Changing of the Guards

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.

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.

16 years since his firts album to this one . 16 years in "the market place "
16 years CRUSADING (banners )
nietsche....thus spoke zarathustra ...zarathustra enters the market place after years of isolation and proclaims that "we have killed god "

@suckmykiss Bob Dylan and Sara were married from November 22, 1965 - June 29, 1977 so about 11 and a half years. Others have speculated on this point and it might be talking about his marriage and subsequent breakup with Sara. It certainly fits in well with the time when they broke up.

The Changing of the Guards

I propose that this song is about Dylan's career, the 60's, how he was seen as a redeeming Christ like figure, the different way in which is work was treated around the time that he wrote this song and of ours his marriage. It compares his "electric" revolution, his "big band" style of this time and anticipates, consciously or not, his conversion to Christianity, and uses the metaphor of the Resurrection. As is usual for Dylan, pronouns are mixed up and time is fluid. (Rearranging the verses also helps the sense :-) )

Sixteen years - 16 years since his first album
Sixteen banners united over the field - the open air gig
Where the good shepherd grieves - BD is the "good shepherd", "grieving" or singing the blues
Desperate men, desperate women divided, - fans, "divided" between fans of his old music and his new music
Spreading their wings 'neath falling leaves. - fans who open their arms in "supplication" , the '"fall" of his career, the "leaves" of the sheet music

Fortune calls
I stepped forth from the shadows to the marketplace - stepping from the wings of a stage, trying to sell his film
Merchants and thieves, hungry for power, - the record industry, my last deal gone down - "Renaldo and Clara" his failed film, panned by the critics
She's smelling sweet , like the meadows where she was born, "Isis" in the meadow in R&C
On midsummer's eve near the tower**. - Midsummer's Eve the reputed nativity of John the Baptist, his muse, (Sara/Isis) could be seen to have baptised him

The cold-blooded moon - Diana , goddess of the Moon, sister to Apollo, the spotlight on the performer is like a "moon",
The captain waits above the celebration - BD is the captain, the celebration is the gig
Sending his thoughts to a beloved maid - his muse or/ black music, "White men can't play the blues",
Whose ebony face is beyond communication - Shakespeare's "Dark Lady" to whom he wrote the sonnets or/ Mary Alice Artes, the backing singer on hs previous tour
The captain is down but still believing that his love will be repaid. - he will be vindicated

They shaved her head - she is BD, Samson was shaved, to disempower him and enslave him grinding corn, "grinding out the same songs"
She was torn between Jupiter and Apollo - palmistry, *
A messenger arrived with a black nightingale - the bird of song, or/ Mary Alice Artes
I seen her on the stairs and I couldn't help but follow, the stairs are the musical staff of sheet music
Follow her down past the fountain where they lifted her veil. - he changes the way he sings many of his old songs on the "Budokan" tour, (eg "Shelter..", "Love minus zero"), this idea was maybe forming in his head

I stumbled to my feet - he recovers
I rode past destruction in the ditches - the ditches follow the "road" he is on, ditches are low points, his work "destroyed" by critics
With the stitches still mending beneath a heart-shaped tattoo - he has been "stitched up" by critics; the "tattoo" a heart surgeon makes
Renegade priests and treacherous young witches - priests who interpret, critics
Were handing out the flowers that I'd given to you. - they criticise the art he gave to his audience,

The palace of mirrors - "The Hall of Mirrors" by Robert Stone, about America in the 60's
Where dog soldiers are reflected - "Dog Soldiers" by R. Stone, about the dark underside of the 60's
The endless road and the wailing of chimes - the "Endless tour", the guitar sound of Mick Ronson on The Rolling Thunder tour, "The Chimes of Freedom", chimes "Blowin' in the Wind", them "answer" is to tour and perform
The empty rooms where her memory is protected - empty hotel rooms on tour, she might be Sara, his wife whom he was divorcing
Where the angel's voices whisper to the souls of previous times. - DJ's voices playing the old ("soul") music he loved ; or/ the children who are no longer in the rooms of his house

She wakes him up - we shift to a Biblical motif, the resurrection, in Christianity symbolised by the laurel,
Forty-eight hours later the sun is breaking
Near broken chains, mountain laurel and rolling rocks - Gethsemane; laurel, symbol of Christ, he broke the chains of fans' expectations of him
She's begging to know what measures he now will be taking - "she" is his early 60's folky audience wanting to know what he is going to do about changing the world
He's pulling her down and she's clutching on to his long golden locks. - BD is the redeemer figure, he had hair and power then

Gentlemen, he said I don't need your organisation, I've shined your shoes - back to BD, saying, "I've been your servant"
I've moved your mountains and marked your cards - he rejects their claim on him
But Eden is burning either brace yourself for elimination
Or else your hearts must have the courage for the changing of the guards. - his change to electric rather than acoustic music/ or/ the "Budokan" tour or/ any future changes in direction by BD or/ speculatively, he is anticipating his imminent "conversion" to Christianity

Peace will come - the song is resolving now, with apocalyptic imagery,
With tranquillity and splendour on the wheels of fire
But will bring us no reward when her false idols fall - BD was the "false idol" of the 60's peace movement
And cruel death surrenders with it's pale ghost retreating
Between the King and the Queen of Swords. Tarot meanings*** and/ "the pen trumps the sword" , simply, BD's work will live on after his death


*
Apollo, the finger of the sun, is also the finger that indicates how creative you are. And much like the star that lights the world, this finger signifies how you will find your creativity. Apollo (ring) and Jupiter (pointer) fingers need to be equal.
Such a relationship indicates a balance between talent and ambition. You might appreciate beauty and hav*e style as a musician or actor, but you need to be able to have these two fingers in balance in order to manage the lifestyle.But an extreme Apollo will be nearly equal in length to the Saturn. If you have this, you crave an audience and expect applause. You might not be able to withstand the stormy rejection of critics, often thinking your work is truly innovative and beyond the comprehension of the masses. Or, if you don’t get recognition soon enough, you may simply decide to throw away your career.
independent.com/news/2008/feb/06/apollo-and-jupiter/

**
The Tower shows a tall tower pitched atop a craggy mountain. Lightning strikes and flames burst from the building’s windows. People are seen to be leaping from the tower in desperation, wanting to flee such destruction and turmoil. The Tower signifies darkness and destruction on a physical scale, as opposed to a spiritual scale. The Tower itself represents ambitions built on false premises. The lightning bolt breaks down existing forms in order to make room for new ones. It represents a sudden, momentary glimpse of truth, a flash of inspiration that breaks down structures of ignorance and false reasoning. Notice the lightning bolt is oriented left to right (from the perspective of the card), from heaven to earth, and from Spirit to material. The falling figures correspond to the chained prisoners in the Devil card. They fall headfirst, because the sudden influx of spiritual consciousness represented by the lightning flash completely upsets all our old notions about the relations between subconsciousness and self-consciousness. The flames are actually the Hebrew yods. There are 22 flames, representing the 22 Major Arcana. The gray clouds are the clouds of misfortune that rain on everyone indiscriminately. The ruling planet of this card is Mars.

***
The King of Swords is a symbol of intellectual power and authority, and has the courage and intellect to accomplish all that he desires. He represents judgement, command, and rulership. His character indicates the stern leadership of a judge, lawyer, or military commander whose emotions must be kept in check under the pressure of battle. Therefore, the King of Swords asks you to remain detached and objective in a specific situation, in order to ascertain the truth and seek out only the facts. You need to use your intellect to prove your point and succeed. Your education and experience are important but so are your day-to-day observations and thoughts. You can also solve problems by using history, rules, laws and diplomacy.
The Queen of Swords represents the sternness of a mature intellect which is devoid of emotion. In mythology, the feminine is associated with emotion, yet in this card the woman is stern and composed, and without much feeling. This card therefore represents the intellect’s ability to judge and discern impartially, without the influence of emotion or sentimentality. She likes to know the how, what, why, where, when and who of everything to help her make sense of her environment and to better understand others. It is not that she does not care about others but she connects to other people through an intellectual understanding rather than an emotional understanding.
The Queen of Swords is a sign that you need to be independent in thought and in judgement. You must use your unbiased intelligence in order to make a judgement of a particular situation, drawing upon every piece of information and fact that you have gathered along the way. Empathy or compassion towards others may distract you from the task at hand, so it is important that you think with your head and not with your heart at this particular time. Do not let emotion get in the way. Rather, use fact and logic to make your decisions.
The Queen of Swords also has an innate ability to tell it like it is. She is a quick thinker and highly perceptive, and as such, she can cut through the noise and confusion to get straight to the point. There is certainly no ‘beating about the bush’, or ‘softening’ of her comments, opinions and thoughts. She is upfront and honest about her opinions, and expects the same from others. The best way to interact with the Queen of Swords, therefore, is to remain as impartial as possible, and to present your thoughts and opinions concisely and honestly.