Althouse: What will Bob Dylan play for Barack Obama?

January 29, 2010

What will Bob Dylan play for Barack Obama?

He's doing the big "Celebration of Music from the Civil Rights Movement" show at the White House.

34 comments:

Peter V. Bella said...: He could play Everybody Must Get Stoned.; 1/29/10, 10:32 PM
Joe M. said...: I vote "Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat."; 1/29/10, 10:52 PM
Jim said...: Ballad of a Thin Man.; 1/29/10, 11:01 PM
Palladian said...: Desolation Row; 1/29/10, 11:09 PM
Mark said...: Wouldn't it be cool if he covered "Won't Get Fooled Again"; 1/29/10, 11:15 PM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: Not Dark Yet.. but its getting there; 1/29/10, 11:22 PM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: It Hurts Me Too.. a sympathetic Dylan?; 1/29/10, 11:41 PM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: Maybe something by his son..
One Headlight

Hey, come on try a little
Nothing is forever
There's got to be something better than
In the middle
But me & Cinderella,
We put it all together
We can drive it home
With one headlight; 1/29/10, 11:58 PM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: I think Dylan could do this song.. his way.

Disappointment

A disappointment.
Oh, you shouldn't have done,
You couldn't have done,
You wouldn't have done the things you did then.

And we could've been happy.
What a piteous thing,
A hideous thing was tainted by the rest,
But it won't get any harder,
And I hope you'll find your way again.

And it won't get any higher,
And it all boils down to what you did,
Then... [X 8]

In the night we fight, I fled, you're right.
It was exactly then, it was exactly then,
I decided, decided, decided, decide. Oh, that threw you out.

In the night we fight, I fled, you're right.
It was exactly then, it was exactly then,
I decided, decided, decided, decided. Mmm... Mmmm...

But it won't be any harder,
And I hope you'll find your way again.
And it won't get any higher,
And it all boils down to what you did,
Then... [X 8]
Disappointment... [X 6]
Then... [X 8]; 1/30/10, 12:07 AM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: Tell Obama to live it up
until his term is up..

I'm Gonna Live 'Til I Die; 1/30/10, 12:15 AM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: So far it has not been as advertised ;)

The Crying Game; 1/30/10, 12:23 AM
Chef Mojo said...: Oh, the winds in Chicago have torn me to shreds
Reality has always had too many heads
Some things last longer than you think they will
There are some kind of things you can never kill

It's you and you only, I'm been thinking about
But you can't see in and it's hard lookin' out
I'm twenty miles out of town in cold irons bound

Cold Irons Bound; 1/30/10, 12:31 AM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: Sinnerman

I ran to the republicans and the republicans said no. ;); 1/30/10, 12:41 AM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: Is this it?

No one can tell you what you know
Who makes the choice of how it goes
It's not up to me this time
You know
There comes a day in every life
This is it
Make no mistake where you are
This is it; 1/30/10, 1:01 AM
Diamondhead said...: Foot of Pride

"In these times of compassion/When conformity's in fashion/Say one more stupid thing to me before the final nail is driven in. There ain't no goin back when the foot of pride comes down. Ain't no goin back."; 1/30/10, 1:12 AM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: @Dianmondhead Foot of pride; 1/30/10, 1:18 AM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: @ Chef Mojo Cold Irons Bound; 1/30/10, 1:21 AM
Revenant said...: If I recall correctly, Obama claimed that "Maggie's Farm" is his favorite Dylan tune.

It might be strangely appropriate!; 1/30/10, 1:41 AM
traditionalguy said...: Bob should commiserate with Obama about his wife Michelle and play "You Gotta Serve Somebody". Michelle is actually descended from enslaved African-Americans, while Barack has been a favored child among European-Americans. The slavery experience ingrained a Legalism into the social order requiring service or punishment by a system of rules. Barak/Barry never faced that aspect of African American culture until he married into it.; 1/30/10, 2:07 AM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: @ trad

You Gotta Serve Somebody; 1/30/10, 2:45 AM
Revenant said...: Did anyone ever determine if Obama's white ancestors were slave-owners?

Or his Nigerian ancestors, for that matter? :); 1/30/10, 2:48 AM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: @ Reve

Maggie's Farm; 1/30/10, 2:49 AM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: Did anyone ever determine if Obama's white ancestors were slave-owners?

professor Gates is keeping it close to vest.; 1/30/10, 2:57 AM
AllenS said...: Blows on harmonica: ♪ ♫

I just went over all of Dylan's songs, and have concluded, he's like totally wierd.

Blows on harmonica: ♪ ♫; 1/30/10, 6:50 AM
Amexpat said...: I'd like "Senor".

Well, the last thing I remember before I stripped and kneeled
Was that trainload of fools bogged down in a magnetic field.
A gypsy with a broken flag and a flashing ring
Said, "Son, this ain't a dream no more, it's the real thing."

Senor, senor, you know their hearts is as hard as leather.
Well, give me a minute, let me get it together.
I just gotta pick myself up off the floor.
I'm ready when you are, senor.

Senor, senor, let's disconnect these cables,
Overturn these tables.
This place don't make sense to me no more.
Can you tell me what we're waiting for, senor?; 1/30/10, 8:02 AM
Unknown said...: Taking into account P.J.O'Rourk's well known excerpt from "Parliament of Whores":

I have only one firm belief about the American political system, and that is this: God is a Republican and Santa Claus is a Democrat.

God is an elderly or, at any rate, middle aged male, a stern fellow, patriarchal rather than paternal and a great believer in rules and regulations. He holds men accountable for their actions. He has little apparent concern for the material well being of the disadvantaged. He is politically connected, socially powerful and holds the mortgage on literally everything in the world. God is difficult. God is unsentimental. It is very hard to get into God's heavenly country club.

Santa Claus is another matter. He's cute. He's nonthreatening. He's always cheerful. And he loves animals. He may know who's been naughty and who's been nice, but he never does anything about it. He gives everyone everything they want without the thought of quid pro quo. He works hard for charities, and he's famously generous to the poor. Santa Claus is preferable to God in every way but one: There is no such thing as Santa Claus.

I would recommend this Bob Dylan song.; 1/30/10, 9:58 AM
bagoh20 said...: Pretty much all the same stuff he sang in the sixties, but at the boomers instead of with them.

Don't trust anyone over 30!; 1/30/10, 10:09 AM
Michael said...: I shall be released; 1/30/10, 10:14 AM
Roadkill said...: Perhaps Dylan would like to cement his reputation as a rebel and play a few cuts from his Infidels album.

"Neighborhood Bully," or "Union Sundown."

And if he really wants to get some attention, he could sing "Jokerman"; 1/30/10, 12:12 PM
Kirk Parker said...: I'll go with "You Gotta Serve Somebody", too. But also note that the irony would be completely lost on the president.

Or maybe "All Along the Watchtower", for its opening line.; 1/30/10, 12:25 PM
Anonymous said...: "Momma take this badge off of me
I can't use it anymore"; 1/30/10, 1:02 PM
Anonymous said...: Slow Train would be a good one for the Chosen Demagogue.; 1/30/10, 2:59 PM
sierra said...: "I used to care, but things have changed."

"Everything is broken."

"I hate myself for loving you, and the weakness that it showed."

"You're an idiot, babe. It's a wonder that you still know how to breathe."

"It's all over now, baby blue."; 1/30/10, 8:13 PM
sierra said...: ...and if Pelosi & Reid happen to attend:

They're lying low and they're makin' hay
They seem determined to go all the way
They run a brick and tile company
Tweedle-dee Dum and Tweedle-dee Dee; 1/30/10, 8:27 PM