by Robert Wilkinson
May 24 was the birthday of one of the greatest in history! Today we begin the dance early to celebrate the life and music of a true American original, the amazing Bob Dylan.
Because we have so much material across 60 years of performances, we begin the dance early and plan on staying late! Today there’s something for everyone, so enjoy dancing to the music of Lucky Wilbury!
The work of Bob Dylan (May 24, 1941) is vast, awesome, majestic, and compelling. We haven't known an American poet who embodied such electricity since Woody Guthrie, and before him, Walt Whitman. Robert Zimmerman, aka “Bob Dylan,” was one of my most potent influences as a teen in 60s Amerika, as well as when I wrote a few hundred songs between 1980 and 1984. Some of his offerings still have the power to blow the illusion to the far side of Pluto.
He has influenced popular music in countless ways, and gone through quite a few personality changes, as would befit his Gemini nature. His songs are among the most covered in music:
"Blowin' In The Wind," "Masters of War," "A Hard Rain's A Gonna Fall," "The Times They Are A-Changing," "With God On Our Side," "Like A Rolling Stone," "Desolation Row," "Forever Young," "Love Minus Zero No Limit," "Chimes of Freedom," "Don't Think Twice," "Mister Tambourine Man," "Only A Pawn in Their Game," "I Shall Be Released," "Gates of Eden," "Just Like A Woman," "All Along The Watchtower," "Stuck Inside of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again," "I'll Be Your Baby Tonight," "It's All Right Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)," "Ballad of A Thin Man," "The Mighty Quinn," "She Belongs To Me," "You Ain't Goin' Nowhere," "Knocking on Heaven's Door," "Gotta Serve Somebody," "Things Have Changed," and a few hundred more, some of which will take your breath away.
A sample of his story telling from one of the best:
"They're selling postcards of the hanging They're painting the passports brown, The beauty parlor is filled with sailors The circus is in town, Here comes the blind commissioner They've got him in a trance, One hand is tied to the tight-rope walker The other is in his pants, And the riot squad they're restless They need somewhere to go, As Lady and I look out tonight From Desolation Row.."
Various chapters of his life have been covered in several films. Don't Look Back is an unbelievable piece of work if you've never seen it, the first of its kind, and while the young prince was somewhat obnoxious, it's understandable when you consider that the world was looking to a poet for answers to its nuclear brinkmanship and wars started by manipulative war criminals. Even the Beatles were in awe of his music. He took the world by the scruff of its neck and made it sit up and pay attention, since in his immortal words, "You know something's happening here but you don't know what it is, do you, Mister Jones?" Full song lyrics at the end of this article, along with the exquisite poetry of “Stuck Inside of Mobile With the Memphis Blues Again.” Proof the Nobel got awarded to the right guy!
Many of Bob Dylan's performances have been yanked from you tube, so what I offer today is a bit of a hodgepodge. I replaced as many links as possible, so by all means enjoy America's bard!
We’ll begin with one of my favorites! It hasn’t been available for many years, and is my favorite Bob Dylan attitude song! Time to get up and dance to the rocking version by Dylan and the Band of “Forever Young” (fast version)
This is a live audio from the 1974 tour backed by The Band. One of the most chilling tunes of many he wrote back then, this one is 6 minutes of awesome! "Ballad of A Thin Man." It really doesn't get better than this, since his voice is great and The Band is perfect.
The first part of the tribute will focus on his acoustic years, so we’ll move into that era after this other favorite of mine from an 80s live performance of “Stuck Inside of Mobile With the Memphis Blues Again” (the live video begans about 2:15 in)
Back to the beginning! It’s Folk Alley time, since that’s where he came from before he went electric. More electric numbers resume down a ways.
Here’s the earliest known audio footage of Bob on May 6, 1961, at the Indian Neck Folk Festival. He was 19 at the time. Enjoy this 15 minute rarity of Bob Dylan at the Indian Neck Folk Festival
The next earliest show I found was from September 6, 1961, at the Gaslight Café in NYC. Enjoy this 25 minutes of Zimmie!
This is the next earliest live performance I could find. From November 1961 at Carnegie Chapter Hall, 57 minutes of Bob performing traditional songs and folk classics! Bob Dylan Live in NYC - 1961
Also from 1961, “Talkin’ New York”Here’s a demo from 1961 continuing his gripe about New York. Given the way New Yorkers were (and many still are!) they didn’t mind at all, since everybody’s got an opinion. “Hard Times in New York Town”
Here’s an early gem. It’s an audio-only live show from 1962 with all his early folk best! It begins with “the Ballad of Emmett Till” and never looks back! Bob Dylan at the Finjan Club - 1962
One of Bob’s earliest television performances! From 1963, live, young, and inspiring, here’s the Master singing the iconic “Blowin’ In The Wind”
It’s back! Here’s a great 10 minute video clip of Bob Dylan and Joan Baez at the 1963 March on Washington! Yes, it’s THAT gathering that featured the Rev Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. giving us his “I Have A Dream” speech. For your enjoyment, a 22 year old Bob Dylan making history singing “The Hour that the Ship Comes In,” “Only A Pawn in their Game,” “Keep Your Eyes On the Prize” (“Only A Pawn in Their Game” was a totally gutsy move. Find the lyrics. Wow.)
From 1962, 25 minutes of the audio only Hootenanny at Carnegie Hall
Two years ago I had a few clips from his 1963 performance at Brandeis University, but they disappeared. Still, I found a lot of good clips from that ultimate folk era dream, so we’re hanging out at FolK City!
I found this great video again! It’s a cutaway from a documentary, with commentary on his early transformation from folk singer to master of the craft. In the performance he’s very young. Seeing “old Dylan” comment about “young Dylan” is a trip! “Man of Constant Sorrows”
Another great video from 1963! Don’t know where this is from, but it’s 6 minutes of pure beauty, ominous and haunting poetry about what’s been happening these past 60 years! “A Hard Rain’s A Gonna Fall”
From his classic performance at Carnegie Hall in 1963, this audio gem! “Don’t Think Twice It’s All Right” (“Blowin’ In The Wind” has disappeared)
This year I found 2 more videos of his 1963 Newport Folk Fest appearance, so this year we have three! First, the iconic “It’s All Over Now Baby Blue” and then “North Country Blues.” Our third looks to be the finale of the show, with a lot of folk talent on stage with Elston performing “Blowin’ In The Wind.”
From that Newport Festival, the audio of “Who Killed Davey Moore,” and his version of the next song has disappeared, so I figured another live 1963 performance would do. For your enjoyment, “Talkin” World War III Blues.”
Also from 1963, his audio-only duet with Joan Baez at Newport giving us his scathing indictment of imperialists! “With God On Our Side”
Here are audio only clips from his Town Hall performance in 1963!
“Ramblin’ Down Through the World”
The Town Hall performance of this song is gone, but here’s another live version from Chicago in 1963! “A Hard Rain’s A Gonna Fall”
“Don’t Think Twice It’s All Right” has disappeared.
Here’s most of the show in one clip. Several songs are not on it. Bob Dylan Town Hall performance - 1963
Moving into 1964, in February of that year he performed a classic set live on the CBC show Quest! but this year it’s disappeared except for this great clip of “Talkin’ World War III Blues”
If I find it again, the set list is fantastic! “The Times They Are A-Changin’,” “Talkin’ World War III Blues,” “Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll,” “Girl From the North Country,” “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall,” “Restless Farewell.”
Also from 1964, a live performance of his iconic “Mr. Tambourine Man”
From a 1964 BBC television show, Bob doing the incredible, irreverent, and very satirical “With God On Our Side”
This also looks like a Newport performance, or footage from his 1965 tour of the UK. For your enjoyment, “It’s All Right Ma, I’m Only Bleeding”
Last year I had a perfect 54 minute clip of great videos to close his acoustic beginning titled “Bob Dylan – The Very Best of 1965 Live Videos” but this year it’s gone. Better luck next year!
One of my favorite tunes! Live in Newport, 1965, Zimmie doing an acoustic version of "If You Gotta Go, Go Now." From his 1965 show in Leicester, "If You Gotta Go, Go Now." And what's probably the most famous version by Manfred Mann, a great delivery of "If You Gotta Go, Go Now."
Live at the BBC studios on June 1, 1965, what is said to be Bob Dylan’s last acoustic concert! This 30 minute audio has great tunes (even if a bunch are not there because of copyright claims). Bob Dylan Live at the BBC – June 1965
Elston Gunn Goes Electric!
This is a score! It’s the first song of his first electric set at Newport in 1965, where he committed folk heresy by strapping on a Strat with Mike Bloomfield giving us some blistering leads! The end of the folk god and the emergence of the folk-rock god! “Maggie’s Farm”
We also have the last song of this 1965 Newport performance by Bob with Mike Bloomfield, Al Kooper, and others of “Like A Rolling Stone” that blew minds and pissed off a whole lot of folk purists. I just found it again! "Like A Rolling Stone" - the "Heretical Electric Performance" 1965
We have his historic 1965 SF press conference!
Bob Dylan’s 1965 Press Conference in SF – pt. 1
Bob Dylan’s 1965 Press Conference in SF – pt. 2
Bob Dylan’s 1965 Press Conference in SF – pt. 3
Bob Dylan’s 1965 Press Conference in SF – pt. 4
Bob Dylan’s 1965 Press Conference in SF – pt. 5
Bob Dylan’s 1965 Press Conference in SF – pt. 6
I found it again! Here’s the full 93 minute pioneering cinema verite’ documentary done by the legendary D.A. Pennebaker, Don’t Look Back, which chronicles Dylan’s 1966 UK tour, complete with some great performances backed by the Hawks! Don’t Look Back
Because it appears and disappears, I’ll leave the clips I already have from past years. We’ll begin with the iconic clip from that movie of Bob in the alley dropping cue cards with the lyrics to “Subterranean Homesick Blues”
The half hour clip titled “Don’t Look Back - all the Bob Dylan performances” has disappeared, but here’s 5 minutes of Bob Dylan meets Donovan.
Also from the movie, here’s the very strange Bob Dylan London press conference. and The Time Magazine Interview
This is said to be part 1 of 3, so it’s not synched with the clips below.
This is from a different sequence of the same movie.
There's also a lot more at BobDylan.com so by all means have a look around.
One of the greatest love songs ever written, delivered acoustically when it was first written. A great video of “Love Minus Zero/No Limit”
From September 1965, his legendary 84 minutes performance at the Hollywood Bowl! The second set is electric, featuring Robbie Robertson, Al Kooper, Harvey Brooks, and Levon Helm! Bob Dylan and the Hawks Live at the Hollywood Bowl 1965
From December 1965, Bob Dylan and the Hawks, aka “the Band,” perform three shows in northern California, totaling an hour and 53! Bob Dylan and the Band in SF - 1965
His 1966 World Tour was legendary and in places, not well received. While very little footage is on the internet, I found a few pieces here and there. Here’s an audio-only set from February 5, 1966, recorded by the audience. Bob Dylan in White Plains – Feb 1966
From May 1966, 15 tunes live in Manchester! Bob Dylan and the Band in Manchester - May 1966
This year the video titled Bob Dylan World Tour 1966 – The Home Movies has been pulled, and is for sale. However, I found this 48 minute clip with various parts of that tour, so enjoy it while you can! The Best of Elston Gunn in 1966
I found it again! From that tour, an unbelievable live color video clip of him doing one of the most haunted songs he ever wrote! From Highway 61 Revisited, the awesome “Ballad of a Thin Man” (Yes, that’s the Hawks/the Band backing him! There's a fairly psychedelic minute which begins about 4 minutes in.)
This year I found this B/W clip which has a little more on the front end of the song and cuts away at times to street scenes. Here's Elston Gunn in Newcastle bringing his game to “Ballad of a Thin Man”
A couple of great audio-only clips from his 1966 tour in Oz!
Last year I had his 96 minute show in Sydney but it’s gone. However, I found this clip with 13 songs from that show. Bob Dylan in Sydney, Australia - 1966
I also have this 57 minutes from Melbourne! Bob Dylan in Melbourne, Australia - 1966
Here’s 53 minutes of audio from his 1966 Royal Albert Hall performance!
Bob Dylan Live at the Royal Albert Hall - 1966
Last year I had a 1 hour 42 audio clip from his Paris appearance in 1966 but it’s disappeared, as has the 42 minute clip from Dublin. But I did find this 48 minute electric second set from that Paris show! Bob Dylan Live in Paris – May 1966
From that show, backed by the Band, Bob Dylan on his 25th birthday doing a rare spoken intro and performance of “Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues”
I found it again! Here’s his 1 hour 39 show in Sheffield! Bob Dylan Live in Sheffield - 1966
From that tour, I found this 36 minute partial show from Copenhagen! Bob Dylan Live in Copenhagen - 1966
A 41 minute video of Elston in 1966! Best of Bob Dylan - 1966
From the Johnny Cash Show in 1969, Bob and Johnny doing a beautiful live performance duet of “I Threw It All Away.” Also from that show, the audio of “Girl From the North Country.”
Here’s a “live in the studio” session of Johnny and Bob doing Bob’s “One Too Many Mornings”
Here are two live performances from who knows when.
“the Man in the Long Black Coat”
56 minutes of pure gold, beginning with “Ghost Riders in the Sky!” Bob Dylan and George Harrison – In the Studio 1970
In 1971 Sir George asked him to show up for the Concert for Bangladesh, and wasn’t sure he’d show up at all. When he did, he took the stage and gave us this.
First, his solo acoustic “A Hard Rain’s A Gonna Fall”
The video’s gone, so here’s the acoustic “It Takes A Lot To Laugh, It Takes A Train to Cry”
Here’s the audio-only track of “Just Like A Woman”
Here’s a great duet of them live doing their rehearsal of “If Not For You”
The great live performance with George and Leon of “Love Minus Zero/No Limit” has disappeared this year.
From the 1976 Rolling Thunder Revue tour (I saw it in Austin!), a live clip of Zimmie doing “The Times They are A-changing”
From January 1978 in Los Angeles, here’s a video of the Bard delivering the iconic “Like A Rolling Stone”
A great collaboration from 1980. Bob Dylan and Jerry Garcia Let's Keep It Between Us 1980
Live at Farm Aid 1985, introduced by Jack Nicholson, here's Bob Dylan joined by Ron Wood and Keith Richards doing "Blowin' In The Wind." At the same concert with Saint Willie and Tom Petty, here’s a short set of Bob doing a rocking version of ”Shake,” ”I’ll Remember You,” “Trust Yourself,” “That Lucky Old Sun,” and “Maggie’s Farm,” followed by a video of Bob and Tom rehearsing “That Lucky Old Sun,” and since it’s so cool, we’ll end with “Shake” (Not the Sam Cooke song!)
From Farm Aid 1986, Bob live performing “Across the Borderline” and “Rainy Day Women #12 & 35”
Live in 1986 on television, Bob live performing “I Shall Be Released” and “Blowing In The Wind”
This was taped off a television show in London in 1996. It’s a slowed down version with Ron Wood performing “Positively Fourth Street””
The Byrds are joined by Bob Dylan on February 24, 1990 at the Roy Orbison Tribute to Benefit the Homeless, at the Universal Amphitheater, Los Angeles, doing "Mister Tambourine Man."
Speaking of the Byrds, here’s another iconic tune from the Bard! For your enjoyment, a live performance of a waltz in Glasgow in 1995 of the tune the world knows as “My Back Pages”
Here's the original studio version by the Byrds of "My Back Pages"
For awesome, this is it! Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, George Harrison, Tom Petty, Neil Young, and Roger McGuinn coming together live for ABC tv giving a singularly exquisite performance of “My Back Pages”
The music video of Bob performing one of his best from the 70s, "Tangled Up In Blue."
Also from Blood On the Tracks, the original awesome studio track of a little known gem called "Lily, Rosemary, and the Jack of Hearts." Storytelling at its best!
A last one from that amazing album, I found a great live video performance bby the Bard of his scathing indictment of someone. "Idiot Wind."
Live from New Orleans in 1976, a live audio-only version of “Idiot Wind”
Bob performing "Knocking On Heaven's Door"
From his 50th birthday, a live performance of “You Gotta Serve Somebody"
Here's the music video for "Things Have Changed."
Here's a video performance of "Not Dark Yet"
Here's a video of Bob performing "Sweetheart Like You"
Bob in a music video of images from various times in his life performing "Thunder on the Mountain."
This is Dylan at his rawest live! From Atlanta in 1978, “taking us to church” in his autobiographical confessional from Street Legal, the awesome “Changing of the Guards” (Music begins 10 seconds into the clip).
Here’s another great video of “Changing of the Guards” at another venue somewhere in America.
I found this clip, with Patti Smith groovin' smooth in her offering of the song. So tough, so tender.... "Changing of the Guards."
Also from the Street Legal 1978 tour, this audio clip comes from Budokan, with the great Steve Douglas on flute! “Love Minus Zero/No Limit”
Here's the post I did with lyrics for "Forever Young" and "Love Minus Zero No Limit," two of my favorite Bob Dylan love songs. Rather than his usual stream of consciousness story telling, these are some very beautiful songs with beautiful imagery and messages. For your enjoyment, Bob live with the Band in an amazing live performance from The Last Waltz of “Forever Young” RIP Levon. A bunch of us still miss you.
The second version of this amazing song from Planet Waves is a little jauntier and up tempo than the better known version, and this year I found it again! This is the Band at their best, backing the Master in a great groove! Get up and dance! “Forever Young”
Completing this offering of this fantastic tune, here’s a great live version on Letterman in 1993 of “Forever Young”
Here’s a great audio only 1965 performance in England of “Love Minus Zero No Limit.” Last year I had a great 1996 video from the House of Blues in Atlanta of this song, but it disappeared. So instead, from Los Angeles in 1997, a beautiful live performance of “Love Minus Zero No Limit”
Taken from No Direction Home, live in 1966 in England, a haunting performance of the legendary “Ballad of a Thin Man”
In a special nod to 1965's "Highway 61 Revisited," from Letterman’s 10th anniversary, Bob live on the show cranking out "Like A Rolling Stone," said to be the number one song of all time that broke countless musical barriers.
Live on Letterman in 1984, Bob giving us a great performance of “Jokerman”
From 1996 in Iowa, a great live 1996 video of “Absolutely Sweet Marie”
Here’s an audio only live performance of “Absolutely Sweet Marie”
From England in 2002, a live video performance of “Absolutely Sweet Marie”
From 1974, an entire 1 hour 46 minute live audio only performance of Bob Dylan and the Band at their best! This is an awesome set list!!
Bob Dylan & the Band, January 1974 at Landover,MD
A blurry video of Bob and Neil Young doing the haunting “Gates of Eden”
Here’s 56 minutes of audio of Bob and George Harrison doing a bunch of songs in a studio! Bob Dylan and George Harrison in the studio - 1970
Here Dylan is joined by Bruce Springsteen in a great performance of "Forever Young"
Here Bob plays the White House in a great waltz arrangement of the classic "The Times They Are A-Changin’”
Here’s another classic find from 1975, with Neil Young and Bob in an audio-only clips of “Helpless” and “Knocking on Heaven’s Door”
Here’s the hour and 8 audio-only album from 1994! Bob Dylan – Rehearsal for “MTV Unplugged” 1994
From the MTV Unplugged sessions, audio only versions of an iconic great one followed by a video of another much newer great one!
I found it again! Here’s a great live video from the Bob Dylan 30th Anniversary at Madison Square Garden of the great George Harrison cranking out a very danceable version of Bob’s “Absolutely Sweet Marie,” which we’ll follow with the rocking studio version by one of my favorite groups of all time, the legendary Flamin’ Groovies! “Absolutely Sweet Marie”
In a rare bootleg from the Palomino Club in North Hollywood in 1987, we find Nelson and Lucky Wilbury with John Fogerty, Jessie Ed Davis, and Taj Mahal in an unrehearsed set doing a bunch of amazing tunes!
Here’s the entire 2 hour show, kicked off by Taj! Taj Mahal and the Graffiti Band with George Harrison, Bob Dylan and John Fogerty at The Palomino Club 1987
From Lucky’s time recording with the other Traveling Wilburys, even though there were no separate songwriting credits, we are told these are his contributions to that effort. Since they never toured or performed live, these are all audio-only studio tracks.
From an unknown show with Tom Petty, here’s an audio-only live performance of a tune from his very first album, made famous a few years later by the Animals! “House of the Rising Sun”
Live in England in 2007, “House of the Rising Sun”
Here’s his contribution to the Sun Records tribute, one of my favorite rockabilly tunes originally done by Warren Smith and never released, but it rocks! “Red Cadillac and a Black Moustache”
Live in London in 2003, Dylan rocking out on “The Mighty Quinn”
From Top of the Pops in 1968, Manfred Mann’s hit version of “The Mighty Quinn”
From 1990, the Grateful Dead with Jerry singing lead giving us their boogie version of “The Mighty Quinn”
Here's a post that I dedicated to one of the most amazing songs ever written. It features links to performances by the Byrds, as well as a spectacular performance by Bruce Springsteen doing Dylan's "Chimes of Freedom." Full song lyrics included that will move anyone with a heart. Even though neither performance has the full second and third verses, still check them out. Bruce’s performance is awe inspiring!
Here's Bruce doing a 9 minute performance of "Chimes of Freedom" in East Berlin, 1988.
This one’s major league! Welcome to the Boss and Bob (showing off his guitar chops!) giving us an in-your-face cranked up live version of “All Along the Watchtower” and “Forever Young” (Yes, I gave “Forever Young” to you earlier, but it’s so beautiful I figured you wouldn’t mind.)
From 1993 at Willie’s 60th, here’s a great live clip of Willie Nelson and Bob Dylan performing “Pancho and Lefty”
I found some great live performances featuring Bob and the great Mark Knopfler!
From 2011 in Rome, Bob and Mark giving us “Don’t Think Twice It’s All Right”
Live in Montreal, “Tangled Up In Blue”
Live in Brooklyn in 2012, Bob and Mark performing “Things Have Changed”
I found a few live performances of one of my favorites. I used to know all the verses way back when, and it tells quite a story! As I gave you at the beginning, “They’re selling postcards of the hanging, they’re painting the passports brown, the beauty parlor is filled with sailors, the circus is in town...”
Though I gave this to you earlier, I’ll give it to you again! From his 1966 tour in Oz, a true masterpiece performance of “Desolation Row”
In a live 1998 performance in Birmingham, “Desolation Row”
We'll close this trifecta with Bob live in Massachusetts in 2009 doing “Desolation Row”
Last year I had 90 minutes of documentary and great performances titled Bob Dylan – the 30th Anniversary, but I can’t find it anywhere. I also had a link to the full 1992 Madison Square Garden featuring Zimmie, Eric, George, Tom, Roger, Steve, Neil, and others titled Robert Zimmerman and Friends but it too has disappeared.
We’ll begin to close today with one of my all time favorite songs, delivered live in 1988 at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame by our birthday boy with friends George Harrison, Ringo Starr, Mick Jagger, Mike Love, Elton John and others! “All Along the Watchtower”
Live in SF in 1987, U2 bashing out a great live version of “All Along the Watchtower”
From the 1992 Farm Aid concert, here’s Neil Young and Crazy Horse cranking out “All Along the Watchtower”
From Woodstock 1999, Dave Matthews gives us his version of “All Along the Watchtower”
From 2004, Neil and Pearl Jam delivering “All Along the Watchtower”
And from 1970 in Copenhagen less than a month before he died, rare live video footage of the archetypal arrangement of this song, performed by the Master Himself, Jimi Hendrix! The video’s blurry and slightly out of synch, but who cares? This is rare footage taken from the audience. Turn it up! “All Along the Watchtower,” and here’s the amazing original studio version from Electric Ladyland of “All Along the Watchtower." Bob Dylan does this arrangement in concert rather than his original version. That's how powerful this was/is!
For our first encore, we have two great performances! For your dancing pleasure, live in 1987, Lucky’s got the Grateful Dead backing him in the iconic “Stuck Inside of Mobile With the Memphis Blues Again.” We’ll continue dancing, this time live in Philly in 1989, the Grateful Dead cranking out a very danceable version of one of my favorites, “Stuck Inside of Mobile With the Memphis Blues Again.”
For our second encore, from 2009, another growling, almost rap version by Lucky of “Stuck Inside of Mobile With the Memphis Blues Again.”
The single clip for our 3rd encore has disappeared, but I found this link which will take you to as much of the 1980 show in Toronto as they allow in the US. For your enjoyment, Bob Dylan Live in Toronto 1980
Our finale is a solid hour and 33 video of his 1990 show in Toronto! Bob Dylan Live in Toronto 1990
Here's Zimmie being interviewed by the late great Ed Bradley for 60 Minutes. Very good interview! The original disappeared, but here’s 4 minutes of that classic interview. Bob Dylan Interview on 60 Minutes
So if you're inclined, join the party, and send up a prayer of thanks to the man who wrote "May God bless and keep you always, May your wishes all come true, May you always do for others, And let others do for you. May you build a ladder to the stars, And climb on every rung, May you stay forever young..."
Thanks, Lucky. Not bad for a boy from Hibbing, Minnesota, up on the iron range. When you left for New York it was the world's gain. You set a standard for wordsmithing that exemplifies the best of Gemini. Sorry yer bros Nelson, Lefty, and Charlie T. Jr. Wilbury left the building a while back. May you stay forever young, and have many, many more birthdays in the years to come.
As I told you above, I'd give you the lyrics to "Ballad of a Thin Man," another song from Highway 61 Revisited. This one's heavy.....
For our penultimate encore, from April 2013 in Missouri, here’s Bob live doing a menacing version of “Ballad of a Thin Man” (Our final encore is below the lyrics to "Thin Man." It's his ode to John Lennon.)
BALLAD OF A THIN MAN
You walk into the room With your pencil in your hand
You see somebody naked And you say, "Who is that man?"
You try so hard But you don't understand
Just what you'll say When you get home
Because something is happening here But you don't know what it is
Do you, Mister Jones?
You raise up your head And you ask, "Is this where it is?"
And somebody points to you and says "It's his"
And you say, "What's mine?" And somebody else says, "Where what is?"
And you say, "Oh my God Am I here all alone?"
Because something is happening here But you don't know what it is
Do you, Mister Jones?
You hand in your ticket And you go watch the geek
Who immediately walks up to you When he hears you speak
And says, "How does it feel To be such a freak?"
And you say, "Impossible" As he hands you a bone
Because something is happening here But you don't know what it is
Do you, Mister Jones?
You have many contacts Among the lumberjacks
To get you facts When someone attacks your imagination
But nobody has any respect Anyway they already expect you
To just give a check To tax-deductible charity organizations
You've been with the professors And they've all liked your looks
With great lawyers you have Discussed lepers and crooks
You've been through all of F. Scott Fitzgerald's books
You're very well read It's well known
Because something is happening here But you don't know what it is
Do you, Mister Jones?
Well, the sword swallower, he comes up to you And then he kneels
He crosses himself And then he clicks his high heels
And without further notice He asks you how it feels
And he says, "Here is your throat back Thanks for the loan"
Because something is happening here But you don't know what it is
Do you, Mister Jones?
Now you see this one-eyed midget Shouting the word "NOW"
And you say, "For what reason?" And he says, "How?"
And you say, "What does this mean?" And he screams back, "You're a cow
Give me some milk Or else go home"
Because something is happening here But you don't know what it is
Do you, Mister Jones?
Well, you walk into the room Like a camel and then you frown
You put your eyes in your pocket And your nose on the ground
There ought to be a law Against you comin' around
You should be made To wear earphones
Because something is happening here But you don't know what it is
Do you, Mister Jones?
Copyright © 1965; renewed 1993 Special Rider Music
For our final encore, I found this gem by Lucky singing his ode to Doctor Winston O'Boogie Gripweed.
Doctor, doctor tell me the time of day
Another bottle's empty, another penny spent
He turned around and he slowly walked away
They shot him in the back and down he went
Shine your light
Movin' on
You burned so bright
Roll on, John
From the Liverpool docks to the red-light Hamburg streets
Down in the quarry with the Quarry men
Playing to the big crowds, playing to the cheap seats
Another day in the life on your way to your journey's end
Sailin' through the trade winds bound for the south
Rags on your back just like any other slave
They tied your hands and they clamped your mouth
Wasn't no way out of that deep dark cave
I heard the news today, oh boy
They hauled your ship up on the shore
Now the city gone dark, there is no more joy
They tore the heart right out and cut him to the core
Put on your bags and get 'em packed
Leave right now, you won't be far from wrong
The sooner you go the quicker you'll be back
You've been cooped up on an island far too long
Slow down you're moving way too fast
Come together right now over me
Your bones are weary, you're about to breathe your last
Lord, you know how hard that it can be
Roll on, John, roll through the rain and snow
Take the right-hand road and go where the buffalo roam
They'll trap you in an ambush before you know
Too late now to sail back home
Tyger, tyger burning bright
I pray the Lord my soul to keep
In the forests of the night
Cover 'em over and let him sleep
Shine your light
Movin' on
You burned so bright
Roll on, John
And now, the exquisite imagery of
Stuck Inside of Mobile With the Memphis Blues Again
Oh, the ragman draws circles
Up and down the block
I’d ask him what the matter was
But I know that he don’t talk
And the ladies treat me kindly
And furnish me with tape
But deep inside my heart
I know I can’t escape
Oh, Mama, can this really be the end
To be stuck inside of Mobile
With the Memphis blues again
Well, Shakespeare, he’s in the alley
With his pointed shoes and his bells
Speaking to some French girl
Who says she knows me well
And I would send a message
To find out if she’s talked
But the post office has been stolen
And the mailbox is locked
Oh, Mama, can this really be the end
To be stuck inside of Mobile
With the Memphis blues again
Mona tried to tell me
To stay away from the train line
She said that all the railroad men
Just drink up your blood like wine
An’ I said, “Oh, I didn’t know that
But then again, there’s only one I’ve met
An’ he just smoked my eyelids
An’ punched my cigarette”
Oh, Mama, can this really be the end
To be stuck inside of Mobile
With the Memphis blues again
Grandpa died last week
And now he’s buried in the rocks
But everybody still talks about
How badly they were shocked
But me, I expected it to happen
I knew he’d lost control
When he built a fire on Main Street
And shot it full of holes
Oh, Mama, can this really be the end
To be stuck inside of Mobile
With the Memphis blues again
Now the senator came down here
Showing ev’ryone his gun
Handing out free tickets
To the wedding of his son
An’ me, I nearly got busted
An’ wouldn’t it be my luck
To get caught without a ticket
And be discovered beneath a truck
Oh, Mama, can this really be the end
To be stuck inside of Mobile
With the Memphis blues again
When I asked him why he dressed
With twenty pounds of headlines
Stapled to his chest
But he cursed me when I proved it to him
Then I whispered, “Not even you can hide
You see, you’re just like me
I hope you’re satisfied”
Oh, Mama, can this really be the end
To be stuck inside of Mobile
With the Memphis blues again Now the rainman gave me two cures
Then he said, “Jump right in”
The one was Texas medicine
The other was just railroad gin
An’ like a fool I mixed them
An’ it strangled up my mind
An’ now people just get uglier
An’ I have no sense of time
Oh, Mama, can this really be the end
To be stuck inside of Mobile
With the Memphis blues again When Ruthie says come see her
In her honky-tonk lagoon
Where I can watch her waltz for free
’Neath her Panamanian moon
An’ I say, “Aw come on now
You must know about my debutante”
An’ she says, “Your debutante just knows what you need
But I know what you want”
Oh, Mama, can this really be the end
To be stuck inside of Mobile
With the Memphis blues again Now the bricks lay on Grand Street
Where the neon madmen climb
They all fall there so perfectly
It all seems so well timed
An’ here I sit so patiently
Waiting to find out what price
You have to pay to get out of
Going through all these things twice
Oh, Mama, can this really be the end
To be stuck inside of Mobile
With the Memphis blues again
Copyright © 1966 by Dwarf Music; renewed 1994 by Dwarf Music
Copyright © 2024 Robert Wilkinson
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