Bob Dylan Releases His Longest Song Ever.

Log in

SmokingPipes.com Updates

Watch for Updates Twice a Week

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

Status
Not open for further replies.

mawnansmiff

Lifer
Oct 14, 2015
7,426
7,369
Sunny Cornwall, UK.
"Jay, so is it in there?"

Bengel, I would confidently say no it isn't.

They need any neologism (newly coined word) to appear in print several times over a certain period of time (I forget the figures) for it to be accepted for entry into the dictionary.

Once in the dictionary it stays of course, even if the word falls out of fashion for whatever reason.

On another tack, just heard the latest figures for America and in particular New York.....stay very safe chaps, I plan on talking with you all this time next year.

Regards,

Jay ?
 

Jaylotw

Lifer
Mar 13, 2020
1,062
4,063
NE Ohio
It was a little discouraging to writers when Bob racked up a Nobel prize in literature after papering his house in Grammy's, but I do love the guy's work, not every song, but many, both for the interesting music and the occasionally quite brilliant lyrics. He's big with personas and must have a rich fantasy life. That is not a Minnesota accent he sings in most of his songs. He's exceeding some of the legends he's impersonated, a skimpy little man physically with a visionary spirit. My candle's still under a bushel somewhere, but I do enjoy his work.


I’m in the same boat...there’s no denying that Dylan is a true master...but...

Any songwriter who has such an immense catalog always has a lot of duds. Lookin’ at you, Neil Young...

So many of the songwriters that we admire these days were under tons of pressure to produce for their record companies, and as a result you get a lot of throw-aways on their records-or entire records that are throw-aways!

Gordon Lightfoot has written a few songs that are, in my mind, among the best that have ever been written...yet, they’re hidden under a lot of schmaltzy junk that he had to turn out to fill records and please the Company.

Dylan seems to intentionally write crap at times, because he can and he knows people will eat it up...
 
  • Like
Reactions: twoonefive

ssjones

Moderator
Staff member
May 11, 2011
18,446
11,355
Maryland
postimg.cc
Any songwriter who has such an immense catalog always has a lot of duds. Lookin’ at you, Neil Young...


Boy you nailed that one. I'm a huge NY fan, but in the past 10 years, they've mostly been stinkers. It's been downhill after Mirror Ball. (wow, had to google the release date....was that really 1995???) So, make it 25 years...

AND, I should have excluded Jam bands - and I'm talking to you Grateful Dead! (Phish, Widespread Panic, Govt Mule...etc.)
 
  • Like
Reactions: jpberg

brian64

Lifer
Jan 31, 2011
9,636
14,758
I’m in the same boat...there’s no denying that Dylan is a true master...but...

Any songwriter who has such an immense catalog always has a lot of duds. Lookin’ at you, Neil Young...

True. But I've noticed over the years with a number of artists and bands, many of the songs I consider true gems are considered duds by the casual fan...even some whole albums. And the record companies consider any song that's not a hit to be a dud.

Dylan seems to intentionally write crap at times, because he can and he knows people will eat it up...

Yeah I think he and NY have done that at times to some extent. I think they both had some disdain for the machinery of not only the record companies, but of the psychology and appetites of the public...and of course the press.

One of the worst things about the record companies was that they were sadly correct for the most part about what the general public wanted to hear.
 

brian64

Lifer
Jan 31, 2011
9,636
14,758
It sounds very much like a valediction, a goodbye. Sad and slow with no good news. I think it's lovely.

That seems like a good summation of the feeling one gets listening to it.

There's a lot to take in...would have to pour over the lyrics a few times.

Plenty of Dylanese:

Hush, little children. You’ll understand
The Beatles are comin’; they’re gonna hold your hand
Slide down the banister, go get your coat
Ferry ‘cross the Mersey and go for the throat
There’s three bums comin’ all dressed in rags
Pick up the pieces and lower the flags
I’m going to Woodstock; it’s the Aquarian Age
Then I’ll go to Altamont and sit near the stage
Put your head out the window; let the good times roll
There’s a party going on behind the Grassy Knoll
 

davek

Part of the Furniture Now
Mar 20, 2014
685
952
Also love the Dead. Thus not being able to pick a favorite long song. Help On The Way is one Fav.
Just didn't want to get that started.
It sounds very much like a valediction, a goodbye. Sad and slow with no good news. I think it's lovely.
Yes, I liked it, albeit not as a song really.
Dylan's voice, never stellar, is aging. He gave the musical backing short shrift.
However, it is full of Dylanesque poetry.
Problem is, it's like he sat down and wrote it and did *no* edits. Just let it all tumble out and paper and hurried to get it sung. There's a good Dylan song, or two, in there with some trimming and re- arranging. It's like a Kevin Costner movie. Still, taken as poetry it is quite good.

*This guy* is the poop for new music and long, live, virtuosity. Start at 3:00 for a tasty, long, song and listen for the "Playin'" tease.
 

workman

Lifer
Jan 5, 2018
2,793
4,222
The Faroe Islands
I've listened to it once. I like it, it is hardly a song, really, but then again...
Other long masterpieces by Dylan are Highlands, Desolation Row, Lily, Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts, It's Allright, Ma I'm Only Bleeding, Idiot Wind.
 
  • Like
Reactions: brian64

whsergent

Can't Leave
Jan 8, 2020
385
1,295
Also love the Dead. Thus not being able to pick a favorite long song. Help On The Way is one Fav.
Just didn't want to get that started.

Yes, I liked it, albeit not as a song really.
Dylan's voice, never stellar, is aging. He gave the musical backing short shrift.
However, it is full of Dylanesque poetry.
Problem is, it's like he sat down and wrote it and did *no* edits. Just let it all tumble out and paper and hurried to get it sung. There's a good Dylan song, or two, in there with some trimming and re- arranging. It's like a Kevin Costner movie. Still, taken as poetry it is quite good.

*This guy* is the poop for new music and long, live, virtuosity. Start at 3:00 for a tasty, long, song and listen for the "Playin'" tease.
Love Billy Strings, its like Ralph Stanley meets Pink Floyd :)
 
  • Like
Reactions: davek

Jaylotw

Lifer
Mar 13, 2020
1,062
4,063
NE Ohio
Boy you nailed that one. I'm a huge NY fan, but in the past 10 years, they've mostly been stinkers. It's been downhill after Mirror Ball. (wow, had to google the release date....was that really 1995???) So, make it 25 years...

AND, I should have excluded Jam bands - and I'm talking to you Grateful Dead! (Phish, Widespread Panic, Govt Mule...etc.)


Yeah, while I agree with 75% of NY’s political beliefs, I really don’t need to hear him sing about them and it seems as though most of his output lately has been his ever shifting and sometimes contradictory political whining. Still love him, though, and always will. Long may you run.

Dylan, on the other hand, while retaining the utmost respect from me for his songwriting and place in the world’s culture, just sounds like garbage these days-and not in a “He’s old, give him a break” kind of way-just like garbage. That’s just my opinion and I know people still love hearing him live, and his band is A1 quality. It just feels, to me, like he is doing it as a joke at this point.

Billy Strings is a savior of music, that dude has it all and is bringing acoustic, live music back to it’s rightful place in the public consciousness.
 

Bengel

Lifer
Sep 20, 2019
3,157
14,443
Twas a dark day in Dallas, November ’63
A day that will live on in infamy
President Kennedy was a-ridin’ high
Good day to be livin’ and a good day to die
Being led to the slaughter like a sacrificial lamb
He said, “Wait a minute, boys, you know who I am?”
“Of course we do. We know who you are.”
Then they blew off his head while he was still in the car
Shot down like a dog in broad daylight
Was a matter of timing and the timing was right
You got unpaid debts; we’ve come to collect
We’re gonna kill you with hatred; without any respect
We’ll mock you and shock you and we’ll put it in your face
We’ve already got someone here to take your place
The day they blew out the brains of the king
Thousands were watching; no one saw a thing
It happened so quickly, so quick, by surprise
Right there in front of everyone’s eyes
Greatest magic trick ever under the sun
Perfectly executed, skillfully done
Wolfman, oh wolfman, oh wolfman howl
Rub-a-dub-dub, it’s a murder most foul
Hush, little children. You’ll understand
The Beatles are comin’; they’re gonna hold your hand
Slide down the banister, go get your coat
Ferry ‘cross the Mersey and go for the throat
There’s three bums comin’ all dressed in rags
Pick up the pieces and lower the flags
I’m going to Woodstock; it’s the Aquarian Age
Then I’ll go to Altamont and sit near the stage
Put your head out the window; let the good times roll
There’s a party going on behind the Grassy Knoll
Stack up the bricks, pour the cement
Don’t say Dallas don’t love you, Mr. President
Put your foot in the tank and step on the gas
Try to make it to the triple underpass
Blackface singer, whiteface clown
Better not show your faces after the sun goes down
Up in the red light district, they’ve got cop on the beat
Living in a nightmare on Elm Street
When you’re down in Deep Ellum, put your money in your shoe
Don’t ask what your country can do for you
Cash on the ballot, money to burn
Dealey Plaza, make left-hand turn
I’m going down to the crossroads; gonna flag a ride
The place where faith, hope, and charity died
Shoot him while he runs, boy. Shoot him while you can
See if you can shoot the invisible man
Goodbye, Charlie. Goodbye, Uncle Sam
Frankly, Miss Scarlett, I don’t give a damn
What is the truth, and where did it go?
Ask Oswald and Ruby; they oughta know
“Shut your mouth,” said the wise old owl
Business is business, and it’s a murder most foul
Tommy, can you hear me? I’m the Acid Queen
I’m riding in a long, black limousine
Riding in the backseat next to my wife
Heading straight on in to the afterlife
I’m leaning to the left; got my head in her lap
Hold on, I’ve been led into some kind of a trap
Where we ask no quarter, and no quarter do we give
We’re right down the street from the street where you live
They mutilated his body, and they took out his brain
What more could they do? They piled on the pain
But his soul’s not there where it was supposed to be at
For the last fifty years they’ve been searchin’ for that
Freedom, oh freedom. Freedom cover me
I hate to tell you, mister, but only dead men are free
Send me some lovin’; tell me no lies
Throw the gun in the gutter and walk on by
Wake up, little Susie; let’s go for a drive
Cross the Trinity River; let’s keep hope alive
Turn the radio on; don’t touch the dials
Parkland hospital, only six more miles
You got me dizzy, Miss Lizzy. You filled me with lead
That magic bullet of yours has gone to my head
I’m just a patsy like Patsy Cline
Never shot anyone from in front or behind
I’ve blood in my eye, got blood in my ear
I’m never gonna make it to the new frontier
Zapruder’s film I seen night before
Seen it 33 times, maybe more
It’s vile and deceitful. It’s cruel and it’s mean
Ugliest thing that you ever have seen
They killed him once and they killed him twice
Killed him like a human sacrifice
The day that they killed him, someone said to me, “Son
The age of the Antichrist has only begun.”
Air Force One coming in through the gate
Johnson sworn in at 2:38
Let me know when you decide to thrown in the towel
It is what it is, and it’s murder most foulWhat’s new, pussycat? What’d I say?
I said the soul of a nation been torn away
And it’s beginning to go into a slow decay
And that it’s 36 hours past Judgment Day
Wolfman Jack, speaking in tongues
He’s going on and on at the top of his lungs
Play me a song, Mr. Wolfman Jack
Play it for me in my long Cadillac
Play me that “Only the Good Die Young”
Take me to the place Tom Dooley was hung
Play St. James Infirmary and the Court of King James
If you want to remember, you better write down the names
Play Etta James, too. Play “I’d Rather Go Blind”
Play it for the man with the telepathic mind
Play John Lee Hooker. Play “Scratch My Back.”
Play it for that strip club owner named Jack
Guitar Slim going down slow
Play it for me and for Marilyn Monroe
Play “Please Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood”
Play it for the First Lady, she ain’t feeling any good
Play Don Henley, play Glenn Frey
Take it to the limit and let it go by
Play it for Karl Wirsum, too
Looking far, far away at Down Gallow Avenue
Play tragedy, play “Twilight Time”
Take me back to Tulsa to the scene of the crime
Play another one and “Another One Bites the Dust”
Play “The Old Rugged Cross” and “In God We Trust”
Ride the pink horse down the long, lonesome road
Stand there and wait for his head to explode
Play “Mystery Train” for Mr. Mystery
The man who fell down dead like a rootless tree
Play it for the Reverend; play it for the Pastor
Play it for the dog that got no master
Play Oscar Peterson. Play Stan Getz
Play “Blue Sky”; play Dickey Betts
Play Art Pepper, Thelonious Monk
Charlie Parker and all that junk
All that junk and “All That Jazz”
Play something for the Birdman of Alcatraz
Play Buster Keaton, play Harold Lloyd
Play Bugsy Siegel, play Pretty Boy Floyd
Play the numbers, play the odds
Play “Cry Me A River” for the Lord of the gods
Play Number 9, play Number 6
Play it for Lindsey and Stevie Nicks
Play Nat King Cole, play “Nature Boy”
Play “Down In The Boondocks” for Terry Malloy
Play “It Happened One Night” and “One Night of Sin”
There’s 12 Million souls that are listening in
Play “Merchant of Venice”, play “Merchants of Death”
Play “Stella by Starlight” for Lady Macbeth
Don’t worry, Mr. President. Help’s on the way
Your brothers are coming; there’ll be hell to pay
Brothers? What brothers? What’s this about hell?
Tell them, “We’re waiting. Keep coming.” We’ll get them as well
Love Field is where his plane touched down
But it never did get back up off the ground
Was a hard act to follow, second to none
They killed him on the altar of the rising sun
Play “Misty” for me and “That Old Devil Moon”
Play “Anything Goes” and “Memphis in June”
Play “Lonely At the Top” and “Lonely Are the Brave”
Play it for Houdini spinning around his grave
Play Jelly Roll Morton, play “Lucille”
Play “Deep In a Dream”, and play “Driving Wheel”
Play “Moonlight Sonata” in F-sharp
And “A Key to the Highway” for the king on the harp
Play “Marching Through Georgia” and “Dumbarton’s Drums”
Play darkness and death will come when it comes
Play “Love Me Or Leave Me” by the great Bud Powell
Play “The Blood-stained Banner”, play “Murder Most Foul”
 
  • Like
Reactions: mingc and brian64
Dec 28, 2015
2,337
1,003
Personally I think the new Dylan song is amazing. Best thing he’s done in years. As far as other amazing long songs one of my favorites is Street Hassle by Lou Reed slipping in at 11:00 minutes.

well and of course I agree that Echoes is the best side long song ever.
 
Jan 27, 2020
4,002
8,122
I read the lyric song to the new follow-up...what sad drivel.

My favorite Dylan is generally less political such as Blond on Blond and Blood on the Tracks, which needless to say aren’t lacking in social commentary. Most overtly “political” music doesn’t age well in my opinion...
 
Status
Not open for further replies.