Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Dylan In Mind
Bernard was asking me today, apropos something he's thinking about for a Theory of Knowledge, lecture, if I was familiar with Dylan's songs - namely one that went Analyse you, categorise you… I recognised the line as coming from All I Really Want To Do, but actually wasn't too sure it was, in fact, Dylan. I wondered if it was something by The Byrds and I think it was their version of the song that was running through my head (that is, if they covered it.) Back home I dutifully looked it up in my copy of Lyrics 1962 - 1985 to establish it came from Another Side of Bob Dylan. That explained my lack of familiarity as I've never owned the album. What was more startling was my realisation of just how well-crafted the lyric is, being full of seemingly effortless internal rhyme and gorgeous assonance,.when I had never noticed this at all, though having some degree of familiarity with the song. Moments like this remind me of just how extraordinarily talented some people are and how much there's still to really discover about singers and writers and artists in general whom I like but even now don't fully know. For some reason that made me feel very cheerful.
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Bernard might also want to look at Supertramp's 1979 hit, The Logical Song. Article here, obligatory YouTube link here. Enjoy!
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When I was young, it seemed that life was so wonderful,
A miracle, oh it was beautiful, magical.
And all the birds in the trees
Well they'd be singing so happily,
Joyfully, playfully watching me.
But then they sent me away
To teach me how to be sensible,
Logical, responsible, practical.
And they showed me a world
Where I could be so dependable,
Clinical, intellectual, cynical.
There are times when all the world's asleep,
The questions run too deep
For such a simple man.
Won't you please, please tell me what we've learned
I know it sounds absurd
But please tell me who I am.
Now watch what you say or they'll be calling you a radical,
Liberal, fanatical, criminal.
Won't you sign up your name,
We'd like to feel you're acceptable,
Respectable, presentable, a vegetable!
At night, when all the world's asleep,
The questions run so deep
For such a simple man.
Won't you please, please tell me what we've learned
I know it sounds absurd
But please tell me who I am...
There was something of a vogue for Supertramp when I was at university, largely provoked by Crime of the Century, which I think was their first album. If I'm not mistaken The Logical Song is off Crisis, What Crisis?, which I think is a much superior album, and it's probably the best song on it.
When I first heard it I think even then I knew I would eventually be respectable, presentable, though I had a longing to be one of Springsteen's tramps, born to run. Still do actually.
I think Bernard will enjoy this one.
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