Re: Biblical References in Modern Times
- From: "Barbara" <barbarac102@xxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 31 Aug 2006 11:08:53 -0700
"Delia" <shootingstar789@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:1157045242.663965.256350@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Golly gee, Jackson. Dylan making Biblical references, who'd ever have
imagined? Certainly no one around here. You'd better come convert the
pagans. Better yet, why don't you check out the rmd archives or the
existing literature and see what we know. Do you have any idea what
people around here think, know or believe?
And BTW, some of your interpretations are flawed. God is only one of
Dylan's obsessions. Love, sex, death, and the corruption of society
are others.
Yikes, maybe Jackson is just discovering all this for himself for the first
time. Maybe he is excited and wanted to share what he found.
Personally, I love hearing anything to do with Bob's biblical references.
Jackson is taking it from Modern Times, which just came out, maybe he is
aware of the older references and if he isn't maybe he'll look into it.
Either way, I appreciated his post.
~Barbara~
Jackson K. Eskew wrote:
Below these introductory comments, I cite the Biblical/Judeo-Christian
references/imagery/themes in each song on Modern Times.
But first, this article ( http://tinyurl.com/ng9b8 ) contains Dylan
quotes that will help people understand why Modern Times, above all
other Dylan albums, is filled with Biblical references. For example,
-"The only parables I know are the biblical parables." They are
surprised. "When did you read the Bible parables?" "I have always read
the Bible," answers Dylan, "though not necessarily always the
parables." They joke that Dylan does not seem to be the kind of person
who picks up a Gideon Bible in a hoteloom. "Well," he says, wearily,
"you never know."
-"Who does Christ become when he lives inside a certain person?" he
muses aloud.
"What would Christ be in this day and age if he came back?" The
interviewer, a bit startled, reminds Dylan that he grew up Jewish.
"I've never felt Jewish," Dylan responds. He goes on to recall "seeing
a Time magazine on an airplane a few years back and it had a big cover
headline, 'IS GOD DEAD?' I mean, that was - would you think that was a
responsible thing to do?...You know I think the country's gone downhill
since that day."
-The article concludes: "Dylan started off singing about the end of the
world, and he
ended up adopting the theological beliefs that made sense of his
musical prophesying."
-"For me there is no Right and there is no Left. There's truth and
untruth, y'know? There's honesty, and there's hypocrisy. Look in the
Bible, you don't see nothing about Right or
Left. Other people might have other ideas about things, but I don't,
because I'm not that smart. I hate to keep beating people over the head
with the Bible, but that's the only instrument I know, the only thing
that stays true."
Note Dylan's rejection of today's dictatorship of relativism in that
quote immediately above, for this regime ultimately teaches that there
is no truth, only interpretation and difference.
Now, on to the songs. You'll see that they're immersed in the
Judeo-Christian tradition. One who does not know this tradition well is
obviously bound to miss the depth of much of Dylan's work, especially
in Modern Times. Biblical illiterates, needless to say, won't recognize
the Biblical connection in some of the lyrics cited here. To begin to
correct this problem, I recommend that you visit my page here:
http://tinyurl.com/ojgvh
The songs:
1. Thunder On The Mountain
-Thunder on the mountain, and there's fires on the moon
A ruckus in the alley and the sun will be here soon
Today's the day, gonna grab my trombone and blow
Well, there's hot stuff here and it's everywhere I go
-The writing on the wall, come read it, come see what it say
-Thunder on the mountain, rollin' like a drum
Gonna sleep over there, that's where the music coming from
I don't need any guide, I already know the way
Remember this, I'm your servant both night and day
-Thunder on the mountain rolling to the ground
Gonna get up in the morning walk the hard road down
Some sweet day I'll stand beside my king
-I been to St. Herman's church, said my religious vows
-The hammer's on the table, the pitchfork's on the shelf
For the love of God, you ought to take pity on yourself
2. Spirit On The Water
-Spirit on the water
Darkness on the face of the deep
-I've been trampling through mud
Praying to the powers above
-I wanna be with you in paradise
And it seems so unfair
I can't go to paradise no more
I killed a man back there
I think Paradise may be a pun on the name of a town. It's hard to say.
We know he loves bad puns
4. When The Deal Goes Down (Basically the whole song, i.e., "The Deal"
= apocalypse)
Through the darkness on the pathways of life
Each invisible prayer is like a cloud in the air
Tomorrow keeps turning around
We live and we die, we know not why
But I'll be with you when the deal goes down....
"When the deal goes down" is not the apocalypse. It's death. This is
a love song and a beautiful one, although not one that follows the
conventions. The singer promises his love he'll be with her until
death parts them.
6. Workingman's Blues #2
-In you, my friend, I find no blame
Wanna look in my eyes, please do
No one can ever claim
That I took up arms against you
All across the peaceful sacred fields
They will lay you low
They'll break your horns and slash you with steel
I say it so it must be so
This is one of the three songs he's written about the working class.
North Country Blues and Union Sundown being the other two. NCB and
this work. US doesn't. This one mixes in the loss of an old love with
the decline of the working class. In all his songs, whether about
religion or societal disaster he tends to work in the theme of human
love.
7. Beyond The Horizon (the whole song. i.e., Horizon = heaven)
Beyond the horizon, behind the sun
At the end of the rainbow life has only begun
In the long hours of twilight 'neath the stardust above
Beyond the horizon it is easy to love
I'm touched with desire
What don't I do?
Through flame and through fire
I'll build my world around you
Beyond the horizon, in the Springtime or Fall
Love waits forever, for one and for all
Beyond the horizon, across the divide
'Round about midnight, we'll be on the same side
Down in the valley the water runs cold
Beyond the horizon someone prayed for your soul
My wretched heart is pounding
I felt an angel's kiss
My memories are drowning
In mortal bliss
Beyond the horizon, at the end of the game
Every step that you take, I'm walking the same
Beyond the horizon, the night winds blow
The theme of a melody from many moons ago
The bells of St. Mary, how sweetly they chime
Beyond the horizon I found you just in time
It's dark and it's dreary
I've been pleading in vain
I'm wounded, I'm weary
My repentance is plain
Beyond the horizon o'r the treacherous sea
I still can't believe that you have set aside your love for me
Beyond the horizon, 'neath crimson skies
In the soft light of morning I'll follow you with my eyes
Through countries and kingdoms and temples of stone
Beyond the horizon right down to the bone
It's the right time of the season
Somebody there always cared
There's always a reason
Why someone's life has been spared
Beyond the horizon, the sky is so blue
I've got more than a lifetime to live lovin' you
It's a love that failed. It may work over the rainbow, beyond the
rainbow, as a Platonic Ideal, in heaven, if you will. But not on
earth.
8. Nettie Moore
-Got a pile of sins to pay for and I ain't got time to hide
-Albert's in the graveyard, Frankie's raising hell
I'm beginning to believe what the Scriptures tell
-I'm ridin' with you to the top of the hill [= heaven]
-the river's on the rise [impending apocalypse]
-The judge's coming in, everybody rise
Lift up your eyes
You can do what you please, you don't need my advice
'Fore you call me any dirty names, you better think twice
-A life time with you is like some heavenly day
-Today I'll stand in faith and raise
The voice of praise
The sun is strong, I'm standing in the light
I wish to God that it were night
9. The Levee's Gonna Break
-If it keep on rainin', the levee gonna break
If it keep on rainin', the levee gonna break
Everybody saying this is a day only the Lord could make
-I paid my time and now I'm good as new,
I paid my time and now I'm as good as new. [He's been reborn and
delivered from sin]
They can't take me back unless I want 'em to [demons]
-Some of these people don't know which road to take [they know not of
the narrow road]
-Few more years of hard work, then there'll be a 1,000 years of
happiness
-Some people still sleepin', some people are wide awake
10. Ain't Talkin'
-As I walked out tonight in the mystic garden
The wounded flowers were dangling from the vine
I was passing by yon cool crystal fountain
Someone hit me from behind
-They say prayer has the power to heal
So pray from the Mother [Mary]
In the human heart an evil spirit can dwell
I am a-tryin' to love my neighbor and do good unto others
But oh, Mother, things ain't going well
-Walkin' through the cities of the plague.
-I practice a faith that's been long abandoned
Ain't no altars on this long and lonesome road
-Well, it's bright in the heavens and the wheels are flyin'
Fame and honor never seem to fade
The fire gone out but the light is never dyin'
Who says I can't get heavenly aid?
-Carryin' a dead man's shield
-As I walked out in the mystic garden
On a hot summer day, a hot summer lawn
Excuse me, ma'am, I beg your pardon
There's no one here, the gardener is gone
-Ain't talkin', just walkin'
Up the road, around the bend.
Heart burnin', still yearnin'
In the last outback at the world's end.
Ain't Talkin' is very complex. I don't think we're ready to analyze
this one yet, except perhaps in bits and pieces.
.
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