musically this song is second only to Ballad of a Thin Man as far as sonic depth and a sense of awkward negativity. Maybe negativity isn't the right word. but Dylan has a way with music nobody else has. sure he's a great poet, but so are Neil Young and Conor Oberst and Damien Rice and others. but nobody has the ability to create music that goes so perfectly with emotions. i think if he wanted to he could write a song with music so cruel-sounding it could hurt somebody's feelings without even having lyrics. but "Dirge" is just incredible musically. I feel when i hear it like the narrator is psychotic, or coping with serious emotional damage.
musically this song is second only to Ballad of a Thin Man as far as sonic depth and a sense of awkward negativity. Maybe negativity isn't the right word. but Dylan has a way with music nobody else has. sure he's a great poet, but so are Neil Young and Conor Oberst and Damien Rice and others. but nobody has the ability to create music that goes so perfectly with emotions. i think if he wanted to he could write a song with music so cruel-sounding it could hurt somebody's feelings without even having lyrics. but "Dirge" is just incredible musically. I feel when i hear it like the narrator is psychotic, or coping with serious emotional damage.