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http://www.peoplesworld.org/article/dylans-revolutionary-lyrics-celebrate-play-protest/ This is a fairly good article. I would disagree with the characterization of "John Wesley Harding" as apolitical, however, given it contains "All Along the Watchtower". That song is simply Isaiah (21: 5-9 ) put to music. I'm not gonna quote scripture on the marxmail forum, so you can look it up yourselves The point being the whole album carries a strong apocalyptic tone, much like the rest of Dylan's work. Marqusee writes that a friend who visited Dylan's home in Woodstock saw only two books on his table--a Bible and a Hank Williams lyric sheet. The album also rehashes the old "Joe Hill" song "I dreamed I saw St. Augustine", with the Christian saint standing in for Joe. This was a popular front song from the 30's written at a communist party-inspired summer workshop in upstate NY. Dylan's version contains the stunning line: "No martyrs are among you now who you can call your own". Not that there were not martyrs, but that "the public world is now too inauthentic to sustain anything as grand as a martyr", writes Marqusee. Ironically the writer himself is one among the mob that has killed the saint. Marqusee surmises "The only prophecy the artist can make with confidence is that he and his message will be rejected by a world that values all the wrong things". Hard to argue with that. The song indicts us all. I'm reminded here of two later songs, "Senor (Tales of Yankee Power)", and "Everything is Broken". I like this version of the former, with Willie Nelson backed up by Calexico: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CiShjSrGsPk And here's good old R.L. performing the latter: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhKqqYuV9MU That sounds like Derek Trucks on slide. Buddy Guy sits in as well. _________________________________________________________ Full posting guidelines at: http://www.marxmail.org/sub.htm Set your options at: http://lists.csbs.utah.edu/options/marxism/archive%40mail-archive.com
