Anyone who knows me, kind of knows me, or was in a room with me at least one time for a minimum of 15 minutes, has heard me utter the following phrase. "There has never been and never will be a songwriter like Bob Dylan." Talking about Bob has become like talking about The Beatles, basically anything you say is a cliche at this point. So I'll get right to it.
The greatest artist of his or maybe any generation wrote lyrics that put you there, whether it was in his head, his dream, his bed or his crosshairs. He could go from sweet to sarcastic in the blink of an eye, sometimes leaving the listener in doubt about just what the hell he was talking about and why he was so upset about it. He went from Champion of the People, to Champion of Himself, to outcast, to martyr. Through heartbreak and turmoil to sex and drugs and what could possibly described as rock n' roll, Bob touched every base there was and when he was done, invented a few more just so he could cover those.
One of my favorite musicians of all time, picking just 5 lyrics will be a hefty task, and just like the man says, "It depends on how I'm feeling". Without further ado, my personal favorite Dylan verses.
1. "
Suddenly I turned around and she was standing there / With silver bracelets on her wrists and flowers in her hair / She walked up to me so gracefully, and took my crown of thorns /
"Come in" she said "I'll give you shelter from the storm"
"Shelter From the Storm" - Blood on the Tracks
I think this might have been the first lyric I ever heard of Bobs' that really got to me. This track, off of my personal favorite Dylan record, is a perfect example of the genius duality that he can weave in his lyrics. At first glance, the song is a sweet ballad of a woman who lifts the weary veil of the narrators life. She comforts him when he comes to her, and vindicates him when he needs it. But take a closer look at the song and you realize an underlying bitterness that slinks through the verses, of a man who feels like he bit off more than he could chew, and realizes far to late that his salvation does not lie with this woman, or perhaps any woman for that matter. This other side of the song can really be seen when you examine his electric performances from his shows in the '80's, he spits the lyrics like venom, and the scorn that flows from every refrain is palpable. But, taken in context, It's hard to deny the sweetness of the song. After all, all a weary and worn-down man could want in life is a woman to tell him It's all alright, and help ease his burden, no matter how briefly.
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2.
"Yes, to dance beneath the diamond sky with one hand waving free / Silhouetted by the sea, circled by the circus sands / With all memory and fate, driven deep beneath the waves /
Let me forget about today, until tomorrow"
"Mr. Tambourine Man" - Bringing It All Back Home
Bob had cast off the shackles of his role as Folk Champion of the People with his last album, and, with this album, boldly thrust his standard in the sand decrying that he was going to do just what he wanted to do and nothing more. The definitive middle album of his career, the apex between folk and electric, Bringing It All Back Home features the borderline rap shuffle of "Subterranean Homesick Blues" as it's opener, almost as a big middle finger to all those who jeered him and hurled calls of "Traitor" and "Judas" at him through cracked car windows. But, writing beautiful acoustic guitar songs is in the mans' blood, and on the second half of the album, he stuck one of the most memorable songs ever written . David Crosby said that when he heard this verse in particular, that he was blown away, and more than a little envious. The stream of consciousness in this track is a roller-coaster, letting us follow the footsteps of the man following in the footsteps of a character that truly has no limits, opening doors to inner peace, whimsy and an adventure that most people aren't capable of letting themselves embark on anymore. A perfect mix of casual listening and deeper, thought provoking brain food, this song has stood the test of time and remains an all time classic.
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A two way tie 'cause I have no spine! Because the great thing about Bob is that he has a song for every occasion, I will echo that greatness by including two separate lyrics that have two distinct feels to them.
Whether you're lonely or pissed off, Dylan has got the cure for what ails yeh'!
3a.
"For them that must obey authority, that they do not respect in any degree / Who despise their jobs, their destinies / Speak jealously of them that are free /
Do what they do just to be, nothing more than something they invest in"
"It's Alright Ma', I'm Only Bleeding" - Bringing It All Back Home
A
SCATHING takedown of the those who sit on the sidelines, complaining about facets of life they deem "out of their control". Bob attempts to rally these folk by reminding them that they can enjoy life to the fullest if they would only stop their bitching and take the reigns. The final lyric obviously a lament for the people who simply see life as a series of escalating, arbitrary goals, rather than an adventure to be lived on a daily basis. This 7 minute track takes all challengers, and comes out swinging, with a precision that only someone like Dylan could muster.
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3b.
"I got a letter on a lonesome day, it was from her ship a-sailing / Saying "I don't know when I'll be coming back again, It depends on how I'm feeling"
Well, if you my love, must think that way / I'm sure your mind is roamin' / I'm sure your thoughts are not with me, but with the country where you're goin'"
"Boots of Spanish Leather" - The Times They Are A-Changin'
A crestfallen Bob lets this lyric slip with a babies whisper, you can practically hear the pieces of his livelihood shaking around in his chest. This song (and a good many more) was inspired by Suze Rotolo, who set off to study abroad in Italy, and, almost ceremoniously, being the first woman to break Bob Dylan's heart. As the song progresses, the verses from Bob get more and more desperate and forlorn, you can actually feel the relationship slipping away in the words, just like the ship carrying her away from him. We can all relate to that moment of clarity that he has in the verse, that moment when you realize you have to come to grips with reality, and move forward. We all owe Suze a great debt, who knows if the song would have ever been written had she not left him? A sincere thank you, Ms. Rotolo, from me and thousands and thousands of heartbroken men and women everywhere.
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4.
"So long honey, baby, where I'm bound, I can't tell / Goodbye's too good a word, babe, so I'll just say fare thee well / I ain't saying you treated me unkind / You could have done better, but I don't mind / You just kind of wasted my precious time. But don't think twice, It's all right"
"Don't Think Twice, It's All Right" - The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan
I could live a thousand lifetimes and never get over how much this lyric means to me. Let me compose myself for a moment. Ok.
One of the great things about Bob is that he never loses his cool, never. We look to his lyrics for guidance and strength to get us through, and he happily obliges. I could write a novella on this song, given the chance, so I'll try to keep it brief. Dylan gives a weary, hands in the air, "I surrender" in the closing verse of this masterpiece. Yielding to the admittance that, no he doesn't know where he's going, but he knows that he's getting as far away from you as he can. Throughout the song, he is tender, giving credit where it's due but also admitting that the relationship was doomed all along, and that he just couldn't see it. The reason these are my favorite verses, and I think the genius of the song, lies in the last words.
Everyone knows that when you're giving that final farewell to the person who broke your heart, that you must be brave and firm, but also kind. Because that's what adults do. What Bob allows the listener to enjoy is just a HINT of scorn, that droplet of venom we all want to work in there as a final "fuck you" to them. He lets us indulge in that moment, however immature, in the last verse, and sets off down the road. On to the next one, eh Bobby?
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5.
"Come mothers and fathers, throughout the land / And don't criticize what you can't understand / Your sons and your daughters are beyond your command, your old road is rapidly agin' / Please get out of the new one, if you can't lend your hand /
For the times they are a-changin'"
"The Times They Are A-Changin'" - The Times They Are A-Changin'
What could possibly be said. One of the greatest songs ever written, It is both timeless and always relevant. This song could be sung by marchers in a marriage equality parade, protesters on the steps of congress, or by rebels overthrowing an oppressive regime. The anthem of change and progression, given to us as an unwavering standard of what the human race can work towards, if we could just bury our prejudices and our close-mindedness. A constant reminder that the wheel is always in spin, and that nothing stays the same forever.
Again, singing the praises of Bob Dylan is basically a cliche at this point. The man has given the world some of it's most important art, and with it, brought joy and cathartic release to millions. This song, I believe, is truly the song of the people. It stopped belonging to Bob the moment he played it next to Martin Luther King in Washington. Hopefully, we can take it forward for decades to come, and remember that we have to keep swimming, and the first ones now, will later be last. For the times they are a-changing. Thank yeh' Bob.
-Jack
