I think that this song is a communication with his father. Probably, he'd always told himself that he would never be an artist, a poet. In the first verse, he clearly feels the call to comment on society, which is how his father got his start. I suppose the early Dylan could be seen as a minstrel - someone who has the world and his art, quite literally, strapped across his back.
Something that always struck me about Bob Dylan is how he seemed so alone when he performed - see the movie Don't Look Back to see what I an talking about. His father would have been about 50 when he wrote this song. And, surely, he was singing songs that Jacob knew complete.
So, I think he's telling his father that the same artistic curse that was laid on him is now being visited upon the son. Any other interpreation of the song leaves unexplained the enigmatic line----
"The same black line that was drawn on you
Was drawn on me "
Like this interpretation because I kept thinking about Bob Dylan during this song. I think Sixth Avenue is in NYC and yes, a curse of some sort--maybe the art and music, but also a sadness, maybe depression? The curse of many artists and poets....Though his achievements are enormous, Dylan never sounds happy in his music or in his appearance....so I wonder if the black line represents depression...
Like this interpretation because I kept thinking about Bob Dylan during this song. I think Sixth Avenue is in NYC and yes, a curse of some sort--maybe the art and music, but also a sadness, maybe depression? The curse of many artists and poets....Though his achievements are enormous, Dylan never sounds happy in his music or in his appearance....so I wonder if the black line represents depression...
I think that this song is a communication with his father. Probably, he'd always told himself that he would never be an artist, a poet. In the first verse, he clearly feels the call to comment on society, which is how his father got his start. I suppose the early Dylan could be seen as a minstrel - someone who has the world and his art, quite literally, strapped across his back. Something that always struck me about Bob Dylan is how he seemed so alone when he performed - see the movie Don't Look Back to see what I an talking about. His father would have been about 50 when he wrote this song. And, surely, he was singing songs that Jacob knew complete.
So, I think he's telling his father that the same artistic curse that was laid on him is now being visited upon the son. Any other interpreation of the song leaves unexplained the enigmatic line---- "The same black line that was drawn on you Was drawn on me "
Like this interpretation because I kept thinking about Bob Dylan during this song. I think Sixth Avenue is in NYC and yes, a curse of some sort--maybe the art and music, but also a sadness, maybe depression? The curse of many artists and poets....Though his achievements are enormous, Dylan never sounds happy in his music or in his appearance....so I wonder if the black line represents depression...
Like this interpretation because I kept thinking about Bob Dylan during this song. I think Sixth Avenue is in NYC and yes, a curse of some sort--maybe the art and music, but also a sadness, maybe depression? The curse of many artists and poets....Though his achievements are enormous, Dylan never sounds happy in his music or in his appearance....so I wonder if the black line represents depression...