Friday 14 May 2010

What are you going to sing?

Well, it has to start with Bob Dylan, of course.

But which songs?

Generally speaking, I don't do the really famous ones although this might be a good time to start.

So, that would be things like:
Blowing in the Wind
Forever Young
Knocking on Heaven's Door
All along the Watchtower

All safely committed to memory long ago. Like a Rolling Stone has too many words for me to remember it easily.

I'm very committed thought to a couple of "end of album" songs.

Bobcats know what I mean. You bring it home. You put it on. You listen. You are dismayed. It's been a mediocre album.

Then, the last song is one that, make no mistake, would make the name of a young singer appearing for the first time on record.

Such is the magnificent "Dark Eyes". "Empire Burlesque" isn't in my top ten Dylan albums but who would want to go through life without the wisdom of "Dark Eyes"?

"They tell me to be discreet for all intended purposes.
They tell me that revenge is sweet and I'm sure from where they stand it is."

But here is the problem of the busker and in fact of the bobcat clearly expressed in terms of this one song.

This is clearly a masterpiece. But how communicative is it going to be in the open air with people rushing by? Isn't it like reciting Hamlet's soliloquies at the hot dog stall at a baseball game?

Well you must try. After all, as Bob Dylan puts it in "Dark Eyes."

"Time is short and the hours are sweet and passion rules the arrow that flies."

So, the first song, is "Dark Eyes".

Tomorrow, another great Dylan album closer. I'm sure you can all guess what it is.

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