I and I is probably borrowed from the Rastafarian term "I and I" which alludes to the unity between God and man. However, given that Dylan was (and recently commented that he still is) a "true believer" in Christ and is Jewish born, this is probably used to refer to the Judeo/Christian trinity more than the Rasta unity.
Jehovah God in the Bible calls Himself "I am that I am" and this gives us the I of "I and I".
"No man sees my face and lives" is taken from the Bible where Moses was told by God (the Father in Christianity) that He could not be seen. But God is seen many times "face to face" in other passages and the people seeing him live. Think of Jacob wrestling with God. Hence there is a Jehovah who cannot be seen and a Jehovah that can be seen in the Bible, yet there is somehow an emphasis in the Bible that there is only one God (absolute monotheism).
In Christianty the unseeable One is believed to be God the Father, while the viewable One is God the Son. In Judiasm there have been different beliefs and debates over time. Orginally these contradictory manifestations were interpretted as "Two Powers in Heaven", the "Memra" or the Greater and Lesser Jehovah. After the Christian period, Judaism moved away from this kind of teaching, probably at least partly because it gave encouragement to Christian teachings. Since then rabbinical Judaism has taught the "Two Powers" belief is a heresy.
"In creation where one's nature neither honors nor forgives":
This is the fallen (sinful) state of man. We are created (“in creation”) and have no honor (unable to do the right thing). God expects us to forgive one another because He has forgiven us (similar to "judge not lest ye be judged"), but we are also unable often to do this properly.
Interesting to also note that Bono (a professing Christian) uses "I and I" in "Elevation" which is a kind of worship song to God:
I and I in the sky
You make me feel like I can fly
So high, elevation
That covers the technical bits around "I and I".
The rest appears to me to be a dreamstate journey wrestling with commitment, sin and a search for meaning in life.
The next almost surely religious part is the lines about the "untrodden path". Dylan is Jewish and professing Christ as saviour would be the road or path less travelled for most Jews.
New Testament passages emphasised in Christianity such as "the meek shall inherit the Earth", the last shall be first, etc. tie in with "the swift don't win the race".
"Took a stranger to teach me" means that he learnt of this path through a gentile and not a Jew.
"Look into justice's beautiful face" ties back to "no man sees my face and lives". In Christianity God makes his face available to man so that those that look to Christ are seeing God. Christ taught that "I and the Father are one". It also becomes clear in Christianity that when Jacob wrestled with God and "saw God face to face", he was wrestling with Jesus.
That Dylan now looks into "justice's beautiful face" means that he too now has a face to face relationship with God through Christ.
The song weaves together strands of Old and New Testament belief into a unity of belief that is the life of a believer in both religions.
One can only guess at what the last part means. He talks about the “darkest part” of the journey. Perhaps as we mature in belief we realise that faith in God does not resolve all of life difficulties and that though God walks with us, we still have to walk the road trying not to stumble. This is where believers either become despondent and lose hope or grow in character. Dylan chooses to “follow my heart”.
Probably people are always trying to interpret his words, hence put words in his mouth as I am doing right now.
Lastly, people provide the biggest disappointments in life. Life can be a very lonely journey and though he has given of himself (perhaps materially, spiritually or otherwise), he cannot seem to get what he needs from others.
Although, he may have written the song very quickly, Dylan would have spent years studying Torah and the New Testament and meditating on the concepts that he presents in the song. So although he the song elements are complex and deep, he is able to pen them quickly. I have thought on these things quite deeply and so was able to write this review quite quickly. Hehe...
(Created an account just to reply to this.) Quoting the Bono lyric:
"I and I in the sky
You make me feel like I can fly
So high, elevation"
just emphasizes how far apart these two are as songwriters!
(Created an account just to reply to this.) Quoting the Bono lyric:
"I and I in the sky
You make me feel like I can fly
So high, elevation"
just emphasizes how far apart these two are as songwriters!
I and I is probably borrowed from the Rastafarian term "I and I" which alludes to the unity between God and man. However, given that Dylan was (and recently commented that he still is) a "true believer" in Christ and is Jewish born, this is probably used to refer to the Judeo/Christian trinity more than the Rasta unity.
Jehovah God in the Bible calls Himself "I am that I am" and this gives us the I of "I and I".
"No man sees my face and lives" is taken from the Bible where Moses was told by God (the Father in Christianity) that He could not be seen. But God is seen many times "face to face" in other passages and the people seeing him live. Think of Jacob wrestling with God. Hence there is a Jehovah who cannot be seen and a Jehovah that can be seen in the Bible, yet there is somehow an emphasis in the Bible that there is only one God (absolute monotheism).
In Christianty the unseeable One is believed to be God the Father, while the viewable One is God the Son. In Judiasm there have been different beliefs and debates over time. Orginally these contradictory manifestations were interpretted as "Two Powers in Heaven", the "Memra" or the Greater and Lesser Jehovah. After the Christian period, Judaism moved away from this kind of teaching, probably at least partly because it gave encouragement to Christian teachings. Since then rabbinical Judaism has taught the "Two Powers" belief is a heresy.
"In creation where one's nature neither honors nor forgives": This is the fallen (sinful) state of man. We are created (“in creation”) and have no honor (unable to do the right thing). God expects us to forgive one another because He has forgiven us (similar to "judge not lest ye be judged"), but we are also unable often to do this properly.
Interesting to also note that Bono (a professing Christian) uses "I and I" in "Elevation" which is a kind of worship song to God: I and I in the sky You make me feel like I can fly So high, elevation
That covers the technical bits around "I and I".
The rest appears to me to be a dreamstate journey wrestling with commitment, sin and a search for meaning in life.
The next almost surely religious part is the lines about the "untrodden path". Dylan is Jewish and professing Christ as saviour would be the road or path less travelled for most Jews.
New Testament passages emphasised in Christianity such as "the meek shall inherit the Earth", the last shall be first, etc. tie in with "the swift don't win the race".
"Took a stranger to teach me" means that he learnt of this path through a gentile and not a Jew.
"Look into justice's beautiful face" ties back to "no man sees my face and lives". In Christianity God makes his face available to man so that those that look to Christ are seeing God. Christ taught that "I and the Father are one". It also becomes clear in Christianity that when Jacob wrestled with God and "saw God face to face", he was wrestling with Jesus.
That Dylan now looks into "justice's beautiful face" means that he too now has a face to face relationship with God through Christ.
The song weaves together strands of Old and New Testament belief into a unity of belief that is the life of a believer in both religions.
One can only guess at what the last part means. He talks about the “darkest part” of the journey. Perhaps as we mature in belief we realise that faith in God does not resolve all of life difficulties and that though God walks with us, we still have to walk the road trying not to stumble. This is where believers either become despondent and lose hope or grow in character. Dylan chooses to “follow my heart”.
Probably people are always trying to interpret his words, hence put words in his mouth as I am doing right now.
Lastly, people provide the biggest disappointments in life. Life can be a very lonely journey and though he has given of himself (perhaps materially, spiritually or otherwise), he cannot seem to get what he needs from others.
Although, he may have written the song very quickly, Dylan would have spent years studying Torah and the New Testament and meditating on the concepts that he presents in the song. So although he the song elements are complex and deep, he is able to pen them quickly. I have thought on these things quite deeply and so was able to write this review quite quickly. Hehe...
Thank you so much. That was beautiful. Would you care to explain your own songs so clearly?
Thank you so much. That was beautiful. Would you care to explain your own songs so clearly?
(Created an account just to reply to this.) Quoting the Bono lyric: "I and I in the sky You make me feel like I can fly So high, elevation" just emphasizes how far apart these two are as songwriters!
(Created an account just to reply to this.) Quoting the Bono lyric: "I and I in the sky You make me feel like I can fly So high, elevation" just emphasizes how far apart these two are as songwriters!