"You walk into the room and you ask where it is
Somebody points to you, and says it's his
And you say, what's mien? And someone else says, well, what is?
And you say "impossible" as he hands you the bone.
Something's going on, and you don't know what it is
Do you, Mr. Jones?"
-Bob Dylan. 1965. Ballad of a Thin Man. From Highway '61.
Very big song/album, Byrne definitely knew it. That's where Mr. Jones came from. The symbol of the "square" outsider in the 60s completely perplexed by the hip, "cool" people doing drugs and left out. Byrne was writing these words in the 80s, when the script had flipped and all the rich fat cats were the ones doing the coke, fast cars, motorbikes, spending money like water . .. Byrne was part of that scene. And saw that, in the 80s, square values were cool again and Mr. jones was now the ideal - just make money,spend it, party, don't think. They put him in charge. Dylan's uncool outsider was the new insider. I think it's a reply.
OK, guys.
"You walk into the room and you ask where it is Somebody points to you, and says it's his And you say, what's mien? And someone else says, well, what is? And you say "impossible" as he hands you the bone. Something's going on, and you don't know what it is Do you, Mr. Jones?" -Bob Dylan. 1965. Ballad of a Thin Man. From Highway '61.
Very big song/album, Byrne definitely knew it. That's where Mr. Jones came from. The symbol of the "square" outsider in the 60s completely perplexed by the hip, "cool" people doing drugs and left out. Byrne was writing these words in the 80s, when the script had flipped and all the rich fat cats were the ones doing the coke, fast cars, motorbikes, spending money like water . .. Byrne was part of that scene. And saw that, in the 80s, square values were cool again and Mr. jones was now the ideal - just make money,spend it, party, don't think. They put him in charge. Dylan's uncool outsider was the new insider. I think it's a reply.
@nathan1149 That's a good corollary to the other response on this album to a hippie-era song ("Nothing But Flowers" / "Big Yellow Taxi").
@nathan1149 That's a good corollary to the other response on this album to a hippie-era song ("Nothing But Flowers" / "Big Yellow Taxi").