Bob Dylan's "Saving Grace" Offers Comfort in a Time of Need

"It gets discouraging at times, but I know I’ll make it By the saving grace that’s over me."--Bob Dylan

Over the course of years there have been countless lists generated with rankings of Dylan songs, Dylan album covers and Dylan albums. I suspect that there may even be lists (generated by fans who have seen 50 to 300 or more shows) ranking Dylan concerts. 

When if comes to albums, I don't think I've ever seen Dylan's Saved album get tagged in the top half of any list, and usually it's pushed as far from the front as possible. For example in this list by Ultimate Classic Rock, it is ranked third last behind Dylan (1973) and Self-Portrait (1970). I was in college those years and actually enjoyed Dylan's album of covers (Dylan),though I will concede it was different.  

Paste Magazine ranked Saved as the very worst of the worst, #39 of 39. Reviewer Matt Mitchell calls it the least inspired writing of Dylan's career—"not to mention the arrangements, which meld rock ‘n’ roll and gospel to a nauseating degree..." To Mitchell's credit he doesn't just toss all three albums from Dylan's Gospel Trilogy into the same trash bin outright. Shot of Love get a #27 rank and Slow Train Coming a #24, each of which have some great songs on them.

In 2022 Tom Rice, editor of the Chamblee High School newspaper Blue & Gold, ranked 33 Dylan albums, placing Saved one slot from the gutter, only ahead of Down in the Groove. I was impressed, however, by the thoughtful analysis and original approach Tom took here, an insightful and entertaining read. So cool to see another generation finding relevance in Dylan's decades-long catalog.

Now my personal take is that Saved has to be evaluated for what it is, not for what critics or fans want it to be. Essentially it is a heartfelt gospel album. The songs here are offered as a gift to gospel believers much like the hymns of old, giving voice to Biblical concepts and encouragement to faith. 

For a truly uplifting recording of Dylan's purest gospel songs check out the 2003 recording of Gotta Serve Somebody: The Gospel Songs of Bob Dylan featuring an array of Black gospel singers interpreting songs from Saved and Slow Train. Aaron Neville's version of "Saving Grace" is especially poignant. In fact, when I read the opening stanza of this song, I hear Aaron Neville's voice in my head, singing...

If you find it in Your heart, can I be forgiven?

Guess I owe You some kind of apology

I’ve escaped death so many times, I know I’m only living

By the saving grace that’s over me

* * * 

Out of curiosity, I decided to ask ChatGPT to write a brief review of the album Saved and here's what ChatGPT had to say:

Bob Dylan's "Saved" album, released in 1980, stands as a unique and often overlooked gem in his extensive discography. Amidst the controversy and mixed critical reception surrounding his previous Christian-themed album Slow Train Coming, Saved continues Dylan's exploration of his newfound faith with fervor and conviction.

The album opens with the spirited title track, setting the tone for what follows—a collection of gospel-infused songs that blend Dylan's signature poetic lyricism with soulful melodies and fervent vocal delivery. Tracks like "Covenant Woman" and "What Can I Do for You?" showcase Dylan's ability to weave biblical themes into deeply personal and introspective narratives, while "Solid Rock" and "Pressing On" exude an infectious energy and optimism.

One of the album's highlights is undoubtedly "In the Garden," a hauntingly beautiful ballad that reflects Dylan's spiritual journey with profound sincerity. With its ethereal atmosphere and poignant lyrics, it serves as a poignant meditation on faith and redemption.

While Saved may not have achieved the same commercial success as some of Dylan's other works, its significance lies in its raw honesty and unapologetic exploration of religious themes. Dylan's impassioned vocals and the album's soulful instrumentation create a powerful listening experience that resonates with believers and non-believers alike.

Overall, Saved stands as a testament to Bob Dylan's fearless artistic evolution and unwavering commitment to expressing his truth. It may not be considered one of his classic albums, but its spiritual depth and emotional resonance make it a compelling and underrated entry in Dylan's vast body of work.

* * * 

It's Personal

I've said more a hundred times that there is a Dylan line or lyric for nearly any situation. I wrote about this song today because ten days ago I had a stroke and the last line of this song, which I consider a gem, has accompanied me on this journey back toward health:

"It gets discouraging at times, but I know I’ll make it By the saving grace that’s over me."

EdNote: The word gospel is derived from the Anglo-Saxon term god-spell, meaning “good story,” a rendering of the Latin evangelium and the Greek euangelion, meaning “good news” or “good telling.” --Britannica

Saving Grace

WRITTEN BY: BOB DYLAN

https://www.bobdylan.com/songs/saving-grace/

Saving Grace

Anyone half familiar with Dylan's songs and music over the many decades of his career recognizes that there has always been a spiritual thread woven throughout the various themes he explored. This is why the period of his life in which he produced three explicitly Christian albums cannot entirely be considered an anomaly.

With reference to the songwriter's early works Scott Marshall noted in his Dylan bio Restless Pilgrim, "Dylan may not have claimed a personal faith, but his own words indicate that God was very much on his mind." Biblical imagery saturated Dylan's early music, from the Gates of Eden to New Morning and back to the very beginning where he exclaims, "Better tell Jesus to make up my dyin' bed."

I once read a prediction in an early Rolling Stone magazine that Bob Dylan would be the leader of a new religion some day. Obviously they'd keyed in to this spiritual component of his work, too. Except, they also failed to note that Dylan would never want that kind of responsibility. He stepped back when people clamored for him to be a spokesperson for our generation. "I'm not the spokesman for anybody's generation," he said. "I want to emphatically deny being the spokesman for our generation. Fame is just having your name known by a lot of strangers. People who are kind or good are the ones who ought to be famous."

Slow Train Coming was the first of the three to roll into the public. It was well produced, and surprisingly well received. That this album has a special place for Dylan'is confirmed by the fact that he repeatedly opened so many of his concerts over the next two decades with the unsettling directness of "Gotta Serve Somebody."

Saved came next and it could not have been more explicit. Songs like "In The Garden", "Pressing On", "Solid Rock", "Covenant Woman", and "What Can I Do For You?" are as straightforward as a Sunday morning revivalist. This caused no end of consternation for many of his former fans.

The third in the trilogy was Shot of Love. Many really good songs here, some with the old bite of Positively Fourth Street and Idiot Wind. He was not going to be shaped by expectations of what others, even the Christians, thought he should be.

This song came from that second album. Anyone who knows me knows that I am often quoting Dylan. So many of his lyrics serve as maxims or expressions that encapsulate an observation or emotion. The last line is one that I have borrowed quite a few times over the years: "It gets discouraging at times, but I know I'll make it..." It seemed, too, a suitable offering for the blog today, as it is Easter.

Saving Grace

If you find it in Your heart, can I be forgiven?
Guess I owe You some kind of apology
I’ve escaped death so many times, I know I’m only living
By the saving grace that’s over me

By this time I’d-a thought I would be sleeping
In a pine box for all eternity
My faith keeps me alive, but I still be weeping
For the saving grace that’s over me

Well, the death of life, then come the resurrection
Wherever I am welcome is where I’ll be
I put all my confidence in Him, my sole protection
Is the saving grace that’s over me

Well, the devil’s shining light, it can be most blinding
But to search for love, that ain’t no more than vanity
As I look around this world all that I’m finding
Is the saving grace that’s over me

The wicked know no peace and you just can’t fake it
There’s only one road and it leads to Calvary
It gets discouraging at times, but I know I’ll make it
By the saving grace that’s over me

Copyright © 1980 by Special Rider Music

Photo, top right: Dylan mural in Haight-Ashbury in San Francisco.