Revolution in the Air: The Songs of Bob Dylan, 1957-1973 (Cappella Books)

497 Pages·2009·2.31 MB·English

by  Clinton Heylin

REVOLUTION IN THE AIR
{ The Songs of Bob Dylan 1957–1973 }
CLINTON HEYLIN
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Is available from the Library of Congress.
Interior design: Sarah Olson
© 2009 by Clinton Heylin
All rights reserved
First edition
Published by Chicago Review Press, Incorporated
814 North Franklin Street
Chicago, Illinois 60610
ISBN 978-1-55652-843-9
Printed in the United States of America
5 4 3 2 1
To Sean Body, a gentleman-editor of the old school.

{ Contents }
Seems Like an Intro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
“Do Not Accept Chaos”: Some Notes on Method . . . . . . . 13
Song Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
(cid:91)(cid:91)(cid:91)(cid:92)(cid:92)(cid:93) JUVENILIA (1957–60) (cid:93)(cid:92)(cid:92)(cid:91)(cid:91)(cid:91)
Hibbing:
1. Song to Brigit .................................... 27
2. Big Black Train ................................... 27
3. Hey Little Richard ................................ 27
4. When I Got Troubles .............................. 27
5. I Got a New Girl a.k.a. Teen Love Serenade ........... 27
Minneapolis:
6. One-Eyed Jacks ................................... 29
7. Bob Dylan’s Blues ................................. 29
8. Every Time I Hear the Spirit ........................ 29
9. Greyhound Blues ................................. 29
10. Talkin’ Hugh Brown .............................. 32
11. Bonnie, Why’d You Cut My Hair? ................... 32
12. Song to Bonny .................................... 32
(cid:91)(cid:91)(cid:91)(cid:92)(cid:92)(cid:93) 1961 (cid:93)(cid:92)(cid:92)(cid:91)(cid:91)(cid:91)
13. Song To Woody ..................................... 35
14. Colorado Blues ...................................... 38
15. Don’t Let My Deal Go Down .......................... 38
16. Just as Long as I’m in This World ....................... 39
17. Mean Ol’ Mississippi Blues ............................ 39
18. VD Seaman’s Last Letter .............................. 39
19. Rocky Mountain Belle #2 ............................. 39
20. Down at Washington Square .......................... 39
21. NYC Blues / Talkin’ New York ......................... 43
22. California Brown-Eyed Baby ..........................44
23. Dead for a Dollar .................................... 45
24. Big City Blues ....................................... 45
25. The Preacher’s Folly ................................. 45
26. Red Travelin’ Shoes .................................. 46
27. Talkin’ Bear Mountain Picnic Massacre Blues ............. 47
28. Talkin’ Hava Nagila Blues ............................. 47
29. Dope Fiend Robber .................................. 48
30. The Great Chicagoan ................................ 48
31. I’ll Get Where I’m Going Someday ..................... 48
32. Rockin’ Chair ....................................... 48
33. I Hear a Train A-Rolling .............................. 48
34. Ramblin’ Gamblin’ Blues ............................. 48
35. Man on the Street .................................... 53
36. Over The Road = Sally Gal ............................ 54
37. Hard Times in New York Town ........................ 55
38. I Was Young When I Left Home ....................... 55
39. Ballad of the Ox-Bow Incident ......................... 59
40. Won’t You Buy My Postcard? .......................... 59
41. Strange Rain ........................................ 59
(cid:91)(cid:91)(cid:91)(cid:92)(cid:92)(cid:93) 1962 (cid:93)(cid:92)(cid:92)(cid:91)(cid:91)(cid:91)
42. Ballad for a Friend ...................................64
43. Poor Boy Blues ......................................64
44. Death of Robert Johnson .............................. 66
45. Standing on the Highway ............................. 66
46. Ramblin’ Gamblin’ Willie ............................. 68
47. Talkin’ John Birch Society Blues ........................ 70
48. The Death of Emmett Till ............................ 71
49. Ballad of Donald White ............................... 74
50. Let Me Die in My Footsteps ........................... 75
51. Talkin’ Folklore Center ............................... 77
52. Blowin’ in the Wind .................................. 77
53. Corrina, Corrina .................................... 82
54. Honey, Just Allow Me One More Chance ................ 82
55. Rocks and Gravel .................................... 82
56. Quit Your Lowdown Ways ............................ 85
57. Babe, I’m in the Mood for You. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
58. Down the Highway .................................. 85
59. Bob Dylan’s Blues .................................... 85
60. Tomorrow Is a Long Time ............................ 87
61. Ain’t Gonna Grieve .................................. 90
62. Long Ago, Far Away ................................. 90
63. Long Time Gone .................................... 91
64. Talkin’ Hypocrite .................................... 92
65. Gates of Hate ....................................... 92
66. That California Side .................................. 92
67. A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall ........................... 93
68. Ballad of Hollis Brown ............................... 98
69. John Brown ........................................ 100
70. Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right ...................... 101
71. Mixed-Up Confusion ................................ 103
72. I’d Hate to Be You on That Dreadful Day ............... 104
73. Paths of Victory .................................... 104
74. Train A-Travelin’ ................................... 105
75. Walkin’ Down the Line ............................. 106
76. Cuban Missile Crisis ................................ 106
77. Ye Playboys and Playgirls ............................ 107
78. Oxford Town ...................................... 107
79. I Shall Be Free ..................................... 109
80. Kingsport Town .................................... 112
81. Hero Blues ........................................ 113
82. Whatcha Gonna Do? ................................ 114
(cid:91)(cid:91)(cid:91)(cid:92)(cid:92)(cid:93) 1963 (cid:93)(cid:92)(cid:92)(cid:91)(cid:91)(cid:91)
83. Masters of War ..................................... 115
84. Girl from the North Country ......................... 119
85. Boots of Spanish Leather ............................ 122
86. Bob Dylan’s Dream ................................. 124
87. Farewell .......................................... 125
88. Talkin’ Devil ....................................... 126
89. All Over You ....................................... 127
90. Going Back to Rome ................................ 128
91. Bound to Lose ...................................... 128
92. Only a Hobo ....................................... 128
93. Ramblin’ Down thru the World ....................... 130
94. Walls of Red Wing .................................. 130
95. Bob Dylan’s New Orleans Rag ........................ 132
96. You’ve Been Hiding Too Long ........................ 133
97. Dusty Old Fairgrounds .............................. 133
98. Who Killed Davey Moore? ........................... 133
99. Seven Curses ...................................... 135
100. With God on Our Side .............................. 137
101. Talkin’ World War III Blues .......................... 141
102. Liverpool Gal ..................................... 142
103. Only a Pawn in Their Game ......................... 143
104. Eternal Circle ..................................... 147
105. North Country Blues ............................... 148
106. Gypsy Lou ........................................ 150
107. Troubled and I Don’t Know Why ..................... 150
108. When the Ship Comes In ........................... 151
109. The Times They Are A-Changin’ ..................... 154
110. Percy’s Song ...................................... 159
111. Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll .................... 161
112. Lay Down Your Weary Tune ........................ 167
113. One Too Many Mornings ........................... 169
114. Restless Farewell .................................. 170

(cid:91)(cid:91)(cid:91)(cid:92)(cid:92)(cid:93) 1964 (cid:93)(cid:92)(cid:92)(cid:91)(cid:91)(cid:91)
115. Guess I’m Doing Fine ............................... 175
116. Chimes of Freedom ................................ 176
117. Mr. Tambourine Man ............................... 181
118. I Don’t Believe You
(She Acts Like We Never Have Met) .................. 186
119. Spanish Harlem Incident ............................ 187
120. Motorpsycho Nitemare ............................. 188
121. It Ain’t Me Babe ................................... 189
122. Denise Denise .................................... 191
123. Mama, You Been on My Mind ....................... 192
124. Ballad In Plain D .................................. 194
125. Black Crow Blues .................................. 198
126. I Shall Be Free #10 ................................. 199
127. To Ramona .......................................200
128. All I Really Want to Do ............................. 202
129. I’ll Keep It with Mine ............................... 203
130. My Back Pages .................................... 206
131. Gates of Eden ..................................... 208
132. It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding) ................... 210
133. If You Gotta Go, Go Now ........................... 213
134. Farewell Angelina ................................. 214
135. Love Is Just a Four-Letter World ...................... 214

(cid:91)(cid:91)(cid:91)(cid:92)(cid:92)(cid:93) 1965 (cid:93)(cid:92)(cid:92)(cid:91)(cid:91)(cid:91)
136. Subterranean Homesick Blues ....................... 220
137. California ........................................ 223
138. Outlaw Blues ..................................... 223
139. Love Minus Zero / No Limit ........................ 224
140. She Belongs to Me ................................. 226
141. It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue ......................... 227
142. Bob Dylan’s 115th Dream ........................... 229
143. On the Road Again ................................. 230
144. You Don’t Have to Do That ......................... 230
145. Maggie’s Farm ..................................... 231
146. Phantom Engineer = It Takes a Lot to Laugh,
It Takes a Train to Cry .............................. 232
147. Sitting on a Barbed-Wire Fence ....................... 236
148. Like a Rolling Stone ................................ 237
149. Why Do You Have to Be So Frantic? .................. 245