Sub-Celestial Homesick Blues

Dearest Rachel –

I’m not sure when exactly we got into listening to Bob Dylan; certainly, it was long after his real moment had passed (although considerably before the Nobel Committee noticed him, so we were at least ahead of those old fogies). Not that we could help it; his peak was before we were born – and yet, he still keeps going. Meanwhile, I’ve retired, and you’ve been called home. It doesn’t seem quite fair, now, does it?

In any event, he would occasionally use a technique (I hesitate to call it musical, but I won’t deny that it has its charms – it’s certainly challenging to write, but to say that would be getting ahead of myself) called “talking” blues, of which the best-known example is “Subterranean Homesick Blues,” which really gives you no idea of what he’s singing about – not that you can tell even after you’ve finished listening to him…

Despite its incomprehensibility – or maybe because of it, what do I know? – it’s one of his better known works, which might have been as much due to his prototypical music video, the style of which was imitated by a few artists during the heyday of MTV, ranging from U2 (“One”) and INXS (“Mediate”) to Leonard Cohen (The Future) and Weezer (“Undone-The Sweater Song”), of all people.

Personally, I tend to prefer another such song of his, which actually has a bit more of an actual story line – perhaps because the idea of wandering through a city denuded of people ruining it has a certain appeal.

Of course, I might also be able to relate to having such an interesting and peculiar dream; I’ve certainly told you about a number of those already. Additionally, the offer to let us be in his dream if we’ll let him into ours (including the mock attribution of the offer – “I said that” – as if it was some sort of famous quote) gives it an extra layer of charm, wouldn’ you agree?

But while Dylan popularized the talking blues style and genre, it’s not as if he was the only one to utilize it. As part of my wanderings through the iTunes algorithm, I came across an example from one of the pioneers of Christian rock, Larry Norman, and while this was in a continued effort to separate “my” music from “our” music, I thought I might share it with you since, if I hadn’t heard it before, you probably hadn’t, either. Larry seemed to think is was important, as the last line of it basically titled the album it appeared on (Just Visiting the Planet)

However, since he name-checks a specific year in his lyrics, it does remove the timeless nature that Dylan’s stuff has (although they also sound like products of their time as well, which may just be because it’s Bob Dylan, and he was so big at a certain point of time). In the spirit of the new year, I thought I might try my hand at updating the lyrics, although given the things I pay attention to, it has more on current events, and less about popular music culture. And to be honest, I really can’t improve much on the fourth and final verse, so I barely put a few tweaks into that one:

Classroom’s got the drag queens, someone tell me what it means
I don’t dig the music scene; I prefer to follow memes
Pop culture’s so ‘woke’; it’s not a very funny joke
At least here in the info age, what we listen to’s bespoke
Got a million different choices – none with any meaning
We all look for solid ground while everyone is leaning

Politician millionaires tell us to pay our “fair share”
Pride was once a mortal sin; now it’s got a month
You like it? Then “just do it”; save the earth, go be a druid
They said “it’s in our D.N.A.,” and now they say “it’s fluid”
Who wants what’s real? All we care is what we feel
Swifties love the N.F.L., ’til she and Kelce go to <CENSORED>

(Oh, don’t get me wrong…
I’m sure they share a true love…
…of money… and fame)

Now it’s twenty-twenty-four, wonder what we’ve got in store
I can check the internet, forget the TV any more
So many bloggers say that China’s gonna beat us
We’re all strung out on fentanyl, with no one here to lead us
Campus protests in the news: “Rape is fine; they’re only Jews”
We ain’t learned much in fifty years; Larry, could you shed some tears?

(Oh, that’s right – your layover’s over
You caught your flight out
Wonder when they’ll announce mine…)

You think it’s such a sad thing when you see a fallen king
Then you recall they’re only humans to begin with
And everybody has to choose whether they will win or lose
Follow God or sing the blues, and who they’re gonna sin with
What a mess the world is in, I wonder who began it
Don’t ask me, I’m only visiting this planet

(This world is not my home…
I’m just… passing through…)

Let me know what you think, honey – and keep an eye on me today, and heck, throughout the year, as I’m gonna need it, for sure.