Grimsby Poets Forums

At the end of this month a new DVD comes out, followed by the TV filming a week later, of No Direction Home : Bob Dylan.

Dylan was surely a great songwriter, and here is one of my favourite Dylan songs (though maybe not his best ?) ;

The times they are a-changin', by Bob Dylan

Come gather 'round people
Wherever you roam
And admit that the waters
Around you have grown
And accept it that soon
You'll be drenched to the bone.
If your time to you
Is worth savin'
Then you better start swimmin'
Or you'll sink like a stone
For the times they are a-changin'.

Come writers and critics
Who prophesize with your pen
And keep your eyes wide
The chance won't come again
And don't speak too soon
For the wheel's still in spin
And there's no tellin' who
That it's namin'.
For the loser now
Will be later to win
For the times they are a-changin'.

Come senators, congressmen
Please heed the call
Don't stand in the doorway
Don't block up the hall
For he that gets hurt
Will be he who has stalled
There's a battle outside
And it is ragin'.
It'll soon shake your windows
And rattle your walls
For the times they are a-changin'.

Come mothers and fathers
Throughout the land
And don't criticize
What you can't understand
Your sons and your daughters
Are beyond your command
Your old road is
Rapidly agin'.
Please get out of the new one
If you can't lend your hand
For the times they are a-changin'.

The line it is drawn
The curse it is cast
The slow one now
Will later be fast
As the present now
Will later be past
The order is
Rapidly fadin'.
And the first one now
Will later be last
For the times they are a-changin'.


Hear this Joan Baez version,

Very good Digiwizz, and here is one of Dylan's biggest hits that I really like ;

Mr. Tambourine Man, by Bob Dylan

Hey! Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me,
I'm not sleepy and there is no place I'm going to.
Hey! Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me,
In the jingle jangle morning I'll come followin' you.

Though I know that evenin's empire has returned into sand,
Vanished from my hand,
Left me blindly here to stand but still not sleeping.
My weariness amazes me, I'm branded on my feet,
I have no one to meet
And the ancient empty street's too dead for dreaming.

Hey! Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me,
I'm not sleepy and there is no place I'm going to.
Hey! Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me,
In the jingle jangle morning I'll come followin' you.

Take me on a trip upon your magic swirlin' ship,
My senses have been stripped, my hands can't feel to grip,
My toes too numb to step, wait only for my boot heels
To be wanderin'.
I'm ready to go anywhere, I'm ready for to fade
Into my own parade, cast your dancing spell my way,
I promise to go under it.

Hey! Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me,
I'm not sleepy and there is no place I'm going to.
Hey! Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me,
In the jingle jangle morning I'll come followin' you.

Though you might hear laughin', spinnin', swingin' madly across the sun,
It's not aimed at anyone, it's just escapin' on the run
And but for the sky there are no fences facin'.
And if you hear vague traces of skippin' reels of rhyme
To your tambourine in time, it's just a ragged clown behind,
I wouldn't pay it any mind, it's just a shadow you're
Seein' that he's chasing.

Hey! Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me,
I'm not sleepy and there is no place I'm going to.
Hey! Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me,
In the jingle jangle morning I'll come followin' you.

Then take me disappearin' through the smoke rings of my mind,
Down the foggy ruins of time, far past the frozen leaves,
The haunted, frightened trees, out to the windy beach,
Far from the twisted reach of crazy sorrow.
Yes, to dance beneath the diamond sky with one hand waving free,
Silhouetted by the sea, circled by the circus sands,
With all memory and fate driven deep beneath the waves,
Let me forget about today until tomorrow.

Hey! Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me,
I'm not sleepy and there is no place I'm going to.
Hey! Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me,
In the jingle jangle morning I'll come followin' you.

Yes I like Dylan's Mr Tambourine Man too Clare - but prefer The Byrds version really.

A fairly skillful comedian wrote a funny parody Of Mr Tambourine Man ;

I Made a Tangerine Flan, by Phil Alexander

I made a tangerine flan, made it for my tea
Wasn't easy, there's no recipe I'm keeping to
I made a tangerine flan, come and share with me
I'll be back in just one minute and I'll have some with you

If you feel a gritty taste, well that just might be some sand
I forgot to wash my hands
Though the taste is rather bland - no don't stop eating
I made this tasty flan with a tin of tangerines
And some mouldy old baked beans
And some shredded magazines - eat up, no cheating

I made a tangerine flan, made it for my tea
Wasn't easy, there's no recipe I'm keeping to
I made a tangerine flan, come and share with me
I'll be back in just one minute and I'll have some with you

I know that you've not stopped to figure out exactly what
That you're eating, 'cause it's hot
And afore you eat a lot
You are wond'ring if it's snot - no it's not, it's knotty
And rather chewy
Now I'm sure that you don' care if what you find in there
Makes you say a little prayer
I don't think it's pubic hair
So don't go huey

I made a tangerine flan, made it for my tea
Wasn't easy, there's no recipe I'm keeping to
I made a tangerine flan, come and share with me
I'll be back in just one minute and I'll have some with you

You feel like throwin', vomitin' or emptyin' your tum
Please don't aim at anyone,
It's just escapin' on the run
And the loo's that way, so please don't hit the sofa
And if you hear see vague traces of what you think might be cream
It's a recurring theme
Well, a little bit extreme
Feeling much too sick to scream
No, I'm sure it isn't semen there all over

I made a tangerine flan, made it for my tea
Wasn't easy, there's no recipe I'm keeping to
I made a tangerine flan, want to share with me?
I'll be back in just one minute and I'll have some with you

Pick out the toenail clippings and the eggshell you can find
And the tangerine-y rind, and the bits of frozen peas
And the mozarella cheese, and the forty-day-old peach
The used tissues underneath, the Mask of Zorro
Then cover it with Worcester sauce and hottest chilli seeds
So that you don't taste the weeds or the long elastic bands
You say it's a taste you hate, well I reckon it tastes great
Don't think 'bout how you're gonna feel tomorrow

I made a tangerine flan, made it for my tea
Wasn't easy, there's no recipe I'm keeping to
I made a tangerine flan, want to share with me?
I'll be back in just one minute and I'll have some with you

I like the links at the bottom of the pages in this forum. The links below this Bob Dylan post include Bob Dylan links - very good !!

No Direction Home : Bob Dylan

Directed by Martin Scorsese no less, what a fine mix.

BBC2 - SEPTEMBER 26TH & 27TH - Be there or be square.

Can't wait myself, apparently we'll see the infamous "Judas" incident, screened for the first time ever.

"Play ** Loud"

Yes K certainly not to be missed - and sure to be widely recorded no doubt !

Another great singer that sang a number of Bob Dylan songs very well was Joan Baez.
She also recorded quite a few good old folk songs and ballads, and interestingly sang male songs as a man rather than change song lyrics. But sometimes she would change a song lyric to make it more meaningful or more musical.

Joan Baez may never have been the most popular of singers, but many have considered her the greatest of singers. Below is her in 1965 singing live Dylan's 'Don't Think Twice, It's All Right', and some other good songs including some folk songs and ballads, as follows ;

1. I'm A Rambler, I'm A Gambler
2. There But For Fortune
3. Copper Kettle
4. Mary Hamilton
5. Don't Think Twice, It's All Right
6. I'm Troubled And I Don't Know Why
7. We Shall Overcome
8. With God on Our Side
9. The Joys of Love, or Plaisir d'amour



And in the second part of this concert she sang some more great songs, as follows ;

1. Silver Dagger
2. Oh Freedom
3. She's A Troublemaker
4. The Unquiet Grave
5. It Ain't Me Babe
6. Isn't It Grand
7. 500 Miles
8. Portuguese song
9. The Joys of Love, or Plaisir d'amour



And for those who may be interested, below is a list of songs recorded by Loan Baez to 2022 ;

33rd Of August, The 
A Mi Manera 
Ain't Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Around 
All In Green Went My Love Riding 
All My Trials 
All The Pretty Little Horses 
All The Weary Mothers Of The Earth
Altar Boy And The Thief, The 
Amazing Grace 
Amsterdam 
And The Band Played Waltzing Matilda 
Angel Band 
Angeline 
Annabel Lee 
Annie Had A Baby 
Asimbonanga 
Ate Amanha 
Auctioneer 
Ave Maria 
Away In A Manger 
Babe, I'm Gonna Leave You 
Bachianas Brasileiras No. 5 
Ballad Of Sacco And Vanzetti, The 
Banks Of The Ohio 
Barbara Allen 
Battle Hymn Of The Republic 
Be Not Too Hard 
Before The Deluge 
Best Of Friends 
Biko 
Birmingham Sunday 
Black Is The Color Of My True Love's Hair 
Blessed Are... 
Blowin' In The Wind 
Blue Sky 
Blues Improv 
Boots Of Spanish Leather 
Boulder To Birmingham 
Boxer, The 
Brand New Tennessee Waltz, The 
Brothers In Arms 
Cambodia 
C'era Un Ragazzo Che Come Me Amava
Cantique De Noel (O Holy Night) 
Careless Love 
Carol Of The Birds, The 
Carrickfergus 
Carry It On 
Caruso 
Casida Of The Lament 
Catch The Wind 
Cherry Tree Carol, The 
Childhood III 
Children And All That Jazz 
Children Of Darkness 
Children Of The 80's 
China 
City Called Heaven, A (Pilgrim Of Sorrow) 
Colours 
Colours (poem) 
Come All Ye Fair And Tender Ladies 
Come All Ye Fair And Tender Maidens 
Copper Kettle 
Coventry Carol 
Crack In The Mirror 
Cry Me A River 
Cucurrucucu Paloma 
Daddy, You Been On My Mind 
Danger Waters 
Dangling Conversation 
Danny Boy 
Dark As A Dungeon 
De Colores 
Dear Landlord 
Death Of Queen Jane, The 
Deportee (Plane Wreck At Los Gatos) 
Diamonds & Rust 
Dida 
Do Right Woman, Do Right Man 
Don't Cry For Me, Argentina 
Don't Make Promises 
Don't Think Twice It's Alright 
Don't Weep After Me 
Donna Donna 
Down In Yon Forrest 
The Dream Song 
Drifter's Escape 
East Virginia 
Edge Of Glory 
El Preso Numero Nueve 
El Rossinyol 
El Salvador 
Eleanor Rigby 
Ellas Danzan Solas (Cueca Sola) 
Engine 143 
Epitaph For A Poet 
Esquinazo Del Guerrillero 
Every Night 
Evil 
Fairfax County 
Famous Blue Raincoat 
Fare Thee Well (10,000 Miles) 
Farewell, Angelina 
Farewell To This Today 
February 
Fennario 
Fifteen Months 
Fishing 
Freedom Now 
For All We Know 
For Sasha 
Forever Young 
Fountain Of Sorrow 
Free At Last 
Freight Train 
Gabriel And Me 
Gacela Of The Dark Death 
Geordie 
Ghetto 
Glad Bluebird Of Happiness 
Go 'Way From My Window 
Goodnight Saigon 
Gospel Ship 
Gracias A La Vida 
Green, Green Grass Of Home 
Greenwood Side, The 
Guantanamera 
Gulf Winds 
Hallowed Be Thy Name 
Hand To Mouth 
Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall, A 
Heartfelt Line Or Two, A 
Heaven Help Us All 
Hello In There 
Help Me Make It Through The Night 
Henry Martin 
Here's To You 
Hickory Wind 
Hitchhikers' Song, The 
Honest Lullaby 
House Carpenter 
House Of The Rising Sun 
Hush Little Baby 
I Dream of Jeannie 
I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine 
I Gave My Love A Cherry 
I Live One Day At A Time 
I Pity The Poor Immigrant 
I Saw The Vision Of Armies 
I Shall Be Released 
I Still Miss Someone 
I Wonder As I Wander 
If I Knew 
If I Were A Carpenter 
If I Wrote You 
I'm Blowin' Away 
I'm With You 
Imagine 
In Forty Days 
In Guernica 
In The Pines 
In The Quiet Morning 
Isaac & Abraham 
Island In The Sun 
It Ain't Me Babe 
It's All Over Now, Baby Blue 
Jackaroe 
James And The Gang 
Jaria Hamuda 
Jesse 
Jimmy Brown 
Joe Hill 
John Hardy 
John Riley 
Johnny Cuckoo 
Johnny, I Hardly Knew Yeh 
Jolie Blonde 
Just A Closer Walk With Thee 
Kinder (Sind So Kleine Hande) 
Kingdom Of Childhood 
Kitty 
Kumbaya 
La Bamba 
La Colombe (The Dove) 
La Llorona 
Lady Came From Baltimore, The 
Lady Di And I 
Lady Gay 
Lady Mary 
Land Of A Thousand Dances, The 
Las Madres Cansadas 
Lass From The Low Country, The 
Last, Lonely and Wretched 
Last Night I Had The Strangest Dream 
Last Thing On My Mind, The 
Le Deserteur 
Legend Of A Girl Child Linda 
Less Than The Song 
Let It Be 
Let Us Break Bread Together 
Let Your Love Flow 
Light A Light 
Lily 
Lily Of The West, The 
Lily, Rosemary And The Jack Of Hearts 
Lincoln Freed Me Today (The Slave) 
Little Darlin' 
Little Drummer Boy, The 
Little Moses 
Llego Con Tres Heridas 
London 
Lonesome Road 
Lonesome Valley 
Long Black Veil 
Love Inside, The 
Love Is Just A Four-Letter Word 
Love Minus Zero, No Limit 
Love Song To A Stranger 
Love Song To A Stranger, Part Two 
Low Down Chariot 
Lowlands 
Luba The Baroness 
Magic Wood, The 
Mama Tried 
Mama, You Been On My Mind 
Man Of Constant Sorrow 
Man Smart, Woman Smarter 
Manha De Carnaval 
Many A Mile To Freedom 
Maria Dolores 
Marie Flore 
Marriott USA 
Mary Call 
Mary Hamilton 
Mary's Wandering 
Matty Groves 
Me And Bobby McGee 
Mercy Bound 
Michael 
Milanese Waltz 
Minister Of War 
Miracles 
MLK 
Money For Floods 
Moon Is A Harsh Mistress, The 
My Good Old Man 
My Home's Across The Blue Ridge Mountains 
Myths 
Natalia 
Never Dreamed You'd Leave In Summer 
Night They Drove Old Dixie Down, The 
No Expectations 
No Mermaid 
No Man Is An Island 
No Nos Moveran 
No, Woman No Cry 
North 
North Country Blues 
'Nu Bello Cadillo 
O Brother! 
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel 
O What A Beautiful City 
O'Cangaceiro 
Of The Dark Past 
Oh Freedom 
Oh, Happy Day 
Oh, Little Child 
Old Blue 
Old Welsh Song 
Once I Had A Sweetheart 
Once I Knew A Pretty Girl 
One Too Many Mornings 
Only Heaven Knows 
Outside The Nashville City Limits 
Pack Up Your Sorrows 
Pajarillo Barranqueno 
Pal Of Mine 
Parable Of The Old Man And The Young, The 
Partisan, The 
Paso Rio 
Pauvre Ruteboeuf 
Pilgrim Of Sorrow 
Plaisir D'Amour 
Play Me Backwards 
Please Come To Boston 
Poems From the Japanese 
Poor Wayfaring Stranger 
Portland Town 
Portrait Of The Artist As A Young Man 
Prendre Un Enfant 
Pretty Boy Floyd 
Prison Trilogy (Billy Rose) 
Put Your Hand In The Hand 
Queen Of Hearts 
Railroad Bill 
Railroad Boy 
Rainbow Road 
Rake And Rambling Boy 
Rambler Gambler 
Ranger's Command 
Recently 
Restless Farewell 
Reunion Hill 
Riddle Song, The 
Rider, Pass By 
Ring Them Bells 
River In The Pines, The 
Rock Salt And Nails 
Rose, The 
Sad-Eyed Lady Of The Lowlands 
Sagt Mir Wo Die Blumen Sind 
Saigon Bride 
Sail Away Ladies 
Sailing 
Salt Of The Earth, The 
San Francisco Mabel Joy 
Satisfied Mind 
Scarlet Ribbons 
Seabirds 
Seven Bridges Road 
She's A Trouble Maker 
She's Got A Ticket 
Silent Night 
Silkie 
Silver Dagger 
Simple Twist Of Fate 
Sing Me Back Home 
So Soon In The Morning 
So We'll Go No More A-Roving 
Somebody Got Lost In A Storm 
Song At The End Of The Movie, The 
Song For David, A 
Song In The Blood 
Song Of Bangladesh 
Soyuz Druzyei 
Speaking Of Dreams 
Steal Across The Border 
Stephanie's Room 
Stewball 
Still Waters At Night 
Stones In The Road 
Strange Rivers 
Stranger In My Place, A 
Streets Of Laredo 
Suzanne 
Swallow Song, The 
Sweet Sir Galahad 
Sweeter For Me 
Swing Low, Sweet Chariot 
Take Me Back To The Sweet Sunny South 
Te Ador 
Te Recuerdo Amanda 
Tears In My Eyes 
Tears Of Rage 
There But For Fortune 
Three Fishers 
Three Horses 
Through Your Hands 
Time Is Passing Us By 
Time Rag 
To Bobby 
Told My Captain 
Tous Les Enfants, A 
Tramp On The Street, The 
Trees They Do Grow High, The 
Troubled And I Don't Know Why 
Tumbleweed 
Turquoise 
Twelve Gates To The City 
Txoria Txori 
Unquiet Grave, The 
Vagabond (The Hitchhikers' Song) 
Virgin Mary Had One Son 
Wagoner's Lad 
Walkin' Down The Line 
Walls Of Redwing, The 
Warriors Of The Sun 
Water Boy 
Water Is Wide, The 
We Are Crossing Jordan River 
We Shall Overcome 
Welcome Me 
Wenn Unsere Bruder Kommen 
What Child Is This 
What Have They Done To The Rain 
What You Gonna Call Your Pretty Little Baby 
When Time Is Stolen 
When You Hear Them Cuckoos Hollerin' 
Where Are You Now, My Son? 
Where Have All The Flowers Gone 
Whispering Bells 
Who Do You Think I Am 
Who Murdered The Minutes 
Wild Mountain Thyme, The 
Wildwood Flower 
Will The Circle Be Unbroken 
Willie Moore 
Winds Of The Old Days 
Windrose 
With God On Our Side 
Wozu Sind Kriege Da 
Yellow Coat 
Yesterday 
You Ain't Goin' Nowhere 
You're Aging Well 
Young Blood 
Young Gypsy, A

Song list from http://www.joanbaez.com/discS.html
(as well as including some Dylan songs, she also did Bob Marley's 'No, Woman No Cry')

PS. Joan was still doing UK concerts in 2011 at 70 years old, and to some was still inspiring.

Yes and even US President Obama had Joan Baez sing "We Shall Overcome" in the White House in 2010, though she has maybe never exactly been a friend of any government and almost everybody has sung at the White House. She sang many good old traditional folk songs as well as numbers of songs by the great songwriter Bob Dylan (perhaps often singing them better than he sang them himself ?).

Joan Baez, We Shall Overcome ;