No such meeting was to be. And yet not just eyes had met, or mouths and ears, but hearts, too? You can hear a related hope in the words with which Dylan entered upon Oh Sister on the John Hammond Show (10 September 1975): “I want to dedicate this to – er – someone out there watching tonight I know – she knows who she is.”
When paying tribute to another singer (Dave Van Ronk), Dylan was able to imagine an enamoured stranger most tenderly:
And Dave singin’ “House a the Rising Sun” with his back leaned against the bricks an words runnin out in a lonesome hungry growlin whisper that any girl with her face hid in the dark could understand –513
For his own part, he sometimes needs to keep both feet on the ground, not drifting (however hauntingly) into any such fantasy: “When I’m up there, I just see faces. A face is a face, they are all the same.”514 On another occasion, when he needed to give vent to his vexation with the reviewers of Renaldo and Clara, he leapt to these terms:
Look, just one time I’d like to see any one of those assholes try and do what I do. Just once let one of them write a song to show how they feel and sing it in front of 10, let alone 10,000 or 100,000 people. I’d like to see them just try that one time.515
His thoughts pounded hard there, as you can tell from the likeness not only to Eternal Circle and Dark Eyes but to Positively 4th Street: “just one time”, “for just one time” (more than one time), with its compacted repeated impact.
The eternal triangle is as nothing compared to the eternal circle. “The stage is the only place where I’m happy.” But this has its own sadnesses, like so much love. He is the one person who has to be at a Dylan concert and the one person who can’t go to a Dylan concert.
Acknowledgements
Jeff Rosen could not have been more generous in granting permission to quote the songs and writings of Bob Dylan; the freedom that he made possible has no precedent for me in any such professional dealings. Others, too, have been good friends to the book. For criticisms large and small, for apt advice and sheer information, and for not only giving ear but lending ears, I am thankful for Jim McCue, as well as for many others: Tim Dee, Roger Ford, Mark Halliday, Kenneth Haynes, Steven Isenberg, Marcia Karp, Michael Madden, Julie Nemrow, Lisa Rodensky, Frances Whistler, Glenn Wrigley, and Bret Wunderli. My further indebtedness to Lisa Nemrow incorporates not only her reading these pages with sympathetic stringency, but her imaginative promptings as to a good many Dylan songs where I had despaired of ever noticing enough; sometimes, then, I managed to surprise myself, though never as much as the songs surprise me. Tony Lacey, as publisher, and Donna Poppy, as copy-editor, cooperated entirely; my thanks to them, to Zelda Turner for her handling of permissions, and to Steven King for the thorough skill of his index.
The Publishers wish to thank the following copyright holders for permission to quote copyrighted material:
A. E. Housman: excerpts from a letter to Percy Withers, 1930, Fragment of an English Opera and A Shropshire Lad. Reprinted by permission of the Society of Authors as the Literary Representative of the Estate of A. E. Housman.
Smoke Gets in Your Eyes. Words by Otto Harbach, music by Jerome Kern. © Copyright 1934 T. B. Harms & Company Inc., USA. Universal Music Publishing Ltd. Used by permission of Music Sales Ltd. All Rights Reserved. International Copyright Secured.
Lonesome Road. Words by Gene Austin, music by Nathaniel Shilkret. © Copyright 1927, 1928 Paramount Music Corporation, USA. Campbell Connelly & Company Ltd. Used by permission of Music Sales Ltd. All Rights Reserved. International Copyright Secured.
W. B. Yeats: excerpts from A Prayer for my Daughter and The Scholars. Reprinted by permission of A. P. Watt Ltd on behalf of Michael B. Yeats.
William Empson: excerpts from Seven Types of Ambiguity and Argufying. Reprinted by permission of Curtis Brown Ltd, London, on behalf of the Estate of William Empson. Copyright © William Empson. Excerpts from Seven Types of Ambiguity published by the Hogarth Press. Used by permission of Lady Empson and the Random House Group Ltd. Excerpts from The Complete Poems edited by John Haffenden (Allen Lane, The Penguin Press, 2000) copyright © Estate of William Empson, 2000.
T. S. Eliot: excerpts from The Waste Land, Sweeney Among the Nightingales, Gerontion, Little Gidding, Ash-Wednesday, Selected Essays, The Use of Poetry and the Use of Criticism (1964), Letters, Volume 1, On Poetry and Poets (1957), A Guide to the Selected Poems of T. S. Eliot, Nightwood (Introduction) and The Sacred Wood. Reproduced by permission of Faber and Faber.
Wallace Stevens: excerpts from The Emperor of Ice-Cream and The Plot Against the Giant from Collected Poems of Wallace Stevens. Reprinted by permission of Faber and Faber.
Philip Larkin: Love Songs in Age, Home is so Sad; excerpts from The Life with a Hole in it, from Collected Poems by Philip Larkin, All What Jazz and Required Writing. Reprinted by permission of Faber and Faber.
Dream Song 118, excerpts from Dream Song 45, 168, from The Dream Songs by John Berryman. Reprinted by permission of Faber and Faber.
Bob Dylan: the following excerpts reproduced by permission of Special Rider Music. All rights reserved. International copyright secured. Reprinted by permission.
Abandoned Love. Copyright © 1975, 1976 by Ram’s Horn Music
Advice for Geraldine on Her Miscellaneous Birthday. Copyright © 1964 by Special Rider Music
Ain’t No Man Righteous, No Not One. Copyright © 1981 by Special Rider Music
All Along the Watchtower. Copyright © 1968 by Dwarf Music
All I Really Want to Do. Copyright © 1964 by Warner Bros Inc.
All the Tired Horses. Copyright © 1970 Big Sky Music
Angelina. Copyright © 1981 Special Rider Music
Are You Ready? Copyright © 1980 by Special Rider Music
Baby, I’m in the Mood for You. Copyright © 1963, 1966 by Warner Bros Inc.; renewed 1991 Special Rider Music
Baby, Stop Crying. Copyright © 1978 by Special Rider Music
Ballad in Plain D. Copyright © 1964 by Warner Bros. Inc.; renewed 1992 Special Rider Music
Ballad of a Thin Man. Copyright © 1965 by Warner Bros Inc.; renewed 1993 Special Rider Music
Blind Willie McTell. Copyright © 1983 Special Rider Music
Blowin’ in the Wind. Copyright © 1962 by Warner Bros Inc.; renewed 1990 Special Rider Music
Bob Dylan’s Dream. Copyright © 1963, 1964 by Warner Bros Inc.; renewed 1991 Special Rider Music
Bob Dylan’s New Orleans Rag. Copyright © 1970 by Warner Bros Inc.; renewed 1998 by Special Rider Music
Boots of Spanish Leather. Copyright © 1963, 1964 by Warner Bros Inc.; renewed 1991, 1992 by Special Rider Music
Brownsville Girl (with Sam Shepard). Copyright © 1986 by Special Rider Music
Bye and Bye. Copyright © 2001 by Special Rider Music
Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window? Copyright © 1965, 1966 by Warner Bros Inc.; renewed 1993, 1994 by Special Rider Music
City of Gold. Copyright © 1980 by Special Rider Music
Clean-Cut Kid. Copyright © 1984 by Special Rider Music
Clothes Line Saga. Copyright © 1969 by Dwarf Music; renewed 1997 by Dwarf Music
Country Pie. Copyright © 1969 by Big Sky Music; renewed 1997 by Big Sky Music
’Cross the Green Mountain. Copyright © 2002 by Special Rider Music
Cry A While. Copyright © 2001 by Special Rider Music
Dark Eyes. Copyright © 1985 by Special Rider Music
Day of the Locusts. Copyright © 1970 by Big Sky Music; renewed 1998 by Big Sky Music
Dead Man, Dead Man. Copyright © 1981 by Special Rider Music
Dear Landlord. Copyright © 1968 by Dwarf Music; renewed 1996 by Dwarf Music
Death is Not the End. Copyright © 1988 by Special Rider Music
Desolation Row. Copyright © 1965 by Warner Bros Inc.; renewed 1993 by Special Rider Music
Dirge. Copyright © 1973 by Ram’s Horn Music; renewed 2001 by Ram’s Horn Music
Disease of Conceit. Copyright © 19
89 by Special Rider Music
Do Right to Me Baby (Do Unto Others). Copyright © 1979 by Special Rider Music
Don’t Fall Apart on Me Tonight. Copyright © 1983 by Special Rider Music
Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right. Copyright © 1963 by Warner Bros Inc.; renewed 1991 by Special Rider Music
Emotionally Yours. Copyright © 1985 by Special Rider Music
Eternal Circle. Copyright © 1963, 1964 by Warner Bros Inc.; renewed 1991, 1992 by Special Rider Music
Every Grain of Sand. Copyright © 1981 by Special Rider Music
Farewell. Copyright © 1963 by Warner Bros Inc.; renewed 1991 by Special Rider Music
Farewell, Angelina. Copyright © 1965, 1966 by Warner Bros Inc.; renewed 1993, 1994 by Special Rider Music
Foot of Pride. Copyright © 1983 by Special Rider Music
Forever Young. Copyright © 1973 by Ram’s Horn Music; renewed 2001 by Ram’s Horn Music
Fourth Time Around. Copyright © 1966 by Dwarf Music; renewed 1994 by Dwarf Music
From a Buick 6. Copyright © 1965 by Warner Bros Inc.; renewed 1993 by Special Rider Music
Gates of Eden. Copyright © 1965 by Warner Bros Inc.; renewed 1993 by Special Rider Music
Goin’ to Acapulco. Copyright © 1975 by Dwarf Music
Going, Going, Gone. Copyright © 1973 by Ram’s Horn Music; renewed 2001 by Ram’s Horn Music
Gotta Serve Somebody. Copyright © 1979 by Special Rider Music
Handy Dandy. Copyright © 1990 by Special Rider Music
A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall. Copyright © 1963 by Warner Bros Inc.; renewed 1991 by Special Rider Music
Hero Blues. Copyright © 1963 by Warner Bros Inc.; renewed 1991 by Special Rider Music
Highlands. Copyright © 1997 by Special Rider Music
High Water (For Charley Patton). Copyright © 2001 by Special Rider Music
Highway 61 Revisited. Copyright © 1965 by Warner Bros Inc.; renewed 1993 by Special Rider Music
Hurricane (with Jacques Levy). Copyright © 1975 by Ram’s Horn Music
I and I. Copyright © 1983 by Special Rider Music
I Believe in You. Copyright © 1979 by Special Rider Music
I Don’t Believe You (She Acts Like We Never Have Met). Copyright © 1964 by Warner Bros Inc.; renewed 1992 by Special Rider Music
I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine. Copyright © 1968 by Dwarf Music; renewed 1996 by Dwarf Music
I Shall Be Free. Copyright © 1963, 1967 by Warner Bros Inc.; renewed 1991, 1995 by Special Rider Music
I Shall Be Free No. 10. Copyright © 1971 by Special Rider Music; renewed 1999 by Special Rider Music
I Shall Be Released. Copyright © 1967, 1970 by Dwarf Music; renewed 1995 by Dwarf Music
I Want You. Copyright © 1966 by Dwarf Music; renewed 1994 by Dwarf Music
Idiot Wind. Copyright © 1974 by Ram’s Horn Music; renewed 2002 by Ram’s Horn Music
If I Don’t Be There by Morning. Copyright © 1978 Special Rider Music
If Not For You. Copyright © 1970 by Big Sky Music; renewed 1998 by Big Sky Music
If You Gotta Go, Go Now. Copyright © 1965 by Warner Bros Inc.; renewed 1993 by Special Rider Music
In the Summertime. Copyright © 1981 by Special Rider Music
It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue. Copyright © 1965 by Warner Bros Inc.; renewed 1993 by Special Rider Music
Jokerman. Copyright © 1983 by Special Rider Music
Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues. Copyright © 1965 by Warner Bros Inc.; renewed 1993 by Special Rider Music
Last Thoughts on Woody Guthrie. Copyright © 1973 by Special Rider Music
Lay Down Your Weary Tune. Copyright © 1964, 1965 by Warner Bros Inc.; renewed 1992, 1993 by Special Rider Music
Lay, Lady, Lay. Copyright © 1969 by Big Sky Music; renewed 1997 by Big Sky Music
Let’s Keep It Between Us. Copyright © 1982 by Special Rider Music
License to Kill. Copyright © 1983 by Special Rider Music
Like a Rolling Stone. Copyright © 1965 by Warner Bros Inc.; renewed 1993 by Special Rider Music
Lily, Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts. Copyright © 1974 by Ram’s Horn Music; renewed 2002 by Ram’s Horn Music
The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll. Copyright © 1964, 1966 by Warner Bros Inc.; renewed 1993 by Special Rider Music
Love Minus Zero / No Limit. Copyright © 1965 by Warner Bros Inc.; renewed 1993 by Special Rider Music
Maggie’s Farm. Copyright © 1965 by Warner Bros Inc.; renewed 1993 by Special Rider Music
Mama, You Been on My Mind. Copyright © 1964, 1967 by Warner Bros Inc.; renewed 1992, 1995 by Special Rider Music
Man of Peace. Copyright © 1983 by Special Rider Music
Maybe Someday. Copyright © 1986 by Special Rider Music
Million Dollar Bash. Copyright © 1967 by Dwarf Music; renewed 1995 by Dwarf Music
Mississippi. © Copyright 1997 by Special Rider Music
Mr. Tambourine Man. Copyright © 1964, 1965 by Warner Bros Inc.; renewed 1992, 1993 by Special Rider Music
Moonlight. Copyright © 2001 by Special Rider Music
Most of the Time. Copyright © 1989 by Special Rider Music
My Back Pages. Copyright © 1964 by Warner Bros Inc.; renewed 1992 by Special Rider Music
Neighborhood Bully. Copyright © 1983 by Special Rider Music
New Pony. Copyright © 1978 by Special Rider Music
No Time to Think. Copyright © 1978 by Special Rider Music
North Country Blues. Copyright © 1963, 1964 by Warner Bros Inc.; renewed 1991, 1992 by Special Rider Music
Not Dark Yet. Copyright © 1997 by Special Rider Music
Odds and Ends. Copyright © 1969 by Dwarf Music; renewed 1997 by Dwarf Music
Oh Sister (with Jacques Levy). Copyright © 1975 by Ram’s Horn Music
On a Night Like This. Copyright © 1973 by Ram’s Horn Music; renewed 2001 by Ram’s Horn Music
One More Weekend. Copyright © 1970 by Big Sky Music; renewed 1998 by Big Sky Music
One Too Many Mornings. Copyright © 1964, 1966 by Warner Bros Inc.; renewed 1992, 1994 by Special Rider Music
Only a Pawn in Their Game. Copyright © 1963, 1964 by Warner Bros Inc.; renewed 1991, 1992 by Special Rider Music
Oxford Town. Copyright © 1963 by Warner Bros Inc.; renewed 1992 by Special Rider Music
Percy’s Song. Copyright © 1964, 1966 by Warner Bros Inc.; renewed 1992, 1994 by Special Rider Music
Please, Mrs. Henry. Copyright © 1967 by Dwarf Music; renewed 1995 by Dwarf Music
Pledging My Time. Copyright © 1966 by Dwarf Music; renewed 1994 by Dwarf Music
Positively 4th Street. Copyright © 1965 by Warner Bros Inc.; renewed 1993 by Special Rider Music
Precious Angel. Copyright © 1979 by Special Rider Music
Pressing On. Copyright © 1980 by Special Rider Music
Quit Your Low Down Ways. Copyright © 1963, 1964 by Warner Bros Inc.; renewed 1991, 1992 by Special Rider Music
Ring Them Bells. Copyright © 1989 by Special Rider Music
Rita May (with Jacques Levy). Copyright © 1975 by Ram’s Horn Music
Sad-Eyed Lady of the Lowlands. Copyright © 1966 by Dwarf Music; renewed 1994 by Dwarf Music
Sara. Copyright © 1975 by Ram’s Horn Music
Saved (with Tim Drummond). Copyright © 1980 by Special Rider Music
Saving Grace. Copyright © 1980 by Special Rider Music
Señor (Tales of Yankee Power). Copyright © 1978 by Special Rider Music
Seven Curses. Copyright © 1963, 1964 by Warner Bros Inc.; renewed 1991, 1992 by Special Rider Music
7 Deadly Sins. Copyright © 1991 by Special Rider Music
Shooting Star. Copyright © 1989 by Special Rider Music
Shot of Love. Copyright © 1981 by Special Rider Music
Sign Language. Copyright © 1976 by Ram’s Horn Music
Sign on the Window. Copyright © 1970 by Big Sky Music; renewed 1998 by Big Sky Music
Sil
vio. Copyright © 1988 Special Rider Music and Ice Nine Music
Simple Twist of Fate. Copyright © 1974 by Ram’s Horn Music; renewed 2002 by Ram’s Horn Music
Slow Train. Copyright © 1979 by Special Rider Music
Solid Rock. Copyright © 1980 by Special Rider Music
Something’s Burning, Baby. Copyright © 1985 by Special Rider Music
Song to Woody. Copyright © 1962, 1965 by Duchess Music Corporation; renewed 1990, 1993 by MCA
Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again. Copyright © 1966 by Dwarf Music; renewed 1994 by Dwarf Music
Subterranean Homesick Blues. Copyright © 1965 by Warner Bros Inc.; renewed 1993 by Special Rider Music
Sugar Baby. Copyright © 2001 by Special Rider Music
T.V. Talkin’ Song. Copyright © 1990 by Special Rider Music
Talkin’ John Birch Paranoid Blues. Copyright © 1970 by Special Rider Music; renewed 1998 by Special Rider Music
Talkin’ World War III Blues. Copyright © 1963, 1966 by Warner Bros Inc.; renewed 1991, 1994 by Special Rider Music
Talking New York. Copyright © 1962, 1965 by Duchess Music Corporation; renewed 1990, 1993 by MCA
Temporary Like Achilles. Copyright © 1966 by Dwarf Music; renewed 1994 by Dwarf Music
Things Have Changed. Copyright © 1999 by Special Rider Music
Tight Connection to My Heart (Has Anybody Seen My Love). Copyright © 1985 by Special Rider Music
Time Passes Slowly. Copyright © 1970 by Big Sky Music; renewed 1998 by Big Sky Music
The Times They Are A-Changin’. Copyright © 1963, 1964 by Warner Bros Inc.; renewed 1991, 1992 by Special Rider Music
Tombstone Blues. Copyright © 1965 by Warner Bros Inc.; renewed 1993 by Special Rider Music
Tomorrow Is a Long Time. Copyright © 1963 by Warner Bros Inc.; renewed 1991 by Special Rider Music
Trouble in Mind. Copyright © 1979 by Special Rider Music
Trust Yourself. Copyright © 1985 by Special Rider Music
Under the Red Sky. Copyright © 1990 by Special Rider Music
Dylan's Visions of Sin Page 51