Bob Dylan really challenged and changed a huge number of conventions with this song. The verses are extremely long with a great deal of internal rhyming, the choruses vary in their length, he pays no attention to the previous "limit" of 3 minutes for a song and he uses a very aggressive, direct vocal style that had not previously been featured in such a prominent way. In the lyrics he is challenging (some would say mocking) a young woman of privilege who has suddenly come down in the world and is having a hard time dealing with the "tough stuff" of life that the less well-off handle as a matter of routine. Although the development of rap is decades later and a world removed from what Dylan is speaking of here, it is not difficult to see some of its seeds lying here which will germinate later into that genre.
I have often said that Dylan is a fantastic songwriter, but I have a hard time listening to him sing. However, here the harsh, somewhat nasal quality of his voice is actually a very good fit for the message and style of the song. His use of "non-standard" instruments also contributes to the unique sound of the song - heavy use of organ and Dylan's frequent turns on the harmonica.
No comments:
Post a Comment