१२ नोव्हेंबर, २०२२

Some pages of Bob Dylan's "Philosophy of Modern Song" are photos like this with a couple sentences isolated from the text.

I find that pretty amusing. You can buy the book here. I have the audiobook and the Kindle text, so I'm usually out walking around listening. I like Bob's voice, reading, and the various actors who read some of it are good too. I intersperse that reading with playing the songs. Here's a Spotify playlist of the songs. I have the Kindle so I can find quotes to blog, but in this case, I need the Kindle so I can see the illustrations, and then I also need the Kindle so I can contextualized those captions.

Here, in this case, it's:

She says look here mister lovey-dovey, you’re too extravagant, you’re high on drugs. I gave you money, but you gambled it away, now get lost. You say wait a minute now. Why are you being so combative? You’re way off target. Don’t be so small minded, you’re being goofy. I thought we had a love pact, why do you want to shun me and leave me marooned. What’s wrong with you anyway? I’m telling you, let’s be amiable, and if you’re not, I’m going to wrap this relationship up and terminate it. You’re asking her for money. She says money is the root of all evil, now take a hike. You try to appeal to her sensual side but she’s not having it. She’s got another man, which infuriates you no end. 

But no other man could step into your shoes, no other man can swap places with you. No other man would pinch-hit when it comes to her. How could it happen? I get it, she’s not in love with you anyway, she is in love with the almighty dollar. Now you’ve learnt your lesson, and you see it clear. Used to be you only associated with extraordinary people, now they’re all a dime a dozen, but you have to keep it in perspective. There’s always someone better than you, and there’s always someone better than him. You want to do things well. You know you can do things, but it’s hard to do them well. You don’t know what your problem is. The best things in life are free, but you prefer the worst. Maybe that’s your problem.

Now, what song is he talking about? 

See how he's inhabiting the main character in the song and paraphrasing the lyrics, but he's making the main character "you." He's giving this ridiculous person his say.

I propose a party game based on Bob Dylan's philosophy of song. Prior to the event, get your group to agree on a list of songs that everyone knows. Then, when it's your turn, you do a little monologue as the character in the song, not using the lyrics to the song, but restating the character's circumstances and feelings. Play it like charades, but with talking.

So, what's the song? The best things in life are free, but you prefer the worst. That's hilarious.

१६ टिप्पण्या:

Bob Boyd म्हणाले...

Due to Bidenflation, the best things in life are now relatively inexpensive, but no longer free.

lonejustice म्हणाले...

Great post to start off the weekend!

Iman म्हणाले...

Hit the Road, Jack
And don’tcha come back
No more no more no more no more

Shouting Thomas म्हणाले...

Dylan is such a great songwriter that I can almost forgive him for all that warbling about how he’s going to give women whatever they want.

The women really took that crap and ran with it.

We men are all paying a heavy price for that hormone induced madness of adolescence, when we praise women to high heaven to try to get in their pants and get a baby out of them.

Probably always been that way.

Danno म्हणाले...

As Ann has had a life long cruish on Dylan, maybe she would want to bid on some of his love letters while he was a young man in Hibbing.

Story on AP- ‘Love Sick’: Trove of Bob Dylan’s teenage love letters for sale-

https://www.twincities.com/2022/11/11/bob-dylan-love-letters-auction-barbara-hewitt/

Bill Peschel म्हणाले...

You did a better job describing the book in this post than the LA Times reviewer, who ranted about Bob's misogynist prose.

ConradBibby म्हणाले...

Let's play right now. See if you can figure this one out:


Which person is responsible for releasing the canines? Please tell me.

wendybar म्हणाले...

Bob Boyd, unless you are an illegal alien.

Lem Vibe Bandit म्हणाले...

This post/dance is about the first world problem of how to have it all in moderation. I guess.

RNB म्हणाले...

I look at the photo and think: "Time Enough at Last -- The Twilight Zone -- Henry Bemis (Burgess Meredith."

Lurker21 म्हणाले...

I would have guessed the Beatles' "[Just Give Me] Money."

Bob's prose reminds me of the sort of thing Bernie Sanders was writing before they threw him out of the commune.

robother म्हणाले...

As I read this, I had this growing sense of deja vu, could even hear the voice of someone doing the analysis.... Then realized, it was Quentin Tarantino, interpreting "Like a Virgin" in the opening scene of Reservoir Dogs. Philosophistry of the Modern Song.

gilbar म्हणाले...

i Do have to admit; i've Always Wanted, to sit on a big pile of gold bricks
Even though, it's Probably pretty uncomfortable

gilbar म्हणाले...

Lurker21 said...
I would have guessed the Beatles' "[Just Give Me] Money."
i immediately thought of The Flying Lizards version

Stephen म्हणाले...

Was reminded not just of Clyde McPhatter and The Drifters Money Honey (later covered by Elvis--in my view not as good a performance), but also of Berry Gordy/Barrett Strong's Money, which the Beatles later covered and Smoky Robinson/The Contours--First I Look at the Purse, later covered by Jay Geils. Seeing any pattern there? Also Lefty Frizell's My Baby's Just Like Money, "For it goes to show, you're just like dough, the root of all evil, money goes from hand to hand but my baby goes from man to man." Now that I know the song, I can see that Dylan's rap is covering the Drifters' song verse by verse.

Brick Rubbledrain म्हणाले...

She say money honey I draw a blank
I just grab my gun and mosey down to the bank
Knockin off my neighborhood savings and loan
To keep my sweet Chiquita in Eau de Cologne
She wants money…