Both as a standalone and as part of the DSOTS album, you can take this lyric as read. As a matter of public record, Jourgensen's drug intake was legendary even in the 1980s. By the late 90s, in his own words, he was grappling with massive addiction issues and had lost almost everything: friends, spouse, money and had nearly died more than once. "Dark Side of the Spoon" is a both funny & sad title for an album made by a musical genius who was losing the plot; and this song is a message to his fans & friends saying he knows it. It's painful to listen to so I'm glad the "Keith Richards of industrial metals" wised up and cleaned up. Well done sir.
Seen the arrow on the doorpost
Saying, "This land is condemned
All the way from New Orleans
To Jerusalem."
I traveled through East Texas
Where many martyrs fell
And I know no one can sing the blues
Like Blind Willie McTell
Well, I heard the hoot owl singing
As they were taking down the tents
The stars above the barren trees
Were his only audience
Them charcoal gypsy maidens
Can strut their feathers well
But nobody can sing the blues
Like Blind Willie McTell
See them big plantations burning
Hear the cracking of the whips
Smell that sweet magnolia blooming
See the ghosts of slavery ships
I can hear them tribes a-moaning
Hear the undertaker's bell
Nobody can sing the blues
Like Blind Willie McTell
There's a woman by the river
With some fine young handsome man
He's dressed up like a squire
Bootlegged whiskey in his hand
There's a chain gang on the highway
I can hear them rebels yell
And I know no one can sing the blues
Like Blind Willie McTell
Well, God is in heaven
And we all want what's His
But power and greed and corruptible seed
Seem to be all that there is
I'm gazing out the window
Of the St. James Hotel
And I know no one can sing the blues
Like Blind Willie McTell
Saying, "This land is condemned
All the way from New Orleans
To Jerusalem."
I traveled through East Texas
Where many martyrs fell
And I know no one can sing the blues
Like Blind Willie McTell
Well, I heard the hoot owl singing
As they were taking down the tents
The stars above the barren trees
Were his only audience
Them charcoal gypsy maidens
Can strut their feathers well
But nobody can sing the blues
Like Blind Willie McTell
See them big plantations burning
Hear the cracking of the whips
Smell that sweet magnolia blooming
See the ghosts of slavery ships
I can hear them tribes a-moaning
Hear the undertaker's bell
Nobody can sing the blues
Like Blind Willie McTell
There's a woman by the river
With some fine young handsome man
He's dressed up like a squire
Bootlegged whiskey in his hand
There's a chain gang on the highway
I can hear them rebels yell
And I know no one can sing the blues
Like Blind Willie McTell
Well, God is in heaven
And we all want what's His
But power and greed and corruptible seed
Seem to be all that there is
I'm gazing out the window
Of the St. James Hotel
And I know no one can sing the blues
Like Blind Willie McTell
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The song tells the story of the life of Blind Willie McTell. His struggles and the world he was born in. It also clearly speculates on the fact that Blind Willie McTell never again sung the blues after his convertion. He became a Baptist preacher and started singing gospel music (never recorded)
Mind the fact that Dylan has changed the lyrics of the first stanza at live concerts into:
All the way from New Orleans to New JerusalemThis part seams to deal with the hard times of a black blues singer whos struggles will go on tillkingdom come. In the same verse he tells the story of many slaves who died by the hand of the KKK for their believes in Eastern Texas.The second verse probably is somewhat more autobiographical since its telling the story of people who work at a carnival. Dylan used to work at a gypsy circus in his younger years (listen to the gaslight tapes)
The third verse then again tells the story of the slaves who came in oproar against their opressors. This part is written in beautifull imagery. For example: The magnolia starts to bloom as soon as it gets the possibility to do so. Many magnolias die because they bloom to soon.
I Truly don
t know what the fourth verse means. It might be the immage of love for woman and booze in Blind Willies early career.The last verse is pretty clear as it deals with the preaching of blind willi mctell. He told people that no matter how hard live is only God will care for you. We should never give up the struggle even though there is so much pain in this world. the second part of this verse seams pretty clear to me now thanks to this qoute of geranium kisses:
the St james was a real place that opened as a hotel in New Orleans in 1859 but during the civil War was converted by occupying Union troops into a military hospital.
well that about wraps it up for today.
Most of Dylan's stories from the sixties are fictional. Dylan never actually worked in carnival.