| Bob Dylan – Lily, Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts Lyrics | 20 years ago |
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I think this song is being analysed a tad too much. This three-personality thing is silly; it robs all the characters of personal identity and role within the plot. If Lily and Rosemary are one person, why would Rosemary be taking "a carriage into town" while Lily is already there "playing five-card stud by the stairs"? To the earlier post by bbbbb: Jack of Hearts could be (in my opinion, is) a semi-notorious out-law, maybe more so "down in Mexico" and his face may have been on "WANTED" posters in that country (as opposed to what Jim believes to be an innocent picture "up on somebody's shelf"). For this reason (i.e. that Jim doesn't completely recognise Jack [just YET anyway]) i don't believe that Jim and Jack were partners in crime, just related coz of the Lily situation. Which, reminds me.... Jack of Hearts doesn't die!! he's the good guy, the protagonist!! he was the "only person on the scene missin'"! This i believe for several reasons: The stanza where "lily takes her dress off" is Lily and Jack alone in a room. she says "i'm glad to see your still alive" hints at a previous meeting, maybe one where Jim briefly met/saw him and so vaguely remembers him earlier in the song. Now, "down the hallway footsteps were coming for the Jack of Hearts" could easily be Jim lookin for his wife, (probably finally realising where he'd seen "that face before", putting 2 and 2 together and so looking for Jack also) and Rosemary following Jim as she could be bitter at Lily for stealing her husband. Now, I think the "cold revolver" that clicked belonged to, not Jim, but Jack, as he is ahead of the game, expecting Jim to figure it out in his girl's absence and so Jim is left "standing there, ya couldn't say surprised" while a gun is pointed at his head. Now here is where it gets interesting.... as we know, Rosemary is mighty pissed and fed up with living. So does "the one good deed before she died" and that is stab Jim with a "penknife in the back" as a kinda sacrifice for Jack to get away as she knows she would lose out to Lily anyway. Rosemary "lookin' to the future, riding on the Jack of Hearts" means just simply riding on the hope of getting away with Jack, tho this is impossible and she knows it. So, Jim dead, Rosemary 'bout to be hanged, Jack getting away while Lily is left to think about everything and wait until the next time the Jack of Hearts shows his face again, maybe next time she'll leave with him. Being on 'Blood on the Tracks', it may be reasonable to want to infer meaning into the song, but i think the songs tone acts to kinda split the album up as the rest of the album is painful, though my favourite Dylan album. |
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