The Golden Rule

"Don't wanna judge nobody, don't wanna be judged,
Don't wanna touch nobody, don't wanna be touched.
Don't wanna hurt nobody, don't wanna be hurt,
Don't wanna treat nobody like they was dirt."

"But if you do right to me, baby,
I'll do right to you, too.
Ya got to do unto others
Like you'd have them, like you'd have them, do unto you."

Do Right To Me Baby (Do Unto Others) - Slow Train Coming - 1979


If you guys don't mind, I'll add one of my own.

Don't wanna to rule nobody, don't wanna be ruled.
Don't wanna to conquer nobody, don't want be conquered

Talking to me?

"While one who sings with his tongue on fire
Gargles in the rat race choir
Bent out of shape from society's pliers
Cares not to come up any higher
But rather get you down in the hole
That he's in."

It's Alright Ma, (I'm Only Bleeding) - Bringing it All Back Home - 1965

A friend asked me to send along some "angry" Dylan lyrics to help her escape and find some solace in a bitter twist of fate. Thankfully angry Dylan songs are like Dylan protest songs, that is, by his own account they're all protest songs (and I'd add they're all angry).

What hit me in unexpectedly was my second time reading through this verse and realizing it may just describe yours truly but perhaps that's just external pressure on all of us. Its OK to bend to society's pliers... just gotta make sure you don't break.

And The Locusts Sang

Its that time of the year again and here I am once again without a valentine, but its all good, as Bob would say, life sometimes must get lonely. Dylan provides some relief though, for anyone is ever felt that right feeling inside his words reignite that flame, and even if you don't feel towards someone at the moment you can capture the essence of love in your soul like a memory passed down from The Giver. Here's just two examples:

"If not for you,
Winter would have no spring,
Couldn't hear the robin sing,
I just wouldn't have a clue,
Anyway it wouldn't ring true,
If not for you."

If Not For You - New Morning - 1970


"To be alone with you
At the close of the day
With only you in view
While evening slips away
It only goes to show
That while life's pleasures be few
The only one I know
Is when I'm alone with you."

To Be Alone With You - Nashville Skyline - 1969

Desolation Row

After listening to "Desolation Row" about 6 times in a row I have concluded that I will never attempt to dissect, interpret, understand or decipher any part of this song because its way to heavy and sometimes it gives me nightmares of a freak show circus on acid in which Dylan is urinating on the "American Dream". Well I guess I just put one idea out there but that is it. For the sake of our sanity I think we should all leave it alone. Why am I so afraid of this song ? Am I sniffing drainpipes on...

Stop Pickin' on the Jews

After a long hiatus from society I am returning with a simple thought on a great tune. After being thrown into Ryan Adams complete catalog and solving and great dilemma by concluding "Wonderwall" by Oasis is my favorite song of all time, I feel it I can now refocus on Bob Dylan. Thank you.

Chach

Song-Neighborhood Bully

Album-Infidels

I won't lie, I never attempted to connect with this song until Al threw it out there one day. Interesting enough we are talking about the Jews here man. Leave them be. It will never cease to be an international debate and they will always be wrong.  Israel and Palestine are still in the gird lock they were in over 25 years ago when this record was dropped. Here we go again. Bob writing a timeless classic from a non-scholar point of view that will soak into the minds of any open minded human once they are exposed. I don't think the song is limited to just Israel. It's also a statement for Jews in the diaspora as well. Similar to Africans (which Bob also had incredible insight on) they have faced persecution no matter what they accomplish. Overcoming socio-economic and inherently racist and prejudiced institutions. Thanks to Bob for writing this tune. That's all I really have to say. I'll be getting back into the swing of things. Its "Blonde On Blonde" time again.