Where the Songs Began: Reflecting on Dylan from a Seat at Hibbing High

For years Dylan fans in Hibbing were trying to figure out how to honor the Nobel Laureate who came of age there in the heart of the Iron Range. It's well-known here in Dylan circles that Bob didn't want a statue. With that in mind many alternative ideas were floated, and a monument concept was conceived. In 2021 that monument was unveiled on the front apron of the Hibbing High School he attended.

On the street side of the "wall" is a replica of the Nobel Prize. On the front side are lines from his catalog of 600+ songs In front of that sits a chair where one is obliged to sit and to imagine. What was going through Robert Zimmerman's mind as he sat in school there during his teen years? If you sit here, you can try to  imagine how this swirl of words drifted through his mind and flowed out from his pen.

I don't really know how the lyrics were selected, nor do I know how many people were tapped to share their thoughts or make those decisions, but it was a privilege for me to be privately invited to contribute, and later to help whittle down the lengthy list of suggestions.

That experience came to mind this week when I ran across the Word document I believe I'd submitted initially. I prefaced my seven-page submission with an acknowledgment that I knew some were unsuitable due to length, "but in sifting through the Dylan catalog I was once more reminded of how astonishing he is as a writer. The first page here is my 'top of the mountain' list. Feel free to select from the rest which are all exceptionally good."

I won't share all. We'll just call this an appetizer.

“There must be some way out of here,” said the Joker to the Thief.
--All Along the Watchtower

 

Anything I can sing, I call a song. Anything I can't sing, I call a poem.
--liner notes, The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan

 

Art is the perpetual motion of illusion. The highest purpose of art is to inspire.

--Rolling Stone interview, 1978

 

You want to write songs that are bigger than life.

--Chronicles, Vol. 1

If someone had ever told me that I had the slightest chance of winning the Nobel Prize, I would have to think that I'd have about the same odds as standing on the moon.
--Nobel Lecture

 

How many roads must a man walk down before they call him a man?

--Blowing in the Wind

 

I’ll know my song well before I start singing.
It’s a hard rain’s a-gonna fall.

--Hard Rain

 

Through the mad mystic hammering of the wild ripping hail,
The sky cracked its poems in naked wonder.

--Chimes of Freedom

 

But for the sky there are no fences facin’

--Mr. Tambourine Man

 

He not busy being born is busy dying

--It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding)

 

Inside the museums, Infinity goes up on trial
--Visions of Johanna

 

In the fury of the moment I can see the Master’s hand
In every leaf that trembles, in every grain of sand

--Every Grain of Sand

 

You don’t need a weatherman
To know which way the wind blows

--Subterranean Homesick Blues

 

My love she laughs like the flowers
Valentines can’t buy her

--Love Minus Zero/No Limit

 

I’m ready to go anywhere, I’m ready for to fade
Into my own parade, cast your dancing spell my way
I promise to go under it

--Mr. Tambourine Man

 

The ghost of ’lectricity howls in the bones of her face
Where these visions of Johanna have now taken my place

--Visions of Johanna

 

Oh, Mama, can this really be the end
To be stuck inside of Mobile
With the Memphis blues again

--Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again

 

Dear landlord
Please don’t put a price on my soul
My burden is heavy
My dreams are beyond control

--Dear Landlord

 

I pity the poor immigrant
Who wishes he would’ve stayed home

--I Pity the Poor Immigrant

To see him obviously framed
Couldn’t help but make me feel ashamed to live in a land
Where justice is a game

--Hurricane

Señor, señor, do you know where we’re headin’?
Lincoln County Road or Armageddon?
Seems like I been down this way before
Is there any truth in that, señor?

--Señor (Tales of Yankee Power)

 

Precious angel, under the sun
How was I to know you’d be the one
To show me I was blinded, to show me I was gone
How weak was the foundation I was standing upon?

--Precious Angel

 

The enemy is subtle, how be it we are so deceived
When the truth’s in our hearts and we still don’t believe?

--Precious Angel

Now he worships at an altar of a stagnant pool
And when he sees his reflection, he’s fulfilled

--License To Kill

What good am I if I’m like all the rest
If I just turn away, when I see how you’re dressed
If I shut myself off so I can’t hear you cry
What good am I?

--What Good Am I?

 

Well, my sense of humanity has gone down the drain
Behind every beautiful thing there’s been some kind of pain

--Not Dark Yet

I got my back to the sun ’cause the light is too intense
I can see what everybody in the world is up against

--Sugar Baby

 

Lot of things can get in the way when you’re tryin’ to do what’s right

--Honest With Me

 

As I walked out tonight in the mystic garden
The wounded flowers were dangling from the vines

--Ain’t Talkin’

 

In Scarlet Town where I was born
There’s ivy leaf and silver thorn

--Scarlet Town

 

Another day that don't end
Another ship goin' out
Another day of anger, bitterness, and doubt
I know how it happened
I saw it begin
I opened my heart to the world and the world came in
--False Prophet

 

This year's Duluth Dylan Fest will kick off with a Hibbing Day, May 17. This year's Fest will run through to the following Sunday, May 24, when Bob Dylan turns 85. Details of Hibbing Day: Front Lawn (Early) Birthday Party

Bob Dylan’s 85th Birthday Celebration
Live music by Gene Lafond & Amy Grillo
outside of Bob Dylan’s boyhood home
2425 7th Avenue East, Hibbing
10:30 AM-11:30 AM | Free

FULL SCHEDULE FOR THE WEEK CAN BE FOUND
HERE

https://duluthdylanfest.com/duluth-dylan-fest-2026/

Related Links

This Day In History: Concert #1031 of the Never Ending Tour and the Unveiling of the Hibbing Dylan Project

Dedication of the Rock Opens Big Day of Dylan Celebrations in Hibbing

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/

Notes of Infamy: Paul Metsa's Song About the Shooting of Lee Harvey Oswald

Wednesday was the 60th anniversary of the assassination of President Kennedy. 

Today is the 60th anniversary of the shooting of Lee Harvey Oswald as he was being escorted out of the jailhouse. The event made an impression on me, as it no doubt did on many others who witnessed it as it happened.

The shooter was Jack Ruby. 

Bob Dylan wrote Murder Most Foul, a song about the shooting of the president. This other singer/songwriter from the Iron Range, Paul Metsa, wrote a song about the gunman who shot and killed the man fingered as JFK's assassin. You might call it Paul Metsa's "Signature Song." 

Moment of Impact

In the first one-third of this three-part drama, the song's structure is an echo of Frank Sinatra's "It Was A Very Good Year." Both tell the story of a life--Sinatra's being his own biography, Metsa's being Jack Ruby's, at 15 living in Capone's Chicago, at 21 taking an interest in guns, at 35 setting up shop in Dallas, etc.

The second act details the dramatic event at Dealey Plaza, culminating with the suggestion that Oswald was a patsy. The final third of the song explores the variety of theories as to what really happened in Dallas that weekend.

Metsa has a gruff attention-getting style of singing, and he's good at getting his blood up when singing this song. And it grows on you when he barks that chorus, "Jack Ruby, Jack Ruby in a Cavanaugh hat...."

Jack Ruby, Jack Ruby in a cavanaugh hat
Whoever taught you to shoot a pistol like that
Oh, you snuck in the basement and you stood in the back
Jack Ruby, Jack Ruby in a cavanaugh hat

Jack Ruby, Jack Ruby when you were fifteen years old
On the south side of Chicago you looked up to Capone
Stole girls lunch money beat boys on their way home
Jack Ruby, Jack Ruby when you were fifteen years old

Jack Ruby, Jack Ruby when you were twenty-one
you traded brass knuckles for a caliber gun
In the Sherman Hotel bootleg whiskey did run
Jack Ruby, Jack Ruby when you were twenty-one

Jack Ruby, Jack Ruby when you were thirty-five
Set up shop in Dallas, had nothing to hide
A nightclub with hookers and cops side by side
Jack Ruby, Jack Ruby, when you were thirty-five

Jack Ruby, Jack Ruby when you were forty-nine
At the Carousel Club you kept the judges in line
J. Edgar Hoover said there's no organized crime
Jack Ruby, Jack Ruby when you were forty-nine.

Read the rest of the lyrics here:
http://www.marcogiunco.com/Testi/001982_03.htm

Cavanaugh Hat from the JFK Presidential Library and Museum

Paul Metsa: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNxKhY-C8MA

Watching the Wheels: When John Lennon Sidestepped the Rat Race

Cover art for the single, released posthumously

In 2015 I wrote about a concept called slow living as an alternative to the rat race. It's another way of describing the concept of mindfulness. Instead of cramming as many things as possible into a day, week or lifetime, mindfulness is a means of slowing down so we can appreciate the experience of living more fully. 

I think this is what the saying, "Stop the world, I want to get off!" is about. It's also the central idea in John Lennon's "Watching the Wheels," the first track on side two of his last album, Double Fantasy, produced in conjunction with Yoko Ono.

* * *

For most of us, it's hard to imagine what it must have been like to "become The Beatles." Not just becoming a group and making records, but becoming a bigger than life symbol of sorts. 

In their early years they were anything but famous as they worked out an identity while playing clubs in Britain and Hamburg. At a certain point in time, with a manager and a record label, it was as if they stepped onto a golden escalator to heaven. Their fame was bigger than life.

When The Beatles broke up, this bigger than life stature did not disappear. They each continued to be public figures, making albums, leveraging the fame they'd achieved. John and Yoko used this fame as a platform to make statements about peace.

Eventually, however, another theme which had been apparent years earlier (eg. "Fool on the Hill," "Across the Universe.") asserted itself and John chose to become a recluse. For a two year period he lived in L.A. and hung out with Harry Nillson, who became a successful pop artist without ever doing road tours to promote his records. Upon completion of his time in L.A. John returned to New York where he assumed the role of father and househusband.

Cog wheels in France. Photo: Tangopaso
Public domain.

Here are the lyrics to "Watching the Wheels." Notice how natural and direct the language is.

"People say I'm crazy doing what I'm doing. Well, they give me all kinds of warnings to save me from ruin. When I say that I'm O.K. well, they look at me kind of strange. Surely you're not happy, boy, you no longer play the game."

It's easy to imagine that this is a direct lift of a conversation he had many times in various forms. And what is going on here?

Other people are confronting him with their expectations of what he should be doing with his life. Their observations may be accurate on one level --"you no longer play the game"--but on another level they're missing the point. "Why play the game which is so ruthless, which demands so much from us, dehumanizes us and pre-defines us?"

After being accused of being crazy for not embracing the values of the culture, they label him as lazy, "dreaming my life away." Their meddling continues with all kinds of advice aimed to enlighten John so he gets back in the game.

Here's the rub. Two sets of values are in conflict, and those who are committed to one view insist that the other is in the wrong. "Wake up, John." 

John, is not convinced. He's seen the pressures of fame. He knows the personal compromises involved, the obligations to show up at events because "it is expected." 

In her book Gift from the Sea, Anne Morrow Lindbergh writes about this very same thing. At some point in life you have to nurture yourself and stop playing the game. It is important to maintain a private life for emotional, spiritual and human reasons. 

Watching the Wheels

People say I'm crazy
doing what I'm doing
Well they give me all kinds of warnings
to save me from ruin
When I say that I'm o.k.
well they look at me kind of strange
Surely you're not happy now
you no longer play the game 

People say I'm lazy
dreaming my life away
Well they give me all kinds of advice
designed to enlighten me
When I tell them that I'm doing fine
watching shadows on the wall
Don't you miss the big time boy
you're no longer on the ball 

I'm just sitting here watching the wheels go round and round
I really love to watch them roll
No longer riding on the merry-go-round
I just had to let it go 

Ah, people asking questions
lost in confusion
Well I tell them there's no problem,
only solutions
Well they shake their heads and they look at me
as if I've lost my mind
I tell them there's no hurry
I'm just sitting here doing time

I'm just sitting here watching the wheels go round and round
I really love to watch them roll
No longer riding on the merry-go-round
I just had to let it go
I just had to let it go

John Lennon. © Downtown Music Publishing

 

Dylan Lines for Our Covid Times

This spring I was planning to write about the song "The Groom's Still Waiting at the Altar" because sometime in the past year I saw another "Top 50 Dylan Songs" and this song was on that list. That intrigued me because I have seen seemingly dozens of Top Dylan Songs lists and can't ever recall this tune from Shot of Love being included. It is, however, a real rocker and does indeed have a nice intensity. 

Last night when I was reading through the lyrics at the Bob Dylan site, I noticed that the words there did not match the lyrics as I remembered them (the ones implanted in my head from countless listenings.) So I went and played the song while reading the lyrics there. Sure enough, he twiddled some lines in several of the choruses. 

Ironically, what threw me off from writing about the song earlier this year was this lline here: 

Put your hand on my head babe, do I have a temperature?

It's a pandemic type of line. All over the world there are places where people are taking monitoring other peoples' temps. My brother-in-law said they measured the temperatures on his forehead before he could go into the market, (or was it a school where he taught) in Thailand.

This led to me assembling some other lines for our Covid times. 

The song title "Things Have Changed" can certainly be applied to 2020. Especially these lines from the chorus: People are crazy, times are strange

Speaking of change, the chorus of this classic is still relevant: The times, they are a-changin'

The title of his 2003 film was Masked and Anonymous. Was it a prophecy?

Then there's this line from "Visions of Johanna" that applies to the lockdown and especially it's impact on people who were traveling this spring and couldn't get home.

We sit here stranded, though we’re all doin’ our best to deny it.

The Apocalyptic "All Along the Watchtower" begins with a nod to our strange times:

“There must be some way out of here,” said the joker to the thief
“There’s too much confusion, I can’t get no relief

From that same album (John Wesley Harding) we have yet another relevant song. With so many people being laid off, there have no doubt been many appeals like this one:

Dear landlord
Please don’t dismiss my case I’m not about to argue I’m not about to move to no other place

On Love and Theft the song "Sugar Baby" has a line that is totally relevant here:

You always got to be prepared but you never know for what

Life can sometimes hit you like a roundhouse right. You really don't see it coming.

The opening stanza from that same song has always be a favorite, and also applies.

I got my back to the sun ’cause the light is too intense I can see what everybody in the world is up against You can’t turn back—you can’t come back, sometimes we push too far One day you’ll open up your eyes and you’ll see where we are

Are you a snowbird who goes South for the winter? This is a warning from "Slow Train Coming":

You could die down here and be just another accident statistic.

This may be out of context but it applies, as well. 

I can make it all match up, I can hold my own
I can deal with the situation right down to the bone
I can survive, I can endure...

Most of the time

How about you?

OK, that's enough. Most of these are off the cuff. Have you had any lines especially jump to mind this year? 

Daniel Botkin's Riddles for Fans of Bob Dylan: Riddles and Trivia All Rolled Into One

Anyone who has followed Bob Dylan's career over the course of a lifetime will agree that Bob Dylan is one of a kind. I think the same can be said for Daniel Botkin, a lifelong Dylan fan, artist and singer/songwriter in addition to being a Bible teacher and conference speaker.

I first met Mr. Botkin at the 2016 Duluth Dylan Fest and helped orchestrate his one man art show at The Red Mug that year, which also included an artist talk that garnered a good crowd and TV coverage. His creativity extends to performing as well, and he's continued to participate annually in the singer/songwriter contests that have continued in Duluth.

Botkin, who hails from Peoria, Illinois, also has a sense of humor that reveals itself in both his art and his songwriting. On one occasion he was in his house singing "The Ballad of Frankie Lee and Judas Priest" and his wife told him to sing something his twin daughters would enjoy. He reinvented the song as "The Ballad of Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Priest," which he later performed here in Duluth.

This spring he assembled a collection of riddles for Dylan fans which he may have intended for distribution at our 2020 Dylan Fest which had unfortunately been cancelled due to the pandemic. I obtained a copy a couple weeks back and found it quite entertaining. There's a sense in which it's not only a book of riddles but also a trivia contest. A few of the answers will be obvious, but many will challenge even the most dedicated fan.

Here are a handful of riddles so you can catch the spirit of this book. The 57 page volume includes a chapter on where the idea for this book came from, a brief history of Botkin's relationship to the music of Bob Dylan and some other bonus material. For $7.99 I think it's a pretty good value and might make a good gift for the Dylan fan who already has everything else.

What did the farmer say to his stubborn hen?
A: Lay, lady, lay.
Lay, Lady, Lay

"Motorcycle Black Madonna" -- Painting by D. Botkin

What did the Dylan fan say when the farmer next-door asked him what time he normally woke up in the morning?
A: When your rooster crows at the break of dawn.
Don't Think Twice, It's Alright

What did Bobby Zimmerman‘s mom say to him when he came home after his curfew?
A: Where have you been my blue-eyed son?
Hard Rain

What do Dylan fans say when they set their clocks ahead for daylight savings time?
A: The times they are a changin'.
The Times Are A-Changin'

What does a Dylan fan do when you ask him for $.15?
A: Well, he hands you a nickel, he hands you a dime.
Maggie's Farm

Why can't burglars break into Bob Dylan‘s house?
A: His bedroom window it is made out of bricks and the National Guard stands around his door.
Maggie's Farm

What did the Dylan fan say to a friend who couldn’t remember his own phone number?
A: They say that Pat Garrett’s got your number.
Billy 1

Self-Portrait with Leopard-Skin Pillbox Hat

What did the Dylan fan say to the abacus?
A: Will I be able to count on you?
Is Your Love In Vain

What did the surgeon say to the Dylan fan is they wheeled him into the operating room?
A: You won’t get out of here unscarred.
Narrow Way

What did the Dylan fan say to Marie-Antoinette?
A: You went and lost your lovely head.
Narrow Way

You can tell the book is truly "hot off the press." It even has a riddle from "I Contain Multitudes."

What did the florist say in response to the customers complaint about the wounded flowers?
A: The flowers are dying like all things do

You can find links to Daniel Botkin's Riddles for Fans of Bob Dylan as well as prints of his paintings at DanielBotkin.com.

Related Links
Interview with Artist Daniel Botkin, Winner of the 2012 Dylan Days Art Competition
Like Dylan, Artist Daniel Botkin Reconfigures American Classics
Daniel Botkin's Gallery of Dylan-Themed Art