Baidarka

Several months ago I was out kayaking in New York’s Hudson River with Rick a fellow baby boomer. Rick started singing some old Dylan songs as we paddled along. I later brought up the Biblically based themes of many of Dylan’s songs. Rick expressed some disbelief and said something about my Biblical obsession.
Bob Dylan has used the Bible as source material for some of his best work.
He sometimes uses the Bible irreverently, sometimes reverently and sometimes enigmatically.
Not only are many of his themes Biblical but I think that the texture and rhythm of his work almost always has a Biblical feel.
Below are some excerpts from what I consider his most obvious Biblically themed songs.
I invite fellow posters to comment on Dylan and the Bible’s influence on Pop music in general.
Has the Bible had a big influence on Rap or any modern musical movements?

HIGHWAY 61 REVISITED

1965

Oh God said to Abraham, "Kill me a son"
Abe says, "Man, you must be puttin' me on"
God say, "No." Abe say, "What?"
God say, "You can do what you want Abe, but
The next time you see me comin' you better run"
Well Abe says, "Where do you want this killin' done?"
God says, "Out on Highway 61."


THE BALLAD OF FRANKIE LEE AND JUDAS PRIEST

1968


Well, up the stairs ran Frankie Lee
With a soulful, bounding leap,
And, foaming at the mouth,
He began to make his midnight creep.
For sixteen nights and days he raved,
But on the seventeenth he burst
Into the arms of Judas Priest,
Which is where he died of thirst

DESOLATION ROW

1965

Now the moon is almost hidden
The stars are beginning to hide
The fortunetelling lady
Has even taken all her things inside
All except for Cain and Abel
And the hunchback of Notre Dame
Everybody is making love
Or else expecting rain
And the Good Samaritan, he's dressing
He's getting ready for the show
He's going to the carnival tonight
On Desolation Row

GATES OF EDEN

1965

Of war and peace the truth just twists
Its curfew gull just glides
Upon four-legged forest clouds
The cowboy angel rides
With his candle lit into the sun
Though its glow is waxed in black
All except when 'neath the trees of Eden


GOSPEL PLOW

1962,1965

Mary wore three links of chain,
Ev'ry link was Jesus name,
Keep-a your hand on that plow, hold on,
Oh, Lord, Oh, Lord,
Keep-a your hand on that plow, hold on.

Mary, Mark and Luke and John,
All these prophets so good and gone,
Keep-a your hand on that plow, hold on,
Oh, Lord, Oh, Lord,
Keep-a your hand on that plow, hold on.


I DREAMED I SAW ST. AUGUSTINE

1968


I dreamed I saw St. Augustine,
Alive as you or me,
Tearing through these quarters
In the utmost misery,
With a blanket underneath his arm
And a coat of solid gold,
Searching for the very souls
Whom already have been sold.

"Arise, arise," he cried so loud,
In a voice without restraint,
"Come out, ye gifted kings and queens
And hear my sad complaint.
No martyr is among ye now
Whom you can call your own,
So go on your way accordingly
But know you're not alone."

I dreamed I saw St. Augustine,
Alive with fiery breath,
And I dreamed I was amongst the ones
That put him out to death.
Oh, I awoke in anger,
So alone and terrified,
I put my fingers against the glass
And bowed my head and cried.


MAN GAVE NAMES TO ALL THE ANIMALS

1979


Man gave names to all the animals
In the beginning, in the beginning.
Man gave names to all the animals
In the beginning, long time ago.

He saw an animal that liked to growl,
Big furry paws and he liked to howl,
Great big furry back and furry hair.
"Ah, think I'll call it a bear."

Man gave names to all the animals
In the beginning, in the beginning.
Man gave names to all the animals
In the beginning, long time ago.

THE WICKED MESSENGER
1968

There was a wicked messenger
From Eli he did come,
With a mind that multiplied
The smallest matter.
When questioned who had sent for him,
He answered with his thumb,
For his tongue it could not speak, but only flatter.

He stayed behind the assembly hall,
It was there he made his bed,
Oftentimes he could be seen returning.
Until one day he just appeared
With a note in his hand which read,
"The soles of my feet, I swear they're burning."

Oh, the leaves began to fallin'
And the seas began to part,
And the people that confronted him were many.
And he was told but these few words,
Which opened up his heart,
"If ye cannot bring good news, then don't bring any."

ALL ALONG THE WATCHTOWER
1968
"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.
Businessmen, they drink my wine, plowmen dig my earth,
None of them along the line know what any of it is worth."

"No reason to get excited," the thief, he kindly spoke,
"There are many here among us who feel that life is but a joke.
But you and I, we've been through that, and this is not our fate,
So let us not talk falsely now, the hour is getting late."

All along the watchtower, princes kept the view
While all the women came and went, barefoot servants, too.
Outside in the distance a wildcat did growl,
Two riders were approaching, the wind began to howl.

Baidarka

Notice how Dylan reversed the thyme of the bursting Judas in the example below.


For sixteen nights and days he raved,
But on the seventeenth he burst
Into the arms of Judas Priest,
Which is where he died of thirst.

The Admiral

test

Maverick

Hello Baidarka,

The BC&A forum is intended for discussions on the bible itself and related archaeology. This thread would be a better fit in another forum.

I am going to move this to the Media/Pop Culture forum. Another suggestion for future threads would be Misc. Religion Discussion.

Thanks

Maverick - BC&A Moderator