Two observations indicate that this song is not merely a retold of the Titanic story and point towards a different interpretation:
(1) The Titanic did not sink because of a storm but because of colliding with an iceberg.
(2) A sleeping watchman is mentioned four times.
Therefore I believe that the song should make us aware of an approaching desaster which is not announced adequately by those in charge. Several ongoing processes may lead to such a desaster, many of them driven by the call for further growth, which means driving full speed into a dead end street. My present favourite is the climate change, which goes with an increasing frequency and intensity of meteorological events like storms (in agreement with the album title), high and low temperature, high and low precipitation.
From the scientific view the situation with the climate change is comparable to a ship with a leak. The ship will sink sooner or later if the leak is neither closed nor the water is pumped out at a rate at least as high as the one it comes in with. Analogously carbon dioxide is added one-way to the system we live in at a rate of approximately 30 billion tonnes a year or 3.5 ppm atmospheric concentration. The 400 ppm threshold has been passed already, and 450 ppm will be reached in the mid of the next decade - not even half a generation from now.
A quantitatve compensation of this carbon dioxide release is not even considered at any relevant level. Those in political responsibility primarily care for their lobbies and budgets, those in the NGOs care for their campaigns while solutions to problems have significantly lower priorities. This is my personal experience from an information campaign last year.
1) the word Tempest could also have meant; a violent commotion, disturbance, or tumultuous event
2) The sleeping watchman was mentioned four times because it was somewhat of the songs chorus, and its an important fact that from the "Beginning" before impact until the "End" when the ship went under he was sleeping. Probably drugged or knocked out.
Climate change? The song has absolutely nothing to do with climate change and neither does the album.
Your interpretation was well written and I'm sure climate change is a real issue. But to draw the conclusions you have from the song or album, would...
>1) the word Tempest could also have meant; a violent commotion, disturbance, or tumultuous event
2) The sleeping watchman was mentioned four times because it was somewhat of the songs chorus, and its an important fact that from the "Beginning" before impact until the "End" when the ship went under he was sleeping. Probably drugged or knocked out.
Climate change? The song has absolutely nothing to do with climate change and neither does the album.
Your interpretation was well written and I'm sure climate change is a real issue. But to draw the conclusions you have from the song or album, would force me to believe that you are either misusing your perception medication or you get really good weed:)
1) My interpretation is not wrong just because a different explanation is possible.
2) I do not have as much experience with drugs as you seem to have. A chorus usually stresses a key idea of a song. Whatever kept the watchman asleep – he heavily failed to do his duty.
You should take a look at reply # 2 to comment # 1 on song # 1 of the album = Duquesne whistle which also addresses a tempest in a meteorological sense. You should also note that Bob Dylan again and...
>1) My interpretation is not wrong just because a different explanation is possible.
2) I do not have as much experience with drugs as you seem to have. A chorus usually stresses a key idea of a song. Whatever kept the watchman asleep – he heavily failed to do his duty.
You should take a look at reply # 2 to comment # 1 on song # 1 of the album = Duquesne whistle which also addresses a tempest in a meteorological sense. You should also note that Bob Dylan again and again watches out for disasters approaching slowly and insufficiently recognized: A hard rain’s a-gonna fall; The times they are a-changin’; When the ship comes in; Foot of pride; All along the watchtower; Slow train coming; When the night comes falling from the sky; certainly some more can be found. The climate change, a collapse of the world economy, and Jesus returning to a sleeping Christianity are the most urgent threats today.
Two observations indicate that this song is not merely a retold of the Titanic story and point towards a different interpretation:
(1) The Titanic did not sink because of a storm but because of colliding with an iceberg. (2) A sleeping watchman is mentioned four times.
Therefore I believe that the song should make us aware of an approaching desaster which is not announced adequately by those in charge. Several ongoing processes may lead to such a desaster, many of them driven by the call for further growth, which means driving full speed into a dead end street. My present favourite is the climate change, which goes with an increasing frequency and intensity of meteorological events like storms (in agreement with the album title), high and low temperature, high and low precipitation.
From the scientific view the situation with the climate change is comparable to a ship with a leak. The ship will sink sooner or later if the leak is neither closed nor the water is pumped out at a rate at least as high as the one it comes in with. Analogously carbon dioxide is added one-way to the system we live in at a rate of approximately 30 billion tonnes a year or 3.5 ppm atmospheric concentration. The 400 ppm threshold has been passed already, and 450 ppm will be reached in the mid of the next decade - not even half a generation from now.
A quantitatve compensation of this carbon dioxide release is not even considered at any relevant level. Those in political responsibility primarily care for their lobbies and budgets, those in the NGOs care for their campaigns while solutions to problems have significantly lower priorities. This is my personal experience from an information campaign last year.
So watch out you dreaming watchmen!
1) the word Tempest could also have meant; a violent commotion, disturbance, or tumultuous event 2) The sleeping watchman was mentioned four times because it was somewhat of the songs chorus, and its an important fact that from the "Beginning" before impact until the "End" when the ship went under he was sleeping. Probably drugged or knocked out. Climate change? The song has absolutely nothing to do with climate change and neither does the album. Your interpretation was well written and I'm sure climate change is a real issue. But to draw the conclusions you have from the song or album, would...
>1) the word Tempest could also have meant; a violent commotion, disturbance, or tumultuous event
2) The sleeping watchman was mentioned four times because it was somewhat of the songs chorus, and its an important fact that from the "Beginning" before impact until the "End" when the ship went under he was sleeping. Probably drugged or knocked out.
Climate change? The song has absolutely nothing to do with climate change and neither does the album. Your interpretation was well written and I'm sure climate change is a real issue. But to draw the conclusions you have from the song or album, would force me to believe that you are either misusing your perception medication or you get really good weed:)
Hi CampYahweh,
Hi CampYahweh,
sorry I did not note your reply sooner.
sorry I did not note your reply sooner.
1) My interpretation is not wrong just because a different explanation is possible. 2) I do not have as much experience with drugs as you seem to have. A chorus usually stresses a key idea of a song. Whatever kept the watchman asleep – he heavily failed to do his duty. You should take a look at reply # 2 to comment # 1 on song # 1 of the album = Duquesne whistle which also addresses a tempest in a meteorological sense. You should also note that Bob Dylan again and...
>1) My interpretation is not wrong just because a different explanation is possible.
2) I do not have as much experience with drugs as you seem to have. A chorus usually stresses a key idea of a song. Whatever kept the watchman asleep – he heavily failed to do his duty.
You should take a look at reply # 2 to comment # 1 on song # 1 of the album = Duquesne whistle which also addresses a tempest in a meteorological sense. You should also note that Bob Dylan again and again watches out for disasters approaching slowly and insufficiently recognized: A hard rain’s a-gonna fall; The times they are a-changin’; When the ship comes in; Foot of pride; All along the watchtower; Slow train coming; When the night comes falling from the sky; certainly some more can be found. The climate change, a collapse of the world economy, and Jesus returning to a sleeping Christianity are the most urgent threats today.
Do you still prefer synthetic dreams?
@Mikesch . The "veil [of time/ space] was torn asunder" as the watchman dreamt it before it happened.
@Mikesch . The "veil [of time/ space] was torn asunder" as the watchman dreamt it before it happened.