| Bob Dylan – Changing of the Guards Lyrics | 15 years ago |
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The Jupiter and Apollo line could refer to the children of Israel, torn between the raw power of Rome (Jupiter), and the hedonistic appeal of Hellenistic Judaism (Apollo). 'Lifted her veil' = violated her = invaded her. (The Romans, when they conquered the last holdouts in 70AD). The 'broken chains' are normally thought of as being chains of sin. The 'rolling rock' is definitely a Jesus-image, as when they found Christ's burial site Sunday morning, the rock was rolled away and his body was gone. |
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| Bob Dylan – Changing of the Guards Lyrics | 15 years ago |
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I agree with you. A lot of people misunderstood it at the time becaue Dylan had not professed his Christianity publicly as of yet. I think this is a misunderstood masterpiece that basically explains why Dylan converted (as a solution to the personal chaos in his life, and as a means of piecing together a meaning for the history of Israel). It's because no one knew he had, and because of the second-rate Springsteen production that people hadn't gotten it. |
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| Bob Dylan – I'm Not There Lyrics | 15 years ago |
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He mumbles a lot of the words (sounds like he's drowned his sorrows), but it's clear the emotional tone of the song. He's in a world of hurt, as his love is breaking apart. Seems like he cheated on her ("by temptation as it runs") and he's sorry, but sorry's not good enough. Also seems like she's very fragile (she's alright when I'm there, but she's not when I'm gone). The most poignant part is that even when she's beside him "I'm not there I'm gone." They can't connect anymore. |
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| Bob Dylan – Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again Lyrics | 16 years ago |
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Yeah, he does a couple of "switcheroos" in this song (switching it around from "punched my eyelids and smoked my cigarette"). The other obvious one is "But the post office has been stolen/And the mailbox is locked." |
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| Bob Dylan – Lily, Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts Lyrics | 17 years ago |
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I'm gonna guess the correct lyric is "a Colt revolver clicked." Anyway, I don't think there's a lot of metaphor in this song, as opposed to most Dylan songs. But the one thing he uses the "show, don't tell" principle for is the ending. I say THEY GOT AWAY--Lily and the Jack, that is. Rosemary died for them, kind of like Sydney Carton in A Tale of Two Cities by Dickens. Dylan sometimes has sympathy for the criminals, thinks they're better people than the folks like Diamond Jim. To him, the couple getting away was the fitting ending, Big Jim had it coming. |
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