Desolation Row

Wow. This song is an absolute masterpiece, and a perfect example of Bob Dylan as a literary and musical genius. It is absolutely amazing to me that someone who was all of 24 years old (Dylan's age at the time he wrote the song) had the vision and creativity to pen something like this. Of all his songs, this one is probably my favorite. It's a marvelous ending to probably his most significant album, Highway 61 Revisited.

That being said, I think there are a few, very important things to take into account when trying to interpret this song. 1.) He is essentially reacting to a letter that he received from someone. He is describing those who appear to be mutual aquaintances in a manner that seems more appropriate to him. 2.) The actual Highway 61 ends in Minnesota (where Dylan was born) and is considered by some to be sort of a 'end of civilization' type of place, where society's forsaken end up. This song itself, is also an end of Highway 61, as it is the last song on the album, and 3.) like all Dylan songs, it will mean something different to everyone. There really is no right or wrong answer when it comes to his songs =). I do however, really enjoy the way such a tragic narrative is put to to such beautiful guitar work (played by future grammy winning country/session musician Charlie McCoy).

The first verse serves to introduce you to the type of place Desolation Row is. "They're selling postcards of the hanging/they're painting the passports brown" etc. The postcards line is a reference to an event that occurred in Minnesota, where 2 black men were lynched and hung, only to have the photographs of their hanging put on postcards in the area. Nazi's painted passports of the Jews brown during the Holocaust. This verse also is the first indication that Dylan too, is in this place of horrors. i.e.: "As Lady and I look out tonight from Desolation Row."

The following several verses are important because they all reference characters that are either tragic or downfallen, and events that are considered to be historical disasters or crimes against humanity. Once again indicating that Desolation Row is not a place someone would want to be.

In verse 2, Cinderella is doomed to a life of being misunderstood by others, and cleaning up the messes of Desolation Row, which is similar of course to the life she leads in the fairy tale. i.e. : "Cinderella, she seems so easy" and "Cinderella sweeping up On Desolation Row." In the same verse, Romeo kills himself after being told he cannot have the woman he desires (And someone says, 'You're in the wrong place, my friend You better leave.' And the only sound that's left After the ambulances go...) This too, being accurate with the story in "Romeo and Juliet."

Verse 3 is interesting to me, because it hints at the possibility that some people on Desolation Row are worse off than others. Some may still have hope, while others may be eternally doomed. A scenario is laid out where it becomes nightime, and appears a storm or storm clouds are on the way (Now the moon is almost hidden/The stars are beginning to hide). Everyone has packed it up and gone inside to make love or because of the expected rainfall. Note here that Cain and Abel and the Hunchback of Notre Dame cannot go inside because Cain and Abel have been banished to Desolation Row (like being banished from Eden in the Bible) and noone will make love to the Hunchback because he is hideous and his love goes unreturned (as in the story). So while some others can escape Desolation Row for a while, others are trapped there permanently. And leave it up to the Good Samaritan to visit there to lend a helping hand or attempt to save others (as in the Biblical story).

Verse 4 is important because it is the only verse that references someone who is not on Desolation Row. It mentions Ophelia, who peeks into there on occasion. I believe that Dylan is calling the person who wrote him the initial letter Ophelia. She may not be on Desolation Row (yet), but she peeks in there (sends Dylan the letter) to see what is going on. This character is also tragic i.e. "On her twenty-second birthday/She already is an old maid" and "Her profession's her religion/Her sin is her lifelessness." It is worth nothing also that Ophelia is from Shakespeare's Hamlet, a story in which she committs suicide by drownging herself in a river while wearing an iron vest, because of multiple issues with her family and love (To her, death is quite romantic/ She wears an iron vest).

Verse 5 is about Einstein disguised as Robin Hood. The song implies that Einstein was once a great, well respected man of sound mind and intelligence. However, now he is little more than a crazy bum who sniffs drainpipes and talks to himself i.e.: "Then he went off sniffing drainpipes/And reciting the alphabet." During his living years, Einstein was often thought of as crazy, and that his ideas were nonsense. This may lead someone to keep their ideas to themselves and display an outwards persona that does not match the inside (Einstein, disguised as Robin Hood/With his memories in a trunk).

Verse 6 about Dr. Filth and the cyanide hole is another reference to the Holocaust, where Jews were tricked into shower rooms by Nazi doctors, only to be gassed to death. It is included in this song as an example of a crime against humanity, which seems to occurr frequently in this horrible place called Desolation Row. It is likely because of the 2 Holocaust references I have mentioned, that people interpret the whole song to be about the Holocaust.

Verse 7 is interesting because it mentions the only character on Desolation Row who is not considered 'tragic'. This of course is Casanova, a man who was a one-time consort of European royalty, popes and cardinals, and is frequently referenced as the world's greatest lover. It appears Casanova has mistakenly ended up on Desolation Row where he does not belong. The tragic, local Row inhabitants like The Phantom of the Opera of course must torture him out of jealousy, in an attempt to make him feel like they do, i.e. "They're spoonfeeding Casanova/To get him to feel more assured/Then they'll kill him with self-confidence/ After poisoning him with words." Great use of characters here by Dylan- The Phantom who is hideous and wears a mask, foiled with Casanova, the ladies man. Also interesting that the skinny girls come to see Casanova- skinny indicating desirable physical beauty- only to be chased away by the Phantom, whom one must believe has been shot down by women of this type many times before.

Verse 8 about the superhuman crew and the insurance men are likely symbolic of government authority figures (the superhuman crew) and other people who believe in their own self importance (the insurance men. The term is likely only used to reference those of the establishment, as this would be deemed a 'square' sort of job in the 60's) who attempt to bully, hush, and mock those who preach ideas that are different to the ones they believe in. This is a theme that has showed up in many Dylan songs, especially on this album (see Ballad of A Thin Man). The line "Come out and round up everyone/That knows more than they do" shows the mentality of the people who attempt to stifle anyone smarter or more creative. Not also, that the agents, superhuman crew, and insurance men don't want anyone escaping to Desolation Row, for this may be a place where you can see how things really are in humanity- not through the rose colored glasses those in power want you to see through.

The next verse is the end of the line for many people on Desolation Row. They are doomed to die there, either for the sins they have committed, or because of other issues they may have. The fact they are all sailing on the Titanic, yet still arguing in the captain's tower and about which side to sit on shows the ignorance many of these people are burdened with. The titanic ultimately sinks, of course- this is obvious to everyone not on Desolation Row i.e.: "While calypso singers laugh at them/And fisherman hold flowers". These people are not on the Row, they are out in the waters, watching the event that is about to happen before their eyes. Interesting to note, that Ezra Pound and T.S. Eliot were both ex-patriates, meaning they were born in one country and lived their lives in another. Much like someone being born with a clean slate, but ending up an ex-patriate, living on Desolation Row. These 2 persons also frequently feuded with each other over various philosophies and ideologies during their lifetime.

And of course, the final and most important verse (this is indicated in the way it is seperated from the rest of the song by a harmonica solo). This verse is where Dylan reveals that he received the letter, in which the author discusses her life, friends, and various circumstances of trivial nature, (About the time the door knob broke) completely oblivious to the fact that Dylan, is living in despair on Desolation Row. Dylan cannot relate to her (Don't send me no more letters no/Now unless you mail them/From Desolation Row ) because of their different places in life at ths time. Dylan's response is of the nature that all the people and situations she mentions are not what she thinks they are. He compares them to characters (Cinderella, The Phantom, etc) and horrible situations (Holocaust, the hanging, Titanic, etc). i.e.: "All these people that you mention/ Yes, I know them, they're quite lame/I had to rearrange their faces/And give them all another name." Of course it should go without saying that Desolation Row is a metaphorical place, not a physical location.

There you have it, my interpretation in a nutshell. Let me know what you think!