Highway 61 Revisited

Highway 61 is the thread, the road that leads through all the drama of man, from Abraham and Issac, through the eventual commercialism of everything including nuclear war. This is Dylan at his best.

The song is a panorama of human history in the manner of medieval paintings showing the past present and future, which often used the symbol of a road, for example Breughel's "Hay Wain". Dylan also connects it to his own history and American musical history for those in the know, as his father was Abraham and Highway 61 is the road that runs from Dylan's home state of Minnesota down to the deep south where much of his music comes from. Highway 61 is the land outside quotidien society where man encounters God as in the sacrifice of Isaac by Abraham - our "father in faith" and the father of Israel and thus an appropriate place wherefrom to start the story. Mack the Finger, Louis the King and "forty red white and blue shoe strings" seem to suggest the French and American revolutions which were in large part against traditional religion. "The first father" and "the second mother" suggest Adam and Eve. The "roving gambler" to me always suggests Satan, as in the Book of Job, "From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it". Thus, again as in medieval allegory, the stage is set for a climactic confrontation ("a next world war") with Satan at the end of the world.

I believe this song is about the History of American music and how it relates to Highway 61. The first verse is about Gospel music and Hymns, like the Cristian Hymn “The God of Abraham”. Religious music was the first from of popular music in America and from it emerged all the other styles referred to in this song.

Verse 2 is about “Georgia Sam”, nickname of a real Blues singer, Willie McTell. Poor Howard is “Poor Howard Stith” a Folk Blues singer from Minnesotta.

Verse 3. “Mack the Finger”. Some people had interpret this to mean a gangster or something like that. I believe this refers to Lonnie Mack, a virtuoso blues/ country guitarist known for his finger-picking style of playing. Born in Indiana, he became famous in ’63 and ’64 by recording guitar instrumentals which influenced greats like Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton. Louie the King, I believe is Louie Armstrong the king of Jazz trumpet and song. Also “King Louie” from Disney’s “The Jungle Book” was played by another Jazz musician, Louis Prima, known as the “King of Jazz Band music” in his time. Shoe strings can refer to guitar strings and phones that don’t ring can mean that despite his enormous talent, Lonnie didn’t get a lot of recognition from the recording industry, hence “phones don’t ring” (he doesn’t get calls).

Verse 4. Could refer to Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night which was played as a musical in the early ’60’s. I’m not sure who the characters in this verse might be.

Verse 5. I don’t believe it’s talking about actual war, like some people think. Even Wikipedia says there must be a “political undertone”, and calls the verse “absurd”. But if you know that The “Rovin’ Gambler” is the title of a song by the Stanley Brothers, a Bluegrass duo from Virginia who ended up in Tennessee performing in a radio show in1948 and were very influential in future music, it makes more sense. In the song the gambler ends up in Jail for shooting a cheater, so he’s definitely bored. The gambler takes a chance with the promoter (Maybe George Wein) to set up bleachers and have a “war” which I think means a concert, specifically, the Newport Folk Festival. This concert was the famous occasion when Dylan went “electric” causing a rift or “war” of opinions between those who though he had betrayed them and sold out, and those who thought that the song he played “Like a Rolling Stone” was a revelation to Rock music.

So in conclusion I think this song is a collection of key events in the history of American music, some well known, some familiar only to well informed musicians, like Dylan, and their close link to Highway 61.

Please let me know if you agree or disagree. Either way, this is an awesome song. Cheers!

Well, I'll get involved here because this is indeed a great song. I believe Highway 61 runs through the countryside where Bob Dylan grew up.

I think it's no coincidence that this song and 'Desolation Row' are on the same album - both about places you can go to escape your troubles one way or another. Highway 61 is the more upbeat: no matter who you are, or what you need to do, you can go out to Highway 61 to take care of things. Desolation Row, on the other hand, is where you go when there's no hope left (maybe?).

Apparently the whistle was borrowed from one of Dylan's crew during the recording sessions...

Just a note, the 'incestous family' is actually a blues reference. The Seventh Son is blues term for a folklore concept, and was a staple of blues musicians in the 40's and 50's. Both Howlin' Wolf and Leadbelly (whom Dylan got the talking blues from, by way of Woody Guthrie) had recorded versions of this song.

i just can't help but notice that the first verse is a story from genesis and the last depicts the potential end of the world...both out on highway 61!! is dylan trying to say something? i haven't really figured it out, i was just bringing it up

I'm from Minnesota and lived about 6 blocks off of Hwy 61 so I have always loved this song.

Bob Dylan was never very fond of his Minnesota background. He even told people early in his career that he was from New York. So I have always taken Hwy 61 to mean that it is a road that will take him anywhere but where he is from. He desperately wanted to get out of Minnesota and the means to get to this huge, mysterious world is just to get on Hwy 61 and go.

All of stanzas are talking about huge events such as God talking to Abraham and none of them happen where they are now, they happen "down on Hwy 61" which is leading away from where Dylan grew up.

Just a thought. Seeing what others think.

I remember being thrilled when I first heard the verse: God say, "You can do what you want Abe, but the next time you see me comin' you better run". Seems to sum up the vengeful god portrayed in the Old Testament. Maybe it was at that moment that I became a Dylan fan.

for the last verse im pretty sure this is what bob's talking about

He Compares a politician to a gambler who starts wars purely out of boredom. The politician finds someone who agrees with him and will support this war. The politician really isnt sure what to do, but thinks it will be very easy to start this war. The bleachers in the sun line makes this whole verse. The politician thinks war can be marketed by having people probably pay to watch it like a "sport". Bob is talking how politicians think war is just a game or a show that they could market to people to watch.

i pretty much skimmed through all this so i don't know if this has already been said, but i'm thinking it's just a cesspool pretty much. every time someone's down on highway 61 they're taking part in something shady or perverted or both, it just kind of seems like he's making a little joke of it. i know it's a golden highway of opportunity and all, and it has history and stuff, but maybe this is just one aspect of it, it's a road where anything goes, and apparently a lot of dirty shit happens along the way.