written in many a long year.  It contains one of RRW’s  most beautiful lines – My mind’s like a river, a river that sings – and to match Dylan’s vocal performance, I’d have to reach back as far as “Pretty Saro” (1969).  But it is also part of this album, so some questions do arise.

Before I even get to the title, and before Dylan sings the first line, there is the backing vocal.  Dylan has in the past, notably in the late 70s, utilized a choir of female voices to sing a wordless hum in the background; but I don’t think he has ever used a choir of male voices.  They provide a lovely, lilting tune, which is the “Barcarolle” from Offenbach’s opera The Tales of Hoffmann (1881).  One of these tales is about a man who falls in love with an automaton, a woman who turns out to be a mechanical toy.  Suddenly, all the issues from the previous song, about the artificial creation of a supposedly ideal lover, come back into play.  And they point to the oddity of the title…

“I’ve made up my mind to give myself to you”

The romantic ideal of falling in love is that its experience is emotional, instinctive, spontaneous.  It is not the cold, logical, rational decision implied by “made up my mind.”  You don’t make up your mind to fall in love: you just do it.  If you have to think about giving a gift, is it really a gift?

(Several critics have already suggested that this song may enjoy the same popular romantic success as “Make You Feel My Love” (1997) – but I dislike that song, and have the same reservations about the note of deliberation, even coercion, in the title.)

I saw the first fall of snow

Nothing on the whole album is as beautiful as the slowness (snowness?)  with which Dylan sings this line.

Salt Lake City to Birmingham….

This list of American cities sounds like a tour schedule.  Of course, the “you” being addressed could just as easily be the audience as a single lover.

If I had the wings of a snow white dove

Opening line of the folk classic generally known as “Dink’s Song.”  Among many, many versions, listen to Oscar Isaac in Inside Llewyn Davis (2014).  Dylan was singing it as early as 1961, when he introduced it as a song he had heard from an old woman called Dink.  Unfortunately, John Lomax said the same thing in 1906.

“Black Rider”

Generally seen as an emblem of death.  He is the third of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse; he rides a black horse, and his name is Famine.   Title of a 1990 musical collaboration between William S. Burroughs and Tom Waits.

(I have another, stray, wholly personal association.  When I was guest-teaching in Kiel, Germany in the 1990s, I spent a lot of time on public transit.  The Kiel buses all had notices denouncing people who tried to ride without paying the fare – they were known colloquially as “black riders” (schwarze Reiter).  I don’t know whether the phrase was common elsewhere in Germany.  I wrote a poem about a black rider, but alas, I can no longer find a copy of it.)

Another vengeance and violence song.  But the threats are not from Death but against Death.  The threats range from the understated but ominous – “I don’t want to fight, at least not today // One of these days I’ll forget to be kind” – to the gruesome – “I take a sword and hack off your arm.” Perhaps the most startling jibe against the supposed power of Death is “The size of your cock won’t get you nowhere.”  Dylan is no stranger to expletives – he was among the first mainstream singers to use “shit.” and even “nigger,” in his recordings – but the crudity here seems calculated to shock, and to increase the disrespect being shown to the Black Rider.

But at the same time, the song shows some kindness, even sympathy, towards the Black Rider:

Be reasonable, mister, be honest, be fair
Let all of your earthly thoughts be of prayer.

He even offers to sing Death a song, though it is introduced, incongruously, as something he will perform “Some enchanted evening.” Dylan has, of course, sung this song, on “Shadows in the Night” (2015), but it is fair to suppose that this is the first time Rodgers and Hammerstein have ever been juxtaposed so closely with an anatomically challenged Death.

Black Rider, Black Rider, you’ve been on the job too long

Poor old Death, suffering from job overload.  This Covid virus must have plumb worn him out.  “Been on the job too long” is a traditional folk line, which crops up in many songs – such as “Duncan and Brady,” a murder ballad which Dylan performed with harsh ferocity in 1992 (eventually released on Tell Tale Signs (2008).

Which leads to another possibly fanciful thread of associations.  In 2014, a bunch of musicians were commissioned to complete a set of lyrics written by Dylan around 1967 but never set to music.  Among the performers was the resplendent Rhiannon Giddens; and among the songs she completed was one which Dylan called “Duncan and Jimmy.”  (Brady disappears, having been shot by Duncan in the original folksong.)  So, just as Offenbach’s automoton provides a subterranean link between “My Own Version of You” and “I’ve Made Up My Mind to Love you,” Giddens’ “Duncan and Jimmy” provides a link between the allusion to “Duncan and Brady” and the song which immediately follows it on RRW: “Goodbye Jimmy Reed.”

“Goodbye Jimmy Reed”

OK, I can’t help but notice the close echo between “Jimmy Reed” and “Jimmy Dean” – who otherwise does not appear on RRW. 

Jimmy Reed was a blues singer and guitarist whose influence, especially in the 1950s and 60s, exceeded his popular success.  He died comparatively young (just over 50) from epilepsy.  On this song, Dylan not only pays tribute to Reed, but also discreetly shows Reed’s continuing legacy by quoting himself: the opening guitar lick is highly reminiscent of “Leopard Skin Pillbox Hat”; and buried way deep in the production are some harmonica flourishes which can only be by Bob.  Of all the songs on RRW, this is the one that most begs to be unleashed in performance.  Let Charlie Sexton loose!

Put a jewel in your crown and I’ll put out the light

“The Jewel in the Crown” was the popular description of the place of India in the British Empire, and was used in the novels of Paul Scott – but it’s hard to see any relevance for such an allusion here.  More interesting is the close repetition of “Put,” twice in one line, which may recall “Put out the light, and then put out the light,” the words with which Othello, murder most foul, strangles Desdemona.  Again, Shakespeare lances the wound between justice and vengeance, public law and personal violence.

I can’t play the record ‘cos my needle got stuck

In contrast to the blunt “cock” of the previous song, Dylan returns here to the rich tradition of blues euphemism, delicate indelicacies.  This wonderfully oblique confession of impotence is immediately followed by  “I break open your grapes, I suck out the juice,” for which I scarcely dare to offer any explication, except to choke and gasp some more at the completed rhyme:

I need you like a head needs a noose.

You could write a whole textbook on sexual pathology based on these three lines.

Can you hear me calling you from down in Virginia

Direct quote from Jimmy Reed.

“Mother of Muses”

Mother of Muses, sing for me

The mother of the Muses was Mnemosyne.  Perhaps Dylan was wise not to include the actual name in his text, where he would have had to sing and pronounce it!  But the odd thing about Dylan’s line is that it reverses the usual order, gets things backward.  The Muse does not sing for the singer; the singer sings for the Muse.  The Muse is the inspiration, not the performer.

Sing of Sherman, Montgomery and Scott
And of Zhukov and Patton

A roll-call of military heroes is of course a common device in epic poetry.  Homer is full of such lists.  But this is a very eclectic and wide-ranging list,  including Generals from Britain, America, and even Soviet Russia.  Sherman’s march through Georgia will reappear at the very end of the album.  There is a sly joke that one General (Patton) is perhaps best known for his film portrayal by an actor with the same name as another General (Scott).  As for the original Scott: Winfield Scott was in charge of the US Army in the mid-19^th century, in the years leading up to the Civil War.  He is credited with transforming that army into a disciplined, professional fighting force, ultimately superior to the less organized troops of the Confederacy.  His insistence on small points of discipline gave him his popular nickname: “Old Fuss and Feathers.”  Did he perhaps fuss with his hair?

Who cleared the path for Presley to sing
Who carved the path for Martin Luther King

Well, in the long run, yes. insofar as they were all fighting for freedom.  But I kind of doubt what any of them would have made of Elvis.  Does the repeated “path” echo Dylan’s early song “Paths of Victory”?

Calliope … don’t belong to anyone, why not give her to me?

Calliope, Muse of Epic Poetry.  The list of Generals is certainly Calliope’s territory.  And nowadays, the epic is not much in fashion, despite a few magnificent attempts to render Homer into contemporary poetics: Christopher Logue, Alice Oswald.  The post is open: why not Bob?

I’ve already outlived my life by far

As a 76-year-old man listening to a 79-year-old singer, I very much appreciate this line.

An index to all our articles on this album appears here.

Untold Dylan: who we are what we do

Untold Dylan is written by people who want to write for Untold Dylan.  It is simply a forum for those interested in the work of the most famous, influential and recognised popular musician and poet of our era, to read about, listen to and express their thoughts on, his lyrics and music.

We welcome articles, contributions and ideas from all our readers.  Sadly no one gets paid, but if you are published here, your work will be read by a fairly large number of people across the world, ranging from fans to academics.  If you have an idea, or a finished piece send it as a Word file to Tony@schools.co.uk with a note saying that it is for publication on Untold Dylan.

We also have a very lively discussion group “Untold Dylan” on Facebook with around 7000 active members. Just type the phrase “Untold Dylan” in, on your Facebook page or follow this link 

You’ll find some notes about our latest posts arranged by themes and subjects on the home page of this site.  You can also see details of our main sections on this site at the top of this page under the picture.  Not every index is complete but I do my best.   Tony Attwood

The Mississippi series

• The Mississippi-series, part 1; no polyrhythm here please
• The Mississippi-series, part 2: the line that never was.
• The Mississippi- series, part 3: Belshazzar on the steppe
• The Mississippi-series, part 4: Bertolt, Bobby, Blind & Boy
• The Mississippi-series, part 5: Frost in the room, fire in the sky
• The Mississippi-series, part 6: Charades
• The Mississippi series: part 7 : Dorsey Dixon
• The Mississippi-series, part 8: Pretty Maids All In A Row
• The Mississippi-series, part 9: Abandon all hope
• The Mississippi-series, part 10: Eyesight To The Blind
• The Mississippi-series part 11: Bonnie Blue
• The Mississippi-series, part 12: Roses Of Yesterday
• The Mississippi-series, part 13: Down in the Groove
• The Mississippi-series, part 14 Unca Donald
• The Mississippi-series, part 15: Gaze into the abyss

This is part 16 – the final article in the series.

by Jochen Markhorst

Like earlier “Desolation Row” and “Where Are You Tonight?”, “Mississippi” can’t really be dealt with in one article. Too grand, too majestic, too monumental. And, of course, such an extraordinary masterpiece deserves more than one paltry article. As the master says (not about “Mississippi”, but about bluegrass, in the New York Times interview of June 2020): Its’s mysterious and deep rooted and you almost have to be born playing it. […] It’s harmonic and meditative, but it’s out for blood.

XVI      Between Point Dume and Oxnard

It’s a long, laborious delivery, the final version of “Mississippi”, the wonderful version on “Love & Theft”. First recording attempts date from September ’96 (Oxnard, California). In January ’97 Dylan is in Miami with Lanois for the recording of Time Out Of Mind, with the well-known falling-out and subsequent discard of the song. And finally, the song is put to tape to the satisfaction of the master in May 2001.

We owe that final recording to, as Dylan reveals during the press conference July 2001 in Rome, the fortunate circumstance that those earlier recordings have not been leaked in the meantime, have not been distributed by bootleggers. Whenever that happens, the song is contaminated for me, and Dylan won’t look back:

“But, thank God, it never got out, so we recorded it again. But something like that would never have happened 10 years ago. You’d have probably all heard the trashy version of it and I’d have never re-recorded it.”  

Still, the “trashy version” may well serve to extract a few extra pennies from the fans’ pockets seven years after that press conference; on The Bootleg Series Vol 8: Tell Tale Signs (2008) are three of those rejected versions from ’96 and ’97. All of them beautiful versions, certainly worth the money, and yet another demonstration of Dylan’s incomprehensible take on his own songs. Dylan does have an opinion about that stubborn image too, in this same press meeting:

“I’ve been asked: ‘So how come you’re such a bad judge of your material?’ I’ve been criticized for not putting my best songs on certain albums, but it is because I consider that the song isn’t ready yet. It’s not been recorded right.”

Art history teaches us that this is not a very strong argument. Nabokov seems to have been on his way to the incinerator with Lolita‘s manuscript (but was stopped by his wife). Claude Monet himself destroyed fifteen of his water lily paintings. Michelangelo had worked his brilliant Pietà for eight years and suddenly did not like it anymore; one leg of Christ had already been smashed to smithereens before a church official could intervene (the one-legged Deposition can still be admired in the Museo dell’Opera del Duomo in Florence). Kafka was extremely reluctant to publish throughout his life, and at the unrelenting insistence of admiring friends only released a fraction. On his deathbed in the sanatorium, he begged his friend Max Brod to burn everything in his study at home – being most of Kafka’s oeuvre, including masterpieces such as Der Prozeß and dozens of stories (Brod ignored the dying man’s wish and published everything).

How it is possible that the artists are such bad critics of their own work, the question that Dylan tries to undo in that press conference, is not answered. Neither by Dylan, who in fact only repeats the question as he “answers” that the works are “not ready yet” or “not recorded right”. A more persistent journalist would have asked; what does “Farewell Angelina” still miss, what exactly is wrong with the recording of “Blind Willie McTell”?

Though presumably the more persistent journalist had not received a satisfactory answer to this either. Not surprisingly, of course – it really is an impossible question, similar to “why do you like this song?” In Dylan’s case, the dissatisfaction must have to do with the sound, the often elusive “colour” of a recording, a quality Dylan appreciates above all else, the quality he values higher than “the right words” or the beauty of a melody.

The story of engineer Mark Howard, both at Time Out Of Mind and “Love And Theft” the studio technician on duty, does illustrate this point quite well:

“Dylan was living in Point Dume, and he’d drive up every day, and he’d tune into this radio station that he could only get between Point Dume and Oxnard. It would just pop up at one point, and it was all these old blues recordings, Little Walter, guys like that. And he’d ask us, “Why do those records sound so great? Why can’t anybody have a record sound like that anymore? Can I have that?” And so, I say, “Yeah, you can get those sound still.” “Well,” he says, “that’s the sound I’m thinking of for this record.”

But apparently, in 1989, in California, he couldn’t get hold of that particular sound for “Mississippi” after all.

According to legend, we owe the final recording and release of “Mississippi” to a tenacious Max Brod 2.0: manager Jeff Rosen is a passionate fan of the song and is believed to have reminded Dylan after the recordings for “Love And Theft”. Which can in any case be deduced from the interview with drummer David Kemper, in the same beautiful Tell Tale Signs Special in Uncut, 2008:

“I know of two versions of “Mississippi”. We thought we were done with Love And Theft, and then a friend of Bob’s passed him a note, and he said, oh, yeah, I forgot about this: “Mississippi”. And then he made a comment, did you guys ever bring the version we did down at the Lanois sessions. And they said, yeah, we have it right here. And he said let’s listen to it. So they put it up on the big speakers, and I said, damn – release it!”

Kemper is a fan, that much is clear. And is touched by the beauty of the song, the richness of the melodies and the grandeur of the lyrics – but, just like any other fan, is not receptive to what Dylan lacks; the “colour” or the sound.

Still, the melodic richness definitely is a distinguishing quality of the song. In general Dylan doesn’t attach much importance to this – likewise on this album, most songs have only two or three chords, Dylan opting for simple blues schemes with a cast-iron lick and few adventurous variations. No problem, of course; after all, in der Beschränkung zeigt sich der Meister, as Goethe teaches, “It is in working within limits that the master reveals himself” and that Dylan can produce masterpieces within these limits he has already demonstrated dozens of times (“All Along The Watchtower”, “Knockin’ On heaven’s Door”, “Desolation Row”).

But every now and then a song pushes him to musically more challenging regions. “She’s Your Lover Now” stumbles over his own melodic richness, “New Morning” is such a multi-coloured example and so is this “Mississippi”.

The tireless Dylanwatcher and researcher Eyolf Østrem from Scandinavia, administrator of the beautiful blog Things Twice and compiler of the legendary “Neanderthal site” (his words) dylanchords, points to a second peculiarity: “Mississippi” is one of the very few Dylan songs with an ascending bass line:

G                      /a         /b                             /c
Got nothing for you, I had nothing before
/d                           /e                            F                 G
Don’t even have anything for myself anymore
G                   /a    /b                            /c
Sky full of fire, pain pouring down
/d                             /e                  F                    G
Nothing you can sell me, I’ll see you around.

… indeed, an ascending line that neatly climbs the whole scale alphabetically. “Like A Rolling Stone” does that too, but there aren’t many other examples in Dylan’s oeuvre. And there aren’t too many outside of Dylan’s oeuvre either. The chorus of The Eagles’ first hit, “Take It Easy” (1972, written by Jackson Brown and Glenn Frey) has partly the same scheme (under “Don’t let the sound of your own wheels drive you crazy”), but that’s about it.

Like “Blind Willie McTell” and “Make You Feel My Love”, the cover is released before the original. After Dylan rejected the song for Time Out Of Mind, he donated it to Sheryl Crow, who records it for her album The Globe Sessions (1998). That version may have inspired Dylan to give it another shot himself; Crows “Mississippi” is okay but lacks shine, with a rather joyless and awkward Whoo! finishing it off.

The Dixie Chicks fare a lot better, with a dazzling and sparkling interpretation on the live album Top Of The World Tour (2003). Same approach as Crow, but with real pleasure, passion and thrust (bursting from every single live performance). A small lyrical adjustment does reveal that all the ladies are a bit less tough than the image they are trying to maintain, though:

I was thinkin’ ’bout the things that you said
I was dreaming I was sleepin’ in your bed

…apparently a possible homoerotic suspicion is a little too scary for both Sheryl Crow and The Chicks’ powerhouse Natalie Maines, so they’d rather turn the sung Rosie into a gender-neutral you. Musically, The Chicks more than compensate for the slip. The organ part from The Who’s “Won’t Get Fooled Again” in the split to splinters-couplet, for instance, is a golden find.

In June 2020 The Dixie Chicks will also change their own name, for politically correct reasons, to The Chicks, to meet this moment, as the official statement says. In 2003 Maines had declared from the podium that she was ashamed of President Bush and the Iraq war, which led to a long, hefty hate campaign including death threats. Since then, The Chicks have been more sensitive to the right thing to do. Fortunately, “Mississippi” isn’t “wrong” yet; in 2020 the song is still on the setlist.

Remarkably, the best version so far comes from Scotland. Veteran Rab Noakes plays live a sober, compelling version in which he manages to bring together both the folky Dylan from 1961 and the elderly troubadour from 2001. Just an acoustic Gibson and Noakes’ relaxed, light-hearted, little hoarse rendition… proving you can come back all the way, after all.

Jochen is a regular reviewer of Dylan’s work on Untold.  His books are available via Amazon both in paperback and on Kindle:

• Blood on the Tracks: Dylan’s Masterpiece in Blue
• Blonde On Blonde: Bob Dylan’s mercurial masterpiece
• Where Are You Tonight? Bob Dylan’s hushed-up classic from 1978
• Desolation Row: Bob Dylan’s poetic letter from 1965
• Basement Tapes: Bob Dylan’s Summer of 1967

Untold Dylan: who we are what we do

Untold Dylan is written by people who want to write for Untold Dylan.  It is simply a forum for those interested in the work of the most famous, influential and recognised popular musician and poet of our era, to read about, listen to and express their thoughts on, his lyrics and music.

We welcome articles, contributions and ideas from all our readers.  Sadly no one gets paid, but if you are published here, your work will be read by a fairly large number of people across the world, ranging from fans to academics.  If you have an idea, or a finished piece send it as a Word file to Tony@schools.co.uk with a note saying that it is for publication on Untold Dylan.

We also have a very lively discussion group “Untold Dylan” on Facebook with around 7000 active members. Just type the phrase “Untold Dylan” in, on your Facebook page or follow this link 

You’ll find some notes about our latest posts arranged by themes and subjects on the home page of this site.  You can also see details of our main sections on this site at the top of this page under the picture.  Not every index is complete but I do my best.   Tony Attwood

By Tony Attwood

Everyone who knows Richard Thompson’s incredible contribution to popular music knows the 1952 Vincent Black Lightning.  The song was included in Time magazine’s “All Time 100 Songs” list of the best English-language musical compositions released between 1923 and 2011 – and indeed in 2011 Richard Thompson was given an OBE.  This song comes from the Rumour and Sigh album.

You might also know the work of Richard Thompson through Fairport Convention and through Richard and Linda Thompson.

Bob played the song just once (hence an inclusion here) on July 14 2013 in Clarkston MI

Of course one of the great problems with featuring once only performances is that the song and the performance may be wonderful, but sometimes bits of the recording are not so good, but I beg you to stay with this and ignore the voice that occasionally pops up.  It is so worth it.

Says Red Molly to James "That's a fine motorbike
A girl could feel special on any such like"
Says James to Red Molly "My hat's off to you
It's a Vincent Black Lightning, 1952
And I've seen you at the corners and cafés it seems
Red hair and black leather, my favourite colour scheme"
And he pulled her on behind
And down to Box Hill they did ride

Says James to Red Molly, "Here's a ring for your right hand
But I'll tell you in earnest I'm a dangerous man
I've fought with the law since I was seventeen
I robbed many a man to get my Vincent machine
Now I'm twenty-one years, I might make twenty-two
And I don't mind dying, but for the love of you
And if fate should break my stride
Then I give you my Vincent to ride"

"Come down, come down, Red Molly," called Sergeant McRae
"For they've taken young James Adie for armed robbery
Shotgun blast hit his chest, left nothing inside
Oh, come down, Red Molly to his dying bedside"
When she came to the hospital, there wasn't much left
He was running out of road, he was running out of breath
But he smiled to see her cry
And said "I give you my Vincent to ride"

Says James, "In my opinion, there's nothing in this world
Beats a '52 Vincent and a red-headed girl
Now Nortons and Indians and Greeveses won't do
They don't have a soul like a Vincent '52"
He reached for her hand and he slipped her the keys
He said "I've got no further use for these
I see angels on Ariels in leather and chrome
Swooping down from heaven to carry me home"
And he gave her one last kiss and died
And he gave her his Vincent to ride

18 June 1999 with Paul Simon, Concord CA

https://youtu.be/L_SqGodx7vw

I love the way the guys got together and played making it sound as if they had not rehearsed when they apparently had.   You only get one minute 32 seconds of this, but still it is great fun.

Blue Moon of Kentucky was written in 1945 by Bill Monroe and recorded by his band, the Blue Grass Boys and is described as one of the greatest country songs of all time.  And as the composer says in the intro below, Elvis recorded it too.

And one more, Weeping Willow

A different Bob again!  November 17 1993, at the Supper Club New York.  He followed this rendition with “Delia’s Gone” and “Jim Jones at Botany Bay”.

This is a Blind Boy Fuller song,

Man, that weeping willow, moaning like a dove
Weeping willow moaning like a dove
Man, there's a gal up the country I sure do love

If you see my baby tell her to hurry home
You see my baby, tell her hurry home
I ain't had no lovin' since my little girl been gone

Where it ain't no love, ain't no gettin' along,
ain't no love, mama, ain't no love and gettin' along.
My baby treats me so mean and dirty, can't tell right from wrong

Gonna buy me a bulldog, watch you while you sleep
Buy me a bulldog, watch you while you sleep
I have to stop them men from makin' early mornin' creep.

You gonna want my love, mama, some old lonesome day,
You gonna want my love, mama, some old lonesome day,
But it'll be too late, I'll be gone too far away.

Oh, that weeping willow, mourning like a dove
Weeping willow mourning like a dove
Well, there's a gal in the country man I sure do love.

It’s a song that has guitarists tearing their hair out because of the unusual chordal accompaniment.  Here’s the original – it really is a fantastic tune with a gorgeous guitar part.  What I can’t understand is why, having worked on this song Bob would only play it once; it is a super song, and his arrangement is exquisite.  I will never understand this guy no matter how much I listen.

For what it is worth, I think it is really worth listening to Bob’s version again after hearing the original; it gives a greater insight into the song and the process Bob and the band had gone through to get to their version.

This is the second piece in the new “Once only file” series.  If you are enjoying it one tenth as much as I am, scurrying around listening to the once only played songs and tracing the originals, then you are having a good time.  If not, well, I’m still having fun.

And just in case you would like a little more

And down to Box Hill they did ride….

Dylan’s “Once Only” File: 10,000 men and 20/20 Vision

Untold Dylan: who we are what we do

Untold Dylan is written by people who want to write for Untold Dylan.  It is simply a forum for those interested in the work of the most famous, influential and recognised popular musician and poet of our era, to read about, listen to and express their thoughts on, his lyrics and music.

We welcome articles, contributions and ideas from all our readers.  Sadly no one gets paid, but if you are published here, your work will be read by a fairly large number of people across the world, ranging from fans to academics.  If you have an idea, or a finished piece send it as a Word file to Tony@schools.co.uk with a note saying that it is for publication on Untold Dylan.

We also have a very lively discussion group “Untold Dylan” on Facebook with around 7000 active members. Just type the phrase “Untold Dylan” in, on your Facebook page or follow this link 

You’ll find some notes about our latest posts arranged by themes and subjects on the home page of this site.  You can also see details of our main sections on this site at the top of this page under the picture.  Not every index is complete but I do my best.   Tony Attwood