Chimes Of Freedom

by Robert Wilkinson

This song seemed fitting to post right now, given how tense things are domestically and abroad. Authoritarians and the fascist forces for war are denigrating, mocking, shouting down, threatening, jailing, and beating down those who believe we could become a more peaceful, democratic world if we'd only give it an honest chance. Bruce Springsteen once said, "This is one of the greatest songs about human freedom ever written." If you haven't heard this song, or even if you have, it's time to take a moment to ponder a phrase or two, since the chimes of freedom are indeed tolling for all of us.

This song, by America's poet laureate Mr. Robert Zimmerman, aka "Bob Dylan," was written in 1964 when America was caught in another senseless, useless war, a 3 word redundancy if ever there was one. "When will we ever learn, when will ever learn..." Several videos of performances at the bottom of the lyrics, including Dylan, the Byrds, and Bruce Springsteen.

Chimes Of Freedom

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.

Copyright ©1964; renewed 1992 Special Rider Music

Bob Dylan - "Chimes of Freedom" 1964 Live

The Byrds Live doing "Chimes of Freedom"

An unbelievable live performance by Bruce Springsteen doing "Chimes of Freedom"

Copyright © 2008 Robert Wilkinson

Comments

[WINDSOR]

You've been giving a master class in songwriting which isn't going unappreciated and isn't without its particular application for some of your readership. The SA/JU thing is _really_ tackling my Virgo MO, as MA/VE/ME trine my SU. This former drug addict fuck-up is now a new yoga teacher prepping an October start to classes in a dojo where I'm learning Tai Chi, QiQong, and JiuJitsu while simultaneously rehearsing my musical kit for a return to stage in four weeks. High points of creativity and self-containment with frequent visits to self-review and its many remorses, loneliness, and feelings of being totally cut off from human intercourse, but somehow its all navigable. Something a scant year ago I could never have imagined, much less said.

Thanks for all this work of late. I really rely on it, actually.

[dcu]

Thank you Robert for another awesome musical tribute. I listened to all three versions and was very moved. I would like to add one of my all time faves, "Redemption Song" by Bob Marley- "Old pirates try to rob I....."
These songs of Freedom...
Peace and Freedom to all sentient beings. Namaste.
dcu

[Robert]

Hi Windsor - Well, others before us have sung great truths which we forget at our peril. You're deepening, taking on new responsibilities that will take care of your needs better than whatever presented itself in the old cycle. Creativity should be high, and feeling cut off just shows it's time to turn the attention to taking care of those feelings however it's appropriate.
Something a scant year ago I could never have imagined, much less said. And of course you're welcome.

Hi dcu - Yes, a powerful song. And of course we were told to "Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery; None but ourselves can free our minds. Have no fear for atomic energy, cause none of them can stop the time...."

[Louise]

Thank you, Robert. You totally tripped me out with this posting on BD's work. It took me way back and brought me forward again, in a very good way. Thanks again.

[Robert]

Hi Louise - You're most welcome. In remembering what is valuable and precious, we find the courage to stand above the forces of inertia, destruction, and mental slavery and shine a light to our world. We all owe a big one to Lucky Wilbury for his courage to stand and deliver amidst the howling winds of the cold war.