Bob's Back Pages
Bob Dylan – what can really be said about Bob that hasn’t been said. He is the most mysterious (on purpose) and talented musician of our time. His body of work is amazing and has more chapters than the “Lord of the Rings”.
But the most amazing thing about Bobby is that he has been so many different things to so many different people.
The protest folks of the 60’s tried so very hard to make him their voice. He refused and went the other direction every time they got close. He reinvented himself at the height of his powers and completely alienated his first audience. He rocked and rocked hard until he grew tired of that and he went to Nashville to add a little twang to his resume. He then fell off the map for a decade of putting out self-serving stuff that some say he did on purpose to get the spotlight off of him. Then he got reborn and put out some classics before being banished to the hinterlands again. And at age 65 he had the number one album out a month ago. Crazy, ain’t it???
It gets confusing to try to follow where he has been and as for where he is going – who knows?
The one thing that has always been amazing is that he is the hardest working man in show biz (apologies to James Brown). He tours constantly and always has. And to see him on a good night is maybe the most amazing thing you’ll ever see – but you can catch him on a bad night and wonder why you wasted the money.
So, in the end, Bob is simply Bob. He is who he wants to be and those of us who have been fans for the “long haul” are very happy when the spotlight gets turned back on him because it always brings more people out to sample the good stuff.
And Bob is like wine, he does get better with age. His early stuff still blows me away. I always have in my CD changer either “Another Side of Bob Dylan” or “Brining it all Home” or “Highway 61 Revisited”. Amazing stuff.
My girl hates him. Tries to get out of the car when she hears his voice.
I love her madly anyway!
But I understand that musically, Bob isn’t the melodic virtuoso that some wish he was. That was never his gig. He is simply the best lyricist – EVER. He turns phrases like no poet or writer ever has. His lyrics draw you in and turn you over and make you see things as images in your head. And if you’re like me, you sit in awe and wonder what he was thinking when he wrote that.
The Haahnster and I have both spoken of the majesty of “It’s Allright Ma, I’m Only Bleeding” many times. That is the one song that I always take with me in printed form on my travels - and especially when I am doing things with the youth of our church I will bring it out for discussion and am proud to say that for two decades I have made converts of teenagers (at least the “cool” ones!)
But today, the one I chose was “My Back Pages”. I love the version they did on his 30th Anniversary thing at Madsion Square Garden. With Bob and Eric Clapton and Tom Petty and many other boys – what a great tribute to an amazing artist.
Crimson flames tied through my ears
Rollin’ high and mighty traps
Pounced with fire on flaming roads
Using ideas as my maps
“We’ll meet on the edges, soon”, said I
Proud ‘neath heated brow
Ah, but I was so much older then
I’m younger than that now
Half-wracked prejudice leaped forth
“Rip down all hate,” I screamed
Lies that life is black and white
Spoke from my skull
I dreamed romantic facts of musketeers
Foundation deep, somehow
Ah, but I was so much older then
I’m younger than that now
Girls faces formed the forward pass
From phony jealousy
To memorizing politics
Of ancient history
Flung down by corpse evangelists
Unthought of, though, somehow
Ah, but I was so much older then
I’m younger than that now
A self-ordained professor’s tongue
Too serious to fool
Spouted out that liberty
Is just equality in school
“Equality”, I spoke the word
As if a wedding vow
Ah, but I was so much older then
I’m younger than that now
In a soldier’s stance, I aimed my hand
At the mongrel dogs who teach
Fearing not that I’d become my enemy
In the instant that I preach
My pathway led by confusion boats
Mutiny from stern to bow
Ah, but I was so much older then
I’m younger than that now
Yes, my guard stood hard when abstract threats
Too noble to neglect
Deceived me into thinking
I had something to protect
Good and bad, I define these terms
Quite clear, no doubt, somehow
Ah, but I was so much older then
I’m younger than that now
Wow. Oh wow.
Happy Listening!
But the most amazing thing about Bobby is that he has been so many different things to so many different people.
The protest folks of the 60’s tried so very hard to make him their voice. He refused and went the other direction every time they got close. He reinvented himself at the height of his powers and completely alienated his first audience. He rocked and rocked hard until he grew tired of that and he went to Nashville to add a little twang to his resume. He then fell off the map for a decade of putting out self-serving stuff that some say he did on purpose to get the spotlight off of him. Then he got reborn and put out some classics before being banished to the hinterlands again. And at age 65 he had the number one album out a month ago. Crazy, ain’t it???
It gets confusing to try to follow where he has been and as for where he is going – who knows?
The one thing that has always been amazing is that he is the hardest working man in show biz (apologies to James Brown). He tours constantly and always has. And to see him on a good night is maybe the most amazing thing you’ll ever see – but you can catch him on a bad night and wonder why you wasted the money.
So, in the end, Bob is simply Bob. He is who he wants to be and those of us who have been fans for the “long haul” are very happy when the spotlight gets turned back on him because it always brings more people out to sample the good stuff.
And Bob is like wine, he does get better with age. His early stuff still blows me away. I always have in my CD changer either “Another Side of Bob Dylan” or “Brining it all Home” or “Highway 61 Revisited”. Amazing stuff.
My girl hates him. Tries to get out of the car when she hears his voice.
I love her madly anyway!
But I understand that musically, Bob isn’t the melodic virtuoso that some wish he was. That was never his gig. He is simply the best lyricist – EVER. He turns phrases like no poet or writer ever has. His lyrics draw you in and turn you over and make you see things as images in your head. And if you’re like me, you sit in awe and wonder what he was thinking when he wrote that.
The Haahnster and I have both spoken of the majesty of “It’s Allright Ma, I’m Only Bleeding” many times. That is the one song that I always take with me in printed form on my travels - and especially when I am doing things with the youth of our church I will bring it out for discussion and am proud to say that for two decades I have made converts of teenagers (at least the “cool” ones!)
But today, the one I chose was “My Back Pages”. I love the version they did on his 30th Anniversary thing at Madsion Square Garden. With Bob and Eric Clapton and Tom Petty and many other boys – what a great tribute to an amazing artist.
Crimson flames tied through my ears
Rollin’ high and mighty traps
Pounced with fire on flaming roads
Using ideas as my maps
“We’ll meet on the edges, soon”, said I
Proud ‘neath heated brow
Ah, but I was so much older then
I’m younger than that now
Half-wracked prejudice leaped forth
“Rip down all hate,” I screamed
Lies that life is black and white
Spoke from my skull
I dreamed romantic facts of musketeers
Foundation deep, somehow
Ah, but I was so much older then
I’m younger than that now
Girls faces formed the forward pass
From phony jealousy
To memorizing politics
Of ancient history
Flung down by corpse evangelists
Unthought of, though, somehow
Ah, but I was so much older then
I’m younger than that now
A self-ordained professor’s tongue
Too serious to fool
Spouted out that liberty
Is just equality in school
“Equality”, I spoke the word
As if a wedding vow
Ah, but I was so much older then
I’m younger than that now
In a soldier’s stance, I aimed my hand
At the mongrel dogs who teach
Fearing not that I’d become my enemy
In the instant that I preach
My pathway led by confusion boats
Mutiny from stern to bow
Ah, but I was so much older then
I’m younger than that now
Yes, my guard stood hard when abstract threats
Too noble to neglect
Deceived me into thinking
I had something to protect
Good and bad, I define these terms
Quite clear, no doubt, somehow
Ah, but I was so much older then
I’m younger than that now
Wow. Oh wow.
Happy Listening!
posted by KK at 11:18 AM
1 Comments:
yeah, I wonder how these guys think like that...write like that...like they just came out of someone elses body, having experienced their life firsthand...thats gotta be some heavy inspiration.
I appreciate your passion for this and feel the same.
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