[Moby Grape]

Check out the lyrics to SLOW TRAIN COMING (Bob Dylan Chords web site)...he talks about embarassed America should be because arabs from the middle east decide AMERICA's future...."walking around with rings in their noses".

[PhilDragoo]

Senior year in college I got three hours credit for a semester-in-the-making paper on 100 Bob Dylan lyrics. 1969.

The year I fell in love with a Jewish ballerina and chased after her to Boston in a (absolutely) black 1957 Chevrolet hearse.

If you're travelin' to the north country fair. . . .

He remains a spring bubbling up--and will do so until he dies.

Yes, his Hurricane promoted a guilty man, but it's powerful in its way.

Zimmerman he jettisoned and famously snubbed his parents at a concert forty years ago.

Motorcycle black Madonna two-wheeled gypsy queen. . . .

Earth, Air, Fire, Water, Dylan--certain elemental forces appear in nature.

Weberman Alan J. garbologist tried to claim he'd found syringes--and others of a skinhead bent needle him, too--

--but, Joan Baez sang, "I need some of that vagueness now"--

--while Mimi rode as a motorcycle black Madonna with Richard Farina, Been Down So Long It Looks Like Up to Me

Saw Joan alone onstage at Redrocks with the full moon rising behind

All along the watchtower. . . .

Dylan kept the view. . . .

While all the FReepers came and went. . . .

dennisw, too. . . .

[Jeremiah Jr]

Here's an interesting definition from Strong's Concordance of the Bible.

Everlasting - Olam: Strong's #5769, meaning the vanishing point, time out of mind past or future, eternity, always, continuance, eternal, since ancient time and evermore, perpetual, at any time, since the beginning of the world and without end.
http://www.hebroots.org/hebrootsarchive/0108/0108am.html

...and the first track, 'Love Sick' is strait (pun intended) out of The Song of Songs...

I love Bob Dylan, now where'd I put that tape with 'Brownsville Girl' on it?

Again, Thanks much!

...and it's 5762 now...and counting...

[2sheep]

One of Dylan's most important songs was You Gotta Serve Somebody (text below) ~~  RealAudio ...  The culture has generated in many cases to serving oneself and sinking to the lowest common denominator of the lukewarm milksop middle, as evidenced in the White House.  John Denver wrote, "Life is just a funny-funny riddle," but he came to a sudden conclusion when he flew a plane into a sea cliff and the answer to the riddle is what Bob Dylan wrote --

But you're gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed
You're gonna have to serve somebody,
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody.

Moses, Elijah and all of the patriarch and prophets down through the ages, even Dylan, have said,

You're gonna have to serve somebody,
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord

They said pick one side or the other.  Whose on the Lord's side...or not.  The middle is where the ground opened and swallowed up the wicked.  The middle is under the Curse of Meroz and cursed of God:

Jg 5:23 Curse ye Meroz, said the angel of the LORD, curse ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof; because they came not to the help of the LORD, to the help of the LORD against the mighty.

The answer to the riddle is to "Choose Life!"  Each of us chooses daily to live a holy life for God or to sin and live for oneself and serve the devil.  Each chooses daily to be transformed by yielding to the Spirit of God, the Word of God and receive His power or chooses to deny the power/Him/Word/Torah in deed, works and action or inaction.

Jos 24:15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.

Ro 6:16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?

You Gotta Serve Somebody

You may be an ambassador to England or France,
You may like to gamble, you might like to dance,
You may be the heavyweight champion of the world,
You may be a socialite with a long string of pearls

You might be a rock 'n' roll addict prancing on the stage,
You might have drugs at your command, women in a cage,
You may be a business man or some high degree thief,
They may call you Doctor or they may call you Chief

But you're gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed
You're gonna have to serve somebody,
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody.

You may be a state trooper, you might be a young Turk,
You may be the head of some big TV network,
You may be rich or poor, you may be blind or lame,
You may be living in another country under another name

But you're gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed
You're gonna have to serve somebody,
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody.

You may be a construction worker working on a home,
You may be living in a mansion or you might live in a dome,
You might own guns and you might even own tanks,
You might be somebody's landlord, you might even own banks

But you're gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed
You're gonna have to serve somebody,
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody.

You may be a preacher with your spiritual pride,
You may be a city councilman taking bribes on the side,
You may be workin' in a barbershop, you may know how to cut hair,
You may be somebody's mistress, may be somebody's heir

But you're gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed
You're gonna have to serve somebody,
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody.

Might like to wear cotton, might like to wear silk,
Might like to drink whiskey, might like to drink milk,
You might like to eat caviar, you might like to eat bread,
You may be sleeping on the floor, sleeping in a king-sized bed

But you're gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed
You're gonna have to serve somebody,
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody.

You may call me Terry, you may call me Timmy,
You may call me Bobby, you may call me Zimmy,
You may call me R.J., you may call me Ray,
You may call me anything but no matter what you say

You're gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed
You're gonna have to serve somebody.
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody.

[don-o]

Oh me oh my

bump

[MomwithHope]

About 5 years ago, maybe more, Dylan did a private concert for Pope John Paul II, who liked his music. The Pope said his "Blowin in the Wind" song reminded him of the Holy Spirit.

[Jn316]

Awesome

Here is one of my favorites

The iron hand it ain't no match for the iron rod,

The strongest wall will crumble and fall to a mighty God.

For all those who have eyes and all those who have ears It is only He who can reduce me to tears.

Don't you cry and don't you die and don't you burn

For like a thief in the night, He'll replace wrong with right

When He returns.

Truth is an arrow and the gate is narrow that it passes through,

He unleashed His power at an unknown hour that no one knew.

How long can I listen to the lies of prejudice? How long can I stay drunk on fear out in the wilderness? Can I cast it aside, all this loyalty and this pride? Will I ever learn that there'll be no peace, that the war won't cease

Until He returns?

Surrender your crown on this blood-stained ground, take off your mask, He sees your deeds, He knows your needs even before you ask.

How long can you falsify and deny what is real?

How long can you hate yourself for the weakness you conceal?

Of every earthly plan that be known to man, He is unconcerned,

He's got plans of His own to set up His throne

When He returns.

Copyright © 1979 Special Rider Music

[drjimmy]

Great post to get an interesting thread started. I'm putting together a list of songs I want for my funeral (or whatever my wife chooses to do to recognize the fact that I have kicked the bucket), and there has got to be a Dylan song on that list. With so many great possibilities to choose from, I'm leaning right now toward "Final Theme" from the "Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid" soundtrack. Why choose an instrumental, of all things, from Dylan? Give a listen to the song and you'll hear why it puts the period at the end of a sentence.

[occam's chainsaw]

Good song from a great album. Check out the lyrics to "Union Sundown".

[willyboyishere]

DYLAN RULES!!
And will continue to surprise, because he's always been
that rarest of things, an individual.

[ppaul]

WOW.
Say it backwards.
WOW.

BULLY BUMP

[DallasDeb]

Isn't it interesting that these 1983 words are not time constrained? That is, they fit exactly for today, as if he had written them last week.

[Rodney King]

Lyrics as recorded by Bob Dylan, The Power Station, New York, NY, 11 Apr-8 May 1983
© 1983
Transcribed by Manfred Helfert


Now that they are gone, you know, the truth it can be told;
They were sacrificial lambs in the market place sold --
Julius and Ethel, Julius and Ethel.
Now that they are gone, you know, the truth it can come out;
They were never proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt --
Julius and Ethel, Julius and Ethel.

The people said they were guilty at the time;
Some even said there hadn't a-been any crime --
Julius and Ethel, Julius and Ethel.

People look upon this couple with contempt and doubt,
But they loved each other right up to the time they checked out --
Julius and Ethel, Julius and Ethel.

Eisenhower was president, Senator Joe was king;
Long as you didn't say nothing you could say anything --
Julius and Ethel, Julius and Ethel.

Now some they blamed the system, some they blamed the man;
Now that it is over, no one knows how it began --
Julius and Ethel, Julius and Ethel.

Every kingdom got to fall, even the Third Reich;
Man can do what he pleases but not for as long as he like --
Julius and Ethel, Julius and Ethel.

Well, they say they gave the secrets of the atom bomb away;
Like no one else could think of it, it wouldn't be here today --
Julius and Ethel, Julius and Ethel.

Someone says the fifties was the age of great romance;
I say that's just a lie, it was when fear had you in a trance --
Julius and Ethel, Julius and Ethel

[AdA$tra]

Translated into French by babelfish, then back to English you can find the TRUE menaing of the lyrics.

Well, the vicinity bully, it is right a man, his enemies say it is on their ground. They obtained it exceeded numbers approximately million with that of it, it did not obtain any place to escape from, no place with the race. It is the vicinity bully. The vicinity saw bully just to survive, he is criticized and condemned to be alive. He is not supposed to beat a retreat, he is supposed to have the thick skin, he is supposed to fix and die when its door is given a kick inside. He is the vicinity bully. The vicinity bully leads out of each ground, it is wandered the ground exiled the man. Considering its family dispersed, her tracked people and torn, it is always on the test for Juste being constant. It is the vicinity bully. Well, it struck a crowd of lynch, it was criticized, of old women condemned, said it should make excuses. Then it destroyed a factory of bomb, nobody was happy. The bombs were meant for him. It was supposed to feel the bad one. It is the vicinity bully. Well, it is probable against him and the chance is mean that it will live beside the rules that the world made for him, ' causes there is a noose with its neck and a gun with his back and a licence to kill it is given outside to each insane. It is the vicinity bully. It did not oblige any ally to really speak about. What obtains it it must pay, it do not make it leave the love. It buys the obsolete weapons and it will not be denied but nobody sends the flesh and blood to the combat by his side. It is the vicinity bully. Well, it is surrounded by the pacifists that all wants peace, they request for it of night that carnage must cease. Now, they would not wound a fly to wound one which they would cry. They extend and they await this bully to fall deadened. It is the vicinity bully. Each empire which is controlled to him went, Egypt and Rome, even large Babylon. It is made with a garden of the paradise in the sand of desert, in the bed with anybody, under any its order. It is the vicinity bully. Its holier books were now trampled at the time, no contract which it signed was worth the sorrow what one wrote to him above. It took the crumbs of the world and it transformed it into richness, took the disease and the disease and transformed it to him into health. It is the vicinity bully. For what somebody is involved in debt with him? Nothin ', they say. It just likes to cause the war. Pride and damage and superstition indeed, they await this bully like waitings of a dog to feed. It is the vicinity bully. What did it make to carry CPRAS so much? Does it change the course of the rivers? Does it pollute the moon and stars? Vicinity bully, being held on the hill, becoming exhausted the clock, time being held always, vicinity bully.

[#3Fan]

Wow. I guess when I trash the characters of the 60s, Dylan won't be on my list anymore.

[withteeth]

Thanks for posting this. Israel had just taken out the Iraqi nuclear plant, and people were furious then.

[foreverfree]

Bump from a purchaser (12 years ago) of Nashville Skyline (on cassette).

"Lay Lady Lay" (on Skyline) and "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" are my two fave Bobby D tunes.

foreverfree

[ravinson]

I'm bummed out about missing your clever Dylan thread. "Infidels" is my favorite Dylan album that I don't own. Mark Knopfler and Bob Dylan were certainly an interesting combination, and throw in Sly Dunbar, Robbie Shakespeare, and Mick Taylor and you've got one helluva band. Interesting fact: "Blind Willie McTell" was first recorded during the "Infidels" sessions but left off of the album.

I'm partial to "Jokerman" and "I and I":

Took an untrodden path once,
Where the swift don't win the race,
It goes to the worthy,
who can divide the word of truth.
Took a stranger to teach me,
To look into justice's beautiful face
And to see an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth."

[ravinson]

Hey, Dennis, your thread made Expecting Rain (the coolest Dylan site there is).

Oh, and for all of the Freepers out there who claim that Dylan is a Socialist -- read the lyrics to "My Back Pages" (better yet, listen to "The 30th Aniversary Concert Celebration" version with Dylan, George Harrison, Tom Petty, Neil Young, Eric Clapton, and Roger Mc Guinn):

Crimson flames [i.e. Communism] tied through my ears
Rollin' high and mighty traps
Pounced with fire on flaming roads
Using ideas as my maps
"We'll meet on edges, soon," said I
Proud 'neath heated brow.
Ah, but I was so much older then,
I'm younger than that now...

Dylan's first "born again" experience was when he parted ways with the reds -- way back in 1964.

[archy]

First and last verses of Dylan's *Highway 61 Revisited* from the mid-1960s:

Oh God said to Abraham "kill me a son"
Abe said "man you must be puttin me on"
God said "no", Abe said "what"
God say "you can do what you want Abe but
the next time you see me comin you better run"
Well Abe said "where d'you want this killin done"
God said "out on Highway 61"

Now the roving gambler he was very bored
trying to create a next world war
He found a promoter who nearly fell off the floor
He said "I never engaged in this kind of thing before
But yes, I think it can be very easily done
We'll just put some bleachers out in the sun
and have it on Highway 61"