All Along the Watchtower

High Water April 2009

2009-05-03T01:55:00.001-04:00

High Water from Six Days Ago

2008-06-22T23:17:00.000-04:00

From the June 6, 2008 Bergamo concert.

Awesome 2001 Performance of Like a Rolling Stone

2008-06-22T22:57:00.002-04:00

In Liverpool England, July 12, 2001. Simply stunning.

Must have been the hand of the Lord

2008-06-19T23:45:00.001-04:00

Fr. Robert Barron on Bob Dylan

2008-06-08T13:09:00.001-04:00

More here.

Happy Birthday, Bob Dylan!

2008-05-24T12:16:00.001-04:00

Drop by the BabyBlueCafe today. We're celebrating!

Outstanding! Highway 61 Revisited circa 2008

2008-03-16T19:51:00.002-04:00

Hard Rain

2007-12-29T11:58:00.001-05:00

Energetic Ballad of a Thin Man

2007-12-29T11:52:00.000-05:00

Dead Man

2007-12-29T11:47:00.001-05:00

Dedicated to rankflv

2007-11-13T21:31:00.000-05:00

Thank you rankflv where ever you are and for sharing with the world your amazing collection of Dylan performances. Thank you.

Someday Baby

2007-11-07T21:40:00.000-05:00

Dylan in the madhouse

2007-10-29T23:34:00.000-04:00

Interesting documentary on the lost BBC film, Madhouse on Castle Street, that starred - among others - a twenty-one year old Bob Dylan in his first film. It also was the first known public performance of his classic "Blowin' in the Wind." But the film was lost in 1968 - either by a collector or was destroyed by the BBC. The documentary is about trying to find a surviving copy of the film. What is also interesting is the cultural commentary on Britain in late December 1962. When Dylan made the film, I was nine months old. Here's an article on the film and includes some comments on this documentary which has never been officially shown in the U.S.

2007-09-30T21:47:00.001-04:00

On the Road in London

2007-09-03T11:05:00.001-04:00

Caught this poetic little film of the bus ride to London for a Bob Dylan concert. The editing is really good. It could have been filmed using a cell phone, but shows someone with vision can make even the most ordinary tasks extraordinary.

2007-08-31T18:01:00.001-04:00

THE BRUCE HEIMAN INTERVIEW, TUSCON, DECEMBER 7, 1979

2007-08-06T21:56:00.000-04:00

Heiman: OK, my name is Bruce Heiman. I'm with KMEX radio here in Tuscon. We got a press release from the Tuscon chapter of the American Atheists and they said in response to your recent embrace of the born-again Christian movement they plan to leaflet your upcoming concert. They say they recognize the need to inform those in the audience that the new Dylan cause-celebre is a repressive and and reactionary ideology and that members intend to draw attention to the contradictions between the previous content of your art form and the message which your songs now expound.

Dylan: Uh-huh. I still don't quite grasp what you're saying or who's saying it or ...

Heiman: OK. It's the American Atheists in Tuscon.

Dylan: Is this a group?

Heiman: Yeah. Actually the American Atheists is a worldwide group headed by Madelaine Mary O'Hare, and they have a chapter here in Tuscon, and I think basically what they are talking about is your stand in the past and the type of music you played and the message you tried to get across and the music you're playing today and the different message you're trying to get across.

Dylan: Yeah, well, whatever the old message was, The Bible says "All things become new, old things are passed away". I guess this group doesn't believe that. What is it exactly that they're protesting?

Heiman: I think what they're against ... there's another statement, that they make. It says ...

Dylan: Are they against the doctrine of Jesus Christ, or that he died on the cross or that man is born into sin? Just what exactly is it they're protesting?

Heiman: Well the Atheists are against any sort of religion, be it Christianity ....

Dylan: Well, Christ is no religion. We're not talking about religion ... Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth and the Life.

Heiman: There's another statement they made that maybe you could shed some light on. They said they would like to remind Dylan fans and audiences that one's right to say something does not per se lend any validity to the statement. So in essence what they're saying is that you have followers who are going to be at the concert and are going to listen to the message of your music.

Dylan: Right. I follow God, so if my followers are following me, indirectly they're gonna be following God too, because I don't sing any song which hasn't been given to me by the Lord to sing.

Heiman: OK. They believe that all religion is repressive.

Dylan: Well, religion is repressive to a certain degree. Religion is another form of bondage which man invents to to get himself to God. But that's why Christ came. Christ didn't preach religion. He preached the Truth, the Way and the Life. He said He'd come to give life and life more abundantly. He talked about life, not necessarily religion ...

Heiman: They say that your song now expound passive acceptance of one's fate. Do you agree with that? I'm not exactly sure what they mean by that.

Dylan: I'm not exactly sure what they mean by that either. But I don't feel that that's true. But I'm not sure what that means - "passive acceptance to man's fate" What is man's fate?

Heiman: I don't know. These aren't my ideologies. They are just a group of Atheists.

Dylan: Well, this ideology isn't my ideology either. My ideology now would be coming out of the Scripture. You see, I didn't invent these things - these things have just been shown to me. I'll stand on that faith - that they are true. I believe they're true. I *know* they're true.

Heiman: Do you feel that the message of your music has changed over the years from music which talked about war to music that talks about Christianity?

Dylan: No. There's gonna be war. There's always war and rumors of war. And The Bible talks about a war coming up which will be a war to end all wars ...

tape breaks

... The spirit of the atheist will not prevail, I can tell you that much, It's a deceiving spirit.

Heiman: Why do you maintain that it will not prevail?

Dylan: Is it anti-God? Is an atheist anti-God?

Heiman: Yes, I'm trying to think ... I interviewed Madelaine Mary O'Hare a couple of weeks ago and she said it's anti-religion, anti-God. I think that she was saying that anybody who believes in a Supreme Being is - to use her word - stupid. So they are against anything to do with religion.

Dylan: Uh-huh.

Heiman: Sometimes it's hard for me to grasp what they're saying.

Dylan: Well, a religion which says you have to do certain things to get to God - they're probably talking about that kind of religion, which is a religion which is by works: you can enter into Kingdom by what you do, what you wear, what you say, how many times a day you pray, how many good deeds you may do. If that's what they mean by religion, that type of religion will not get you into the Kingdom, that's true. However there is a Master Creator, a Supreme Being in the Universe.

Heiman: Alright. In another one of their statements they say that: "For years Dylan cried out against the Masters Of War and the power elite. The new Dylan now proclaims that we must serve a new master, a master whose nebulous origins were ignorance, foolishness, stupidity and blind faith. The Dylan who inspired us to look beyond banal textbooks and accepted ideologies now implores us to turn inwards to the pages of The Holy Bible, a book filled with contradictions, inaccuracies, outrages and absurdities". Now this is what they're saying.

Dylan: Well, The Bible says: "The Fool has said in his heart, There's no God ... "

Heiman: OK. They're saying the movement is a fraud and evasive ...

Dylan: Well, I don't know what movement. What movement are they talking about. The American Atheists?

Heiman: No, the Jesus Movement.

Dylan: Well, it isn't a fraud. There's nothing fraudulent about it. It's all true. It's always been true. It is true and will be true.

Heiman: They're calling upon your admirers, the people who support you, who will attend your concert, to go on and appreciate your art form but to avoid the psychological and social pitfalls - this is their words - or being victimized by your new-found religious fantasy.

Dylan: Well, they can't do that. You can't separate the words from the music. I know people try to do that. But they can't do that. It's like separating the foot from the knee.

Heiman: You're saying it's all one.

Dylan: It is all one.

Heiman: OK, Bob, I appreciate your time, I really do.

As you wish ...

2007-06-03T20:38:00.001-04:00

Technorati Profile

Happy 66th Birthday, Bob Dylan!

2007-05-24T11:27:00.000-04:00

66 REASONS TO LOVE BOB DYLAN

1. The words! The words! Those “spinning reels of rhyme.”
2. That attitude.
3. That frizzy halo of hair.
4. Those black shades.
5. The music. Always short-shrifted in favor of the lyrics, Dylan’s music is much more inventive and melodious than he’s ever been given proper credit for.
6. The crack of the snare drum heard ‘round the world: Like A Rolling Stone.
7. Going electric.
8. The humor. Dylan’s sly.
9. The Basement Tapes.
10. The Jesus period, because it gave us Slow Train, one of his best songs, and albums.
11. “In the dime stores and bus stations/People talk of situations/Read books, repeat quotations/Draw conclusions on the wall/Some speak of the future/My love she speaks softly/She knows there's no success like failure/And that failure's no success at all.” (Love Minus Zero/No Limit)
11. Chronicles, Vol. 1.
12. The concerts. It is there, not on the albums, where you get the most undiluted shot of Dylan — thorny, unpredictable, blindingly brilliant.
13. The Rolling Thunder tour.
14. His harmonica playing.
15. “Oh God said to Abraham, "Kill me a son"/Abe says, "Man, you must be puttin' me on"/God say, "No." Abe say, "What?"/God say, "You can do what you want Abe, but/The next time you see me comin' you better run"/Well Abe says, "Where do you want this killin' done?"/God says, "Out on Highway 61." (Highway 61 Revisited.)
16. Dylan the movie star. Sure, he’s awful, but would you really not want him to be in Pat Garrett and Billy The Kid reading those labels: “Beans...succotash...beans...”? Or Slim Pickens dying to the strains of Knocking On Heaven’s Door?
17. Bob and Joanie.
18. Bob and Sara, “radiant jewel/mystical wife.”
19. Blowin’ In The Wind.
20. Beating up Weberman.
21. The great Jim Marshall photo of him rolling a tire down a Greenwich Village street.
22. “Ah get born, keep warm/Short pants, romance, learn to dance/Get dressed, get blessed/Try to be a success/Please her, please him, buy gifts/Don't steal, don't lift/Twenty years of schoolin’ and they put you on the day shift.” (Subterranean Homesick Blues.)
23. Don’t Look Back.
24. The Traveling Wilburys and Bob’s great Springsteen-esque goof, Tweeter and the Monkey Man.
25. Hurricane.
26. Lay, Lady Lay.
27. I Threw It All Away.
28. “Let me ask you one question/Is your money that good/Will it buy you forgiveness/Do you think that it could/I think you will find/When your death takes its toll/All the money you made/Will never buy back your soul” (Masters of War)
29. Blood on the Tracks.
30. The interviews: combative, restless, insightful, the second best way to get a glimpse of Dylan’s unique way of thinking.
31. Springsteen’s line on Dylan at the Hall of Fame: “If Elvis freed your body, Bob freed your mind.”
32. That reedy voice. Love it or hate it, a Dylan song needs that Dylan voice.
33. Things Have Changed, which made him "Oscar winner Bob Dylan."
34. "Have you heard the news?" he said with a grin/"The Vice President's gone mad"/"Where?"/"Downtown."/When?”/"Last night"/"Hmm, say, that's too bad" (Clothes Line Saga)
35. Blind Willie McTell.
36. Every Grain of Sand.
37. Queen Jane Approximately.
38. “And your long-time curse hurts/But what's worse is this pain in here/I can't stay in here/Ain't it clear that…I just can't fit/Yes, I believe it's time for us to quit/When we meet again/Introduced as friends/Please don't let on that you knew me when/I was hungry and it was your world.” (Just Like A Woman)
39. Dylan’s mystery life: How many times has he been married? How many children does he really have?
40. Dylan wearing the false beard at Newport. Why?
41. Dylan appearing on Dharma and Greg. Why?
42. Dylan performing for The Pope. Why?
43. Dylan's radio show!
44. Without Dylan, would the Byrds have ever had a career? Or Peter, Paul and Mary?
45. The famous concert in England: “Judas!” Dylan’s response: “I don’t believe you…you’re a liar.”
46. Dylan at The Last Waltz.
47. Scorsese’s No Direction Home.
48. “Don’t follow leaders. Watch your parking meters. (SHB)
49. “You don’t need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows. (SHB)
50. Maggie’s Farm.
51. John Wesley Harding.
52. “Money doesn’t talk, it swears.” (It’s Alright Ma)
53. All Along The Watchtower.
54. “If my thought-dreams could be seen/They'd probably put my head in a guillotine.” (It’s Alright Ma)
55. If Not For You.
56. Elliot Landy’s photo of Bob on the cover of Nashville Skyline.
57. The living room cover of Bringing It All Back Home.
58. “Lights flicker from the opposite loft/In this room the heat pipes just cough/The country music station plays soft/But there's nothing, really nothing to turn off/Just Louise and her lover so entwined/And these visions of Johanna that conquer my mind.” (Visions of Johanna).
59. “Early one mornin' the sun was shinin'/I was layin' in bed/Wond'rin' if she'd changed at all/If her hair was still red.” (Tangled Up In Blue).
60. Don’t Think Twice It’s Alright.
61. Dylan’s heart scare: “I thought I was gonna meet Elvis.”
62. Without Dylan, we wouldn’t have had the movies How High and American Pie: The Wedding, directed by Bob’s son, Jesse.
63. Boots of Spanish Leather.
64. Stuck Inside of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again.
65. “You better start swimming or sink like a stone, cause the times they are a-changing.” (The Times They Are-A-Changin')
66. “Ah, I was so much older then, I’m younger than that now.” (My Back Pages)

Two Versions: To Make You Feel My Love

2007-05-24T11:10:00.000-04:00

1999, Duluth, Minnesota

2000, Rochester, NY

Couldn't make up my mind which one to post, so did both. I like the video perspective of the Duluth 1999 version, but I like the performance better in the Rochester 2000 version. Anyway, you can see why people collect his performances. They just are never the same way twice. Great song - off Time Out of Mind. Here are the lyrics:

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

When the evening shadows and the stars appear
And there is no one there to dry your tears
I could hold you for a million years
To make you feel my love

I know you haven't made your mind up yet
But I would never do you wrong
I've known it from the moment that we met
No doubt in my mind where you belong

I'd go hungry, I'd go black and blue
I'd go crawling down the avenue
There's nothing that I wouldn't do
To make you feel my love

The storms are raging on the rollin' sea
And on the highway of regret
The winds of change are blowing wild and free
You ain't seen nothing like me yet

I could make you happy, make your dreams come true
Nothing that I wouldn't do
Go to the ends of the earth for you
To make you feel my love

B. Dylan 1997

Things could always be worse

2007-03-14T22:03:00.000-04:00

I've come to think that the perspective changes in this song and the "you" is Bob himself. It would make sense since his rage was greatest at himself. He rage could extend to anyone who would love such a person - who is worse - the idiot or the idiot who loves the idiot? He finds no redemption - this is Dylan's "Howl." While it is wretching, it is a masterful performance. This Dylan is gone now.

Theme Song for the BabyBlueCafe

2007-03-12T12:08:00.000-04:00

When it's one of those days ...

2007-03-12T12:07:00.000-04:00

A Man of Peace

2007-02-18T14:33:00.000-05:00

A Change Gonna Come

2007-01-15T12:27:00.000-05:00

Series of Dreams Video - Without Special Effects

2007-01-15T11:36:00.000-05:00

George Harrison and Bob Dylan 1970 - rehearsal of song not used in Bangladesh Concert

2007-01-12T17:45:00.000-05:00

Knocking on Heaven's Door (1999) with Paul Simon

2007-01-07T23:54:00.000-05:00

60 Minutes Inteview with Bob Dylan

2006-12-31T21:16:00.000-05:00

Maggie's Farm - From 1976

2006-12-31T20:58:00.000-05:00

"Idiot Wind" from 1976

2006-12-31T20:50:00.000-05:00

Who do you think he's singing about?

Thunder on the Mountain

2006-12-08T21:30:00.000-05:00

Video

What kind of friend is this?

2006-11-24T22:52:00.000-05:00

One wonders if "Pull the Daisy" inspired "Eat the Document"

2006-11-24T22:48:00.000-05:00

1985 Interview: Part I

2006-11-16T22:35:00.000-05:00

1985 Interview: Part II

2006-11-16T22:34:00.001-05:00

1985 Interview: Part III

2006-11-16T22:34:00.000-05:00

1985 Interview: Part IV

2006-11-16T22:33:00.000-05:00

1985 Interview: Part V

2006-11-16T22:32:00.000-05:00

Making a Dream Come True

2006-11-12T21:59:00.000-05:00

Is he cool, or what?

Last Friday's Show: Thunder on the Mountain

2006-10-23T22:20:00.000-04:00

Click on the headline above.

Amazing Video Montage: A Series of Dreams

2006-10-22T23:56:00.000-04:00

A change gonna come

2006-10-16T20:37:00.000-04:00

I was born by the river in a little tent
Oh and just like the river I've been running ever since
It's been a long, a long time coming
But I know a change gonna come, oh yes it will

It's been too hard living but I'm afraid to die
Cause I don't know what's up there beyond the sky
It's been a long, a long time coming
But I know a change gonna come, oh yes it will

I go to the movie and I go downtown somebody keep telling me don't hang around
It's been a long, a long time coming
But I know a change gonna come, oh yes it will

Then I go to my brother
And I say brother help me please
But he winds up knockin' me
Back down on my knees

Ohhhhhhhhh.....

There been times that I thought I couldn't last for long
But now I think I'm able to carry on
It's been a long, a long time coming
But I know a change gonna come, oh yes it will

-S. Cooke

The Episcopal Church may not believe the devil exists, but Dylan does: Dylan's ode to the Devil

2006-08-31T23:17:00.000-04:00

Someday Baby

I don't care what you do, I don't care what you say
I don't care where you go or how long you stay
Someday baby, you ain't gonna worry po' me any more

Well you take my money and you turn it out
You fill me up with nothin' but self doubt
Someday baby, you ain't gonna worry po' me any more

When I was young, driving was my crave
You drive me so hard, almost to the grave
Someday baby, you ain't gonna worry po' me any more

I'm so hard pressed, my mind tied up in knots
I keep recycling the same old thoughts
Someday baby, you ain't gonna worry po' me any more

So many good things in life that I overlooked
I don't know what to do now, you got me so hooked
Someday baby, you ain't gonna worry po' me any more

Well, I don't want to brag, but I'm gonna ring your neck
When all else fails I'll make it a matter of self respect
Someday baby, you ain't gonna worry po' me any more

You can take your clothes put 'em in a sack
You goin' down the road, baby and you can't come back
Someday baby, you ain't gonna worry po' me any more

I tried to be friendly, I tried to be kind
I'm gonna drive you from your home, just like I was driven from mine
Someday baby, you ain't gonna worry po' me any more

Living this way ain't a natural thing to do
Why was I born to love you?
Someday baby, you ain't gonna worry po' me any more

B. Dylan 2006

Dylan Rocks! See Concert Review From BabyBlue

2006-08-20T14:20:00.000-04:00

Click on the headline above for Bob Dylan Concert Review from BabyBlue for August 19, 2006 in Frederick, MD.

LATER: ExpectingRain.com (primo Dylan website) picks up my review here: http://my.execpc.com/~billp61/081906r.html#2

2006-08-05T14:59:00.000-04:00

The 1985 Interview - Part II

2006-07-19T21:09:00.000-04:00

The 1985 Interview - Part I

2006-07-19T21:05:00.000-04:00

The song that started it all

2006-07-19T20:38:00.000-04:00

The Famous Taxi Ride

2006-07-19T20:22:00.000-04:00

Dylan's Kennedy Honor

2006-07-19T20:17:00.000-04:00

A Series of Dreams

2006-07-19T20:06:00.000-04:00

See You Later Allen Ginsberg: When I've been to one too many church meetings

2006-07-09T22:19:00.000-04:00

Click on the headline above for Dylan silliness. Why do I like this bit so much???

From Chaplin to Dylan: New Dylan album coming August 29, 2006 - 70 years after Chaplin's "Modern Times" released in theatres

2006-07-09T22:11:00.000-04:00

Happy Birthday, Bob

2006-05-24T00:15:00.000-04:00

65 years old today. Did you ever think you'd see yourself alive at 65?

Far between sundown's finish an' midnight's broken toll
We ducked inside the doorway, thunder crashing
As majestic bells of bolts struck shadows in the sounds
Seeming to be the chimes of freedom flashing
Flashing for the warriors whose strength is not to fight
Flashing for the refugees on the unarmed road of flight
An' for each an' ev'ry underdog soldier in the night
An' we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing.

In the city's melted furnace, unexpectedly we watched
With faces hidden while the walls were tightening
As the echo of the wedding bells before the blowin' rain
Dissolved into the bells of the lightning
Tolling for the rebel, tolling for the rake
Tolling for the luckless, the abandoned an' forsaked
Tolling for the outcast, burnin' constantly at stake
An' we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing.

Through the mad mystic hammering of the wild ripping hail
The sky cracked its poems in naked wonder
That the clinging of the church bells blew far into the breeze
Leaving only bells of lightning and its thunder
Striking for the gentle, striking for the kind
Striking for the guardians and protectors of the mind
An' the unpawned painter behind beyond his rightful time
An' we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing.

Through the wild cathedral evening the rain unraveled tales
For the disrobed faceless forms of no position
Tolling for the tongues with no place to bring their thoughts
All down in taken-for-granted situations
Tolling for the deaf an' blind, tolling for the mute
Tolling for the mistreated, mateless mother, the mistitled prostitute
For the misdemeanor outlaw, chased an' cheated by pursuit
An' we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing.

Even though a cloud's white curtain in a far-off corner flashed
An' the hypnotic splattered mist was slowly lifting
Electric light still struck like arrows, fired but for the ones
Condemned to drift or else be kept from drifting
Tolling for the searching ones, on their speechless, seeking trail
For the lonesome-hearted lovers with too personal a tale
An' for each unharmful, gentle soul misplaced inside a jail
An' we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing.

Starry-eyed an' laughing as I recall when we were caught
Trapped by no track of hours for they hanged suspended
As we listened one last time an' we watched with one last look
Spellbound an' swallowed 'til the tolling ended
Tolling for the aching ones whose wounds cannot be nursed
For the countless confused, accused, misused, strung-out ones an' worse
An' for every hung-up person in the whole wide universe
An' we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing.

1964

"There must be some way out of here," said the joker to the thief

2006-05-22T19:23:00.000-04:00

Live version of All Along the Watchtower

2006-05-21T12:51:00.000-04:00

Listen: http://theband.hiof.no/sounds/dylan_m_band_2/before_the_flood/18.mp3

Commentary on the legendary song

2006-05-21T09:47:00.000-04:00

All Along The Watchtower

Written by Bob Dylan
Originally released in 1968

Let's start by looking at the lyrics. This song came off of Bob Dylan's John Wesley Harding album, which marked a radical departure from his previous recordings. His older compositions often had many more than the standard three verses of popular songs — “Positively Fourth Street” boasted twelve. His lyrics had often been pointed and sharply critical. His use of language was unusual, and called attention to itself by juxtaposing words and images not usually associated with each other.

In contrast, “All Along The Watchtower” is spare and restrained. The song consists of only three verses, with no chorus. The language is simple. Yet the three verses are packed with meaning and drama. Let's see how it starts.

“There must be some kind of way out of here,”
Said the joker to the thief.

Notice how Dylan starts the song by throwing us into the middle of a conversation, and begins with an urgent statement. We don't know where the “here” is from which the speaker wants to escape, but we know he wants out. The sense of drama is immediate. We find out that the two people speaking are “the joker” and “the thief.” These are archetypal characters that have existed in one form or another for thousands of years. By identifying them in this way, Dylan invokes a sense of timelessness. Because these figures are broad archetypes, there is already a suggestion that this might be a parable of some sort, a story whose essence remains the same over many different times, places and characters. The joker, or jester, can be seen in general to represent the artist: someone whose role is to amuse other members of the established order, but also to provoke them, to suggest alternate ways of looking at reality. And, of course, the joker and the thief are both outsiders of a sort, united in their separation from more ordered segments of society.

“There's too much confusion,
I can't get no relief.
Businessmen, they drink my wine,
Plowmen dig my earth.
None of them along the line
Know what any of it is worth.”

The rest of the verse tells us why the joker wants to escape: there is too much confusion. But what is confused? Others are benefiting from his labors, and working for him to help produce the results. But neither understands the worth of their efforts. So the confusion is about values: what is valuable and what is not.

“No reason to get excited,”
The thief he kindly spoke.
“There are many here among us
Who feel that life is but a joke.
But you and I, we've been through that,
And this is not our fate.
So let us not talk falsely now,
The hour is getting late.”

The second verse begins with the thief speaking “kindly” to the joker. This adverb lets us know that he is sympathetic and that he, perhaps, understands the worth of the joker and his efforts. The thief goes on to say that while there are those who think that life is “but a joke,” the thief and the joker know better, having lived through that. So while others may still be confused, these two are not. Since they understand the value of life, it is important for them to be truthful with one another. Then the last line of the verse brings us back from exposition to a sense of drama and movement, and impending action: “the hour is getting late.”

All along the watchtower,
Princes kept the view,
While all the women came and went —
Barefoot servants too.
Outside in the cold distance,
A wildcat did growl.
Two riders were approaching, and
The wind began to howl.

The beginning of this final verse suddenly shifts the scene, without at first giving us any sense of how this new setting connects to the first one. In contrast to the first two verses, which were full of conversation, this verse unfolds almost cinematically, full of visual imagery. This new scene is populated with princes, women, and barefoot servants, establishing a time and place in the past, although again using enduring, archetypal figures. These figures guarding their castle seem to represent established society, and the existing power structure. But what are they guarding against?

A wildcat growls from a distance, suggesting the savage, untamed power of nature lurking just beyond the well-ordered lights of the castle. Then we see the two riders approaching. Suddenly, in only four words, the first two verses are connected with the last. With a sort of cinematic establishing shot, but used at the end of the story rather than the beginning, we see the thief and the joker approaching the castle. We already know that they want to establish a different set of values, one based on the worth of human life. Their approach towards the guarded castle suggests an impending confrontation. And then the last line of the song strengthens this suggestion with imagery of a furious storm starting to build.

Note how this last verse has made physical the relationships suggested in the previous lines. The thief, joker and wildcat are all placed outside the castle, which is occupied by princes and servants. So we now have, in a very concrete sense, independent outsiders and a rigid power hierarchy.

Dylan's accomplishment here is nothing less than amazing. In the space of a few verses, in a song so spare it could almost be missed as a throw-away, Dylan manages to accomplish all of the following.

Summarizes his own life to date. Given his earlier efforts to make pointed fun of almost everything around him, and his near-fatal motorcycle crash that marked a turning point in his career, it is hard not to see the joker as Dylan himself. He has now learned that life is not a joke, and distinguishes between artists and outsiders who understand the seriousness of life, versus the businessmen and fans who treat his art as simply a marketable commodity.

Identifies the primary issue of our time as one of values. Modern thinkers such as Ken Wilber, with his image of our contemporary “flatland,” in which everything is seen as neutral, and devoid of value, are brought to mind. In earlier songs Dylan talked tirelessly of modern figures misunderstanding the significance of issues such as war, freedom and poverty. Here Dylan stands back from these specific issues and reduces the confrontation to its essential element: human values against the established order.

Propels his theme with a powerful dramatic structure. From a traditional dramatic viewpoint, almost nothing happens in this song: two riders talk to each other while approaching a castle. We've hardly got a decent first act, let alone a whole play. Yet by repeatedly hinting at the intensity of a coming confrontation, and by identifying the two opposing forces, Dylan keeps us on the edges of our seats, wondering what will happen next. The effect at the end is comparable to the conclusion of William Butler Yeats' famous poem, “The Second Coming”: “And what rough beast, its hour come round at last, slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?” In both cases, there is a perceptible chill creeping up the spine, as the poet leaves his reader to contemplate the inevitability and intensity of the coming confrontation, and its consequences.
Well, so much for the lyrics. Dylan's original reading of the song is as spare and compact as his words, with the music adding little. Hendrix' treatment is a whole different matter, though. The first element to note is how the music here parallels the dramatic structure of the song. Listen to the opening drums and guitars, as one example. (Audio clip - 44K.) The beat starts, intensifies, and then stops. As in the lyrics, the power is hinted at, but not unleashed. The music, like the words, points towards some future action, presents the tension, but does not resolve it. This device is repeated throughout the song, with Hendrix mostly holding back, repeatedly returning the song to its basically quiet pace.

The second element I want to note is Hendrix' use of guitar to represent the confusion that the joker is experiencing. This is a perfect role for Jimi, of course, since his guitar parts often defy our normal expectations for the instrument. He uses bent notes, a wah-wah pedal, and other devices to represent a disorienting, almost inhuman sonic landscape. Here is one example. (Audio clip - 128K.)

The third musical element I want to comment on, and the one that really frames and defines the whole song, is Jimi's repeated, gradually progressing ascents up the scale with blistering notes. Here is what I mean, the first time it appears, at the beginning of the first guitar break, between the first and second verses. (Audio clip - 16K.) Here is what it sounds like at the end of the second, and longer, guitar break, between the second and third verses. (Audio clip - 40K.) And here, finally, is the way it sounds at the end of the song. (Audio clip - 220K.) Notice how Jimi seems to be gradually reaching for a note that he only finally hits at the end of the song. And then when he gets there, he repeats it, over and over, making a high keening sound, representing not only the howling wind referred to in the last line, but that coming conflict that the song so clearly prepares us for. And the music ends on this note, as do the lyrics, without resolution, but clearly pointing forwards to some anticipated future act of liberation.

This is simply a brilliant collaboration between songwriter and musician, the accompaniment extending and reinforcing the meaning and drama of the lyrics, and showcasing the unique possibilities of the electric guitar along with nothing more than a bass, drum kit and acoustic guitar.

From reasontorock.com

There must be some way out of here

2006-05-21T09:29:00.000-04:00

"There must be some way out of here," said the joker to the thief,
"There's too much confusion, I can't get no relief.
Businessmen, they drink my wine, plowmen dig my earth,
None of them along the line know what any of it is worth."

"No reason to get excited," the thief, he kindly spoke,
"There are many here among us who feel that life is but a joke.
But you and I, we've been through that, and this is not our fate,
So let us not talk falsely now, the hour is getting late."

All along the watchtower, princes kept the view
While all the women came and went, barefoot servants, too.

Outside in the distance a wildcat did growl,
Two riders were approaching, the wind began to howl.

Dylan 1968